Seeking input on Pitts & Spitts Maverick 1250 vs. Yoder YS640 build quality

[avrignaud]

Hi folks,

I'm following what seems to be a common trend of starting smoking on a Traeger Pro, getting fed up with their thin metal/build quality/rusting out issues, and looking to upgrade. Been reading the forums, and I think I'm beginning to lean toward either a Pitts and Spitts Maverick 1250 or a Yoder YS640+Comp. Cart.

Primary reason these are floating higher on the list is claimed build quality and thicker gauge steel. Unfortunately I don't have dealers up here in the PNW to see personally, and so was hoping to get feedback from folks here.

For the Yoder YS640, I am curious how "bad" the rusting problem is today? I am aware of a lot of issues in the past, but many of those claims are older and I don't see much recently. Is this still an issue today, and if so, how bad is it? Are we talking a bit of surface rust that you sand off and repaint every few years, or serious pitting/metal degradation?

For the Maverick 1250, I am curious how the carbon steel cooking chamber holds up to rust? Similar questions as above. Related, my understanding is that the Maverick is built from heavier gauge steel than the Yoder - is this true of their all stainless steel as well? Ie, do they use the same gauge?

And finally, appreciate any general comments or opinions on selecting between the two!

Thank you for any feedback you might be able to share!

[rwalters]

Great questions! The Yoders and Pitts are definitely the two heaviest gauged units on the market today. The Yoder at 10 gauge and the Pitts at 7 gauge. I have my opinions about both cookers and for my personal needs/wants would not pick either. Doesn’t mean they aren’t good pellet cookers, it’s just that they don’t have what I am looking for in a pellet cooker. As to the rust issue w/ Yoder, from much of what I read, it appears that the paint issue is still alive and well. For many, it’s much more than a little touch up every couple of years. The Pitts on the other hand does not seem to have paint issues to the same degree that Yoder does.

A few questions for you:
-Will you be using this pellet cooker only for smoking, or will you want to grill with it as well?
-How many people do you cook for on a regular basis, what types of things do you tend to cook most often and do you enjoy entertaining?
-What are the 3 most important things to you in a new pellet cooker? In other words, what are your top 3 requirements that must be met?
-What are you currently cooking on right now, and what is it about pellet cookers that grabs your interest?

[Crispy Bacon]

https://youtu.be/cIdg5BIkK6U

I don't have a ys640 but here is a review about the rust issues & Yoder even tweets this on their Twitter page. I have only heard of rust issues, & that is a non PID controller & that the metal is pretty thick causing a little time to get to temp. Word of mouth is that it puts out great Q despite the issues.

[Inthewoods]

I'm in the PNW and our local grocery carries the Pitts&Spitts pellet cookers....odd isn't it?

Though I have no interest in a pellet cookers, I am a man...so I have found myself a time or two running my hand along it...sometimes whispering under my breath if it would like ta...nevermind..
Anyways it's built like a tank! They carry all three models and I could snap ya some pics if ya wish, since I stop in every day after work.

-D

[stljay]

People seem to love both. But if I was buying today, it would be the Pitts.

The Yoder also has bottom shelf radiant heat issues. You will find it discussed if you look around. The drip pan is so close to the bottom grate, food can get a bit scorched requiring you to move food around more.
The P&S is 100% welded. No silicone to worry about.
The Yoder controller may work ok but it appears to be a bit quirky. I'll take the tried and true Roanoke controller which can be made wifi if that is your thing.
Two slide out shelves on the P&S standard
Higher pellet capacity with dump feature.

Both can grill but it's a bit easier with the Yoder as there's no heat deflector under the drip pan to slide away after you pull the drip pan grill feature. So if you plan to grill a lot you might want to consider that. Either way you don't have the grilling area of a typical gas grill using that feature.

[avrignaud]

Originally Posted by rwalters

A few questions for you:
-Will you be using this pellet cooker only for smoking, or will you want to grill with it as well?
-How many people do you cook for on a regular basis, what types of things do you tend to cook most often and do you enjoy entertaining?
-What are the 3 most important things to you in a new pellet cooker? In other words, what are your top 3 requirements that must be met?
-What are you currently cooking on right now, and what is it about pellet cookers that grabs your interest?

I'd be using just for smoking, and keep the old reliable Weber for gas grilling in a pinch.

I tend to lean toward briskets, ribs, roasts, and turkeys on the smoker - and steaks/seared meats on the weber.

