Fec 100 vs yoder 1500 comp cart

I've cooked on FEC-100 for about 5 years now... Added a YS640 in 2015, and in 2017 I swapped the FEC out for a YS1500 in my comp trailer. I like the flavour better in the Yoder, and better bark development. The very low airflow in the FEC was a problem in high humidity situations... With 50 lbs of meat in there overnight I struggled sometimes to get bark to adhere to the meat, even after 12 hours.

Prairie Smoke said:

I've cooked on FEC-100 for about 5 years now... Added a YS640 in 2015, and in 2017 I swapped the FEC out for a YS1500 in my comp trailer. I like the flavour better in the Yoder, and better bark development. The very low airflow in the FEC was a problem in high humidity situations... With 50 lbs of meat in there overnight I struggled sometimes to get bark to adhere to the meat, even after 12 hours.

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I find this interesting, because my better cooks on the FEC100 comes in high humidity situations. The only time I ever had problem setting bark was when I applied the rub to thick.

I have owned both fec 100s and a YS 1500 and have won grand championships with both. They both are great units. FEC is very consistent, reliable, and easy to move around if you modify the wheels. The YS 1500 is a great comp cooker as you can set up different heat zones, it burns more pellets giving you more smoke flavor and a better bark without having to cook for more hours, it cooks more like a stick burner than a cabinet smoker. Most people that give up on a yoder usually can't grasp the different way it cooks from traditional pellet units. Guys like Rob have figured it out and have had a great amount of success.

The point being is you can win with almost any cooker. You just need to pick one and stick with it understand the concepts of heat flow and how your cooker works. Practice, practice, practice until you produce a system and results that are predictable. This is true for any competitive endeavor.

Well now, maybe that's the ticket!

Burnt at Both Endz said:

The only time I ever had problem setting bark was when I applied the rub to thick.

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joeraz007 said:

That is great info thank you. So are you pleased with the build quality of the yoder 1500?

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Build quality and finish is second to none.

joeraz007 said:

I like the look of the cimmaron. How does it cooked compared to your jambo?

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Jambo on pellets or sticks?


I cook hot and fast on the Cimarron -- I've removed the deflector plates completely and use 2 panels of Grill Grates right over the firebox (which is inside the cooking chamber) as ash deflector and searing station. I like it this way and I won a GC last year.


It's been 2 years since I lost the pellet fire on the back of the Jambo. Last year, I cooked a couple of contests with sticks and I expect it cooks very similar to any other J3 out there. It runs about 275-300 full out. It did about the same with the pellet fire system. I just brought the door to have a new pellet fire installed. So, I'll have options for this year and really can be better informed on comparison.

Candy Sue said:

Jambo on pellets or sticks?


I cook hot and fast on the Cimarron -- I've removed the deflector plates completely and use 2 panels of Grill Grates right over the firebox (which is inside the cooking chamber) as ash deflector and searing station. I like it this way and I won a GC last year.

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Interesting, very interesting!

Candy Sue said:

Jambo on pellets or sticks?


I cook hot and fast on the Cimarron -- I've removed the deflector plates completely and use 2 panels of Grill Grates right over the firebox (which is inside the cooking chamber) as ash deflector and searing station. I like it this way and I won a GC last year.


It's been 2 years since I lost the pellet fire on the back of the Jambo. Last year, I cooked a couple of contests with sticks and I expect it cooks very similar to any other J3 out there. It runs about 275-300 full out. It did about the same with the pellet fire system. I just brought the door to have a new pellet fire installed. So, I'll have options for this year and really can be better informed on comparison.

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Good to know the hybrid is coming back. Remind me about how many lbs. you burned at the Clinton Library...aka the most miserable contest of my life?