Top things in a smoker? Probably:
- ease of use/timer reliability - set it/forget it
- durability - went through 2 1/2 Tragers (with the company sending parts) to try and get to a single decent unit. They had a lot of issues when they offshored to China, and I don't want to go through that again.
- "rollability" - aiming to store in garage, and have some rough brick patio to traverse

Cooking now: tri tips (usually on weber), ribs, and now that summer is coming, thinking about doing some cold smoked salmon (which I cheat on the Traeger by propping open the door a few inches.

Thanks again!

[Bucknekked]

Originally Posted by avrignaud

Hi folks,


I'm following what seems to be a common trend of starting smoking on a Traeger Pro, getting fed up with their thin metal/build quality/rusting out issues, and looking to upgrade. Been reading the forums, and I think I'm beginning to lean toward either a Pitts and Spitts Maverick 1250 or a Yoder YS640+Comp. Cart.


Primary reason these are floating higher on the list is claimed build quality and thicker gauge steel. Unfortunately I don't have dealers up here in the PNW to see personally, and so was hoping to get feedback from folks here.


For the Yoder YS640, I am curious how "bad" the rusting problem is today? I am aware of a lot of issues in the past, but many of those claims are older and I don't see much recently. Is this still an issue today, and if so, how bad is it? Are we talking a bit of surface rust that you sand off and repaint every few years, or serious pitting/metal degradation?



For the Maverick 1250, I am curious how the carbon steel cooking chamber holds up to rust? Similar questions as above. Related, my understanding is that the Maverick is built from heavier gauge steel than the Yoder - is this true of their all stainless steel as well? Ie, do they use the same gauge?


And finally, appreciate any general comments or opinions on selecting between the two!



Thank you for any feedback you might be able to share!

I am a longtime lump charcoal and BGE user and my interest in smokers is only about 2 years old. I have spent that 2 years using my BGE to smoke and reading up and looking at other peoples smokers. We have Traegers and others in the family.


My vote on this question: I'll answer by saying I just took delivery of a brand new Yoder YS640 on the competition cart. I vote with my dollars and out of all the pellet poopers I looked at, the one that struck my fancy hard enough to get out my wallet was the Yoder.


What I can say for sure about the "rust issue" is that it will heavily depend on your local micro climate and where exactly with the Yoder be sitting. I live in the Arizona desert, the smoker is covered, and it will get wet exactly zero days out of the year if things go right.


Yoder takes a preemptive move in that they include a rattle can of Black Satin paint that matches the smoker. Small surface defects take a small bit of sanding and then hit it with matching spray. Surface defect taken care of. I had a few blemishes from delivery and the spray took care of them so they are invisible

[avrignaud]

Originally Posted by Inthewoods

I'm in the PNW and our local grocery carries the Pitts&Spitts pellet cookers....odd isn't it?

Though I have no interest in a pellet cookers, I am a man...so I have found myself a time or two running my hand along it...sometimes whispering under my breath if it would like ta...nevermind..
Anyways it's built like a tank! They carry all three models and I could snap ya some pics if ya wish, since I stop in every day after work.

-D

Which store you do see these at, if you don't mind me asking? I'm in Seattle. Didn't see any local dealers when I searched on their website... so definitely curious! :)

[avrignaud]

Originally Posted by Bucknekked

I am a longtime lump charcoal and BGE user and my interest in smokers is only about 2 years old. I have spent that 2 years using my BGE to smoke and reading up and looking at other peoples smokers. We have Traegers and others in the family.


My vote on this question: I'll answer by saying I just took delivery of a brand new Yoder YS640 on the competition cart. I vote with my dollars and out of all the pellet poopers I looked at, the one that struck my fancy hard enough to get out my wallet was the Yoder.


What I can say for sure about the "rust issue" is that it will heavily depend on your local micro climate and where exactly with the Yoder be sitting. I live in the Arizona desert, the smoker is covered, and it will get wet exactly zero days out of the year if things go right.


Yoder takes a preemptive move in that they include a rattle can of Black Satin paint that matches the smoker. Small surface defects take a small bit of sanding and then hit it with matching spray. Surface defect taken care of. I had a few blemishes from delivery and the spray took care of them so they are invisible

Thanks for the feedback! The competition cart is one reason I was interested in the Yoder (so I can keep in garage more easily, and hopefully reduce the climate issues). My climate is Seattle - so, less rain than most think (New York gets more), *but* long, grey, and often drizzly winters. :)


I've also heard rumors that Yoder is about to update their line in May - adding WiFi, and one might hope addressing the paint challenges such they don't need to include a can of spray paint. :) Don't suppose anyone knows more on that?

[Bucknekked]

I forgot to mention, the food is delicious. No hot spots. No auger issues. No smoke leakage. The controller is a custom designed controller just for the Yoder units and just for the purpose. In my mind, a custom designed and purpose built unit is a best of breed solution. Its dead simple to use it as well.


My local distributor told me when they delivered he has sold about 75 of these since he began selling them with ZERO service calls. They are as reliable as a Rolex and built like tanks. Any problems though, he'll come out and address them. Customer service is something I will always seek out and it helped my decision.

[avrignaud]

Originally Posted by Bucknekked

I forgot to mention, the food is delicious. No hot spots. No auger issues. No smoke leakage. The controller is a custom designed controller just for the Yoder units and just for the purpose. In my mind, a custom designed and purpose built unit is a best of breed solution. Its dead simple to use it as well.


My local distributor told me when they delivered he has sold about 75 of these since he began selling them with ZERO service calls. They are as reliable as a Rolex and built like tanks. Any problems though, he'll come out and address them. Customer service is something I will always seek out and it helped my decision.

Good feedback! I agree on the customer service (one reason I'm so faithful to Weber for grills)... unfortunately, I couldn't find a Yoder dealer up here in Seattle area, so I sort of have to assume remote support.

[The Wookiee]

It sounds like for what you are looking for (worried about rust etc) should comsider mak 2 star and rectec bull or stampede to the list- great smokers lots of stainless.... but as to Yoder vs Pitts (having researched and spoke to both companies a great deal when deciding what to get after giving up on traeger timberline)- tight call. P&S if WiFi is important. Other than that back and forth coin flip in my mind. I came close to ordering both you are considering and ended up with a mak based on universal rave reviews and small local pacNW company. and if I had to do it all over I could likely end up with any of them; 6 of 1 half doZen of the other...

Make list of pros cons (controller vs looks. vs reputation and customer service vs grill or just smoke etc etc). Then pull the trigger cook on!

[Bucknekked]

Originally Posted by avrignaud

Thanks for the feedback! The competition cart is one reason I was interested in the Yoder (so I can keep in garage more easily, and hopefully reduce the climate issues). My climate is Seattle - so, less rain than most think (New York gets more), *but* long, grey, and often drizzly winters. :)


I've also heard rumors that Yoder is about to update their line in May - adding WiFi, and one might hope addressing the paint challenges such they don't need to include a can of spray paint. :) Don't suppose anyone knows more on that?

The competition cart is a wonderful thing. I appreciated it the moment I tried to move the nearly 400 pound smoker. If any of your choices are big heavy items, the ability to move becomes pretty important to a lot of us. For me, knowing I can move it on a whim is a great thing. The cart looks pretty snazzy too. My wife even thinks it looks great.


As far as Seattle and water and rust go, I think it is a good thing to consider given where you live. The Rec-Tec units are a lot of stainless with ceramic coatings. The Memphis grill folks do a lot of stainless. If water and the resulting rust are a genuine problem, stainless is one solution worth looking at for sure. Get the cover as a minimum with the Yoder. Newly designed and of a better material than before.


I do not know about an impending controller update. I am sure if they come out with a new controller next month, my dealer will be offerring me an "upgrade". Probably for a "small fee". I can live with what I've got because its pretty stinkin' good just as it is. But new seems to have a nice cache

[rwalters]

Originally Posted by avrignaud

I'd be using just for smoking, and keep the old reliable Weber for gas grilling in a pinch.

I tend to lean toward briskets, ribs, roasts, and turkeys on the smoker - and steaks/seared meats on the weber.

Top things in a smoker? Probably:
- ease of use/timer reliability - set it/forget it
- durability - went through 2 1/2 Tragers (with the company sending parts) to try and get to a single decent unit. They had a lot of issues when they offshored to China, and I don't want to go through that again.
- "rollability" - aiming to store in garage, and have some rough brick patio to traverse

Cooking now: tri tips (usually on weber), ribs, and now that summer is coming, thinking about doing some cold smoked salmon (which I cheat on the Traeger by propping open the door a few inches.

Thanks again!

That helps a good bit! Are you open to other suggestions/ideas, or is it the Yoder/Pitts only that you wanna stick with as far as this thread is concerned?

[njfoses]

Couple months back i sold my 640 comp cart that i owned for 5 years. Thoughts below that were also posted in the pellet grill thread here.


P&S Pros

7 and 10 gauge steel vs 10 and 14 on the Yoder

Marine grade stainless roll back lid

Tried and true Roanoke PID tuned for P&S vs Yoder proprietary controller. (This can be debated but i prefer the accuracy and predictability of a PID controller.)

WiFi capability (not necessary by any stretch but i am also a tech nerd )

Tighter temps left to right and upper to lower racks

Top and bottom sliding shelves vs top only on the yoder

Larger hopper

Pellet dump


Yoder Pros

Comp cart still sexy lol

Better high heat grilling capability

Lower price point entry