# Should I update my Yoder?



## rcher (Feb 6, 2020)

Hey everyone!  Haven't posted in quite awhile.  Curious what you all have to say ....

I have 2 smokers, a Yoder YS480 (original model) and a Traeger Ironwood 650.  Both have similar grate space but operate differently.

The Traeger that I have is WiFi connected and I love having the ability to control from anywhere.  However, the Traeger does not produce smoke over 225 degrees.  Consequently, I need to keep the smoker temps below that mark.  I also find that the Traeger is much hotter than the digital read-out displays.  I can deal with that as I use a "Smoke" thermometer.  My food ends up over cooked and dry.  Does not produce much smoke flavor as I expected.

My YS480 is much easier to maintain temps with.  I think the heavier diffuser plate actually disperses the heat better so as not to burn or dry out my cooks as much as the Traeger.  My Yoder gives better smoke flavor than my Traeger.

I have been thinking about upgrading my Yoder to the new ACS system and adding the new ceramic ignitor.  Is it worth the $400 bux?

The Yoder will last me a lifetime but will it cook as good OR BETTER than it does now without the upgrade?

Thanks in advance!


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## bacon_crazy510 (Feb 7, 2020)

Good morning 

 rcher
 ....

I bought my YS640S a while back. I initially wanted the YS640, but waited too long, and was told the "S" model is now standard. I didn't see the benefit of the wifi and fireboard app ... until I used it.

It is awesome to be able to monitor and change temps and settings, and the app itself is customizable so you can save previous cook sessions for review. I only wish that it had more than 2 sensor ports. 

I've had some issues with my Yoder not lighting when its very cold ... but that's another story. All in all I'm very happy with it. 

You'll be happy with the upgrade. Is it "worth the price"? I never used the standard controller, so I don't know the answer to that question.


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## kawakx125 (Feb 7, 2020)

I probably won't upgrade to it unless there is an issue with my current controller, or something else that requires tearing down the hopper.


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## Alphonse (Feb 7, 2020)

I have the YS640s.  I bought it because of Yoder build quality vs. the sheetmetal competitors and the FireBoard.  Build Quality plus the FireBoard put Yoder in another league in my opinion.

The FireBoard cloud based data logging is off the charts beneficial for me.  Allows me to go back and look at my notes and tune my next cooks.  Here's the record of a brisket that I cooked for the Superbowl.  You can see every time I opened the hood, a change in pellets, and a temperature probe that was seeing vapor vs. meat!  Of course you monitor this all real time during the cook, see the progress, and make data informed decisions.   It allows both WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.  For example, I changed some settings recently from Best Buy 10 miles away after looking at the slope of the temperature line on a cook.  

I have been studying these data logs for my cooks since early November and how the PID controller performs.  It is a winner from both a control and data logging perspective.   I understand that FireBoard is now working on a feature to allow you to add some photos of the cook for the record  as well.   I have also gotten much better at adding notes  to my cook for reference.

It is clearly an expensive upgrade but for me, it would put your Yoder on top of the heap.  



About to wrap:







The FireBoard Data Log:


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## ofelles (Feb 7, 2020)

I, also, will probably wait for a problem with my YS640 before I upgrade.  But by the reports, thanks Alphonse, it's worth the costs.


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## kawakx125 (Feb 7, 2020)

The Yoder controller is not a PID, it is their own proprietary system


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## Alphonse (Feb 7, 2020)

kawakx125 said:


> The Yoder controller is not a PID, it is their own proprietary system



Not sure if you are talking about their old or their new updated FireBoard based controller.

The FireBoard is a PID control based system and it too is proprietary.  PID controllers have been around for years.

https://docs.fireboard.io/drive/pid.html


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## kawakx125 (Feb 7, 2020)

no, that is linking to Fireboard Drive, a standalone controller for pits.  The Yoder system just used fireboard integration for monitoring temps and changing settings over WiFi.  Yoders own system is still controlling the pit.


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## Alphonse (Feb 7, 2020)

Please share your source.


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## kawakx125 (Feb 10, 2020)

Yoder itself...


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## Alphonse (Feb 10, 2020)

kawakx125 said:


> Yoder itself...



OK and thanks, that should be the facts then.   Assuming you had a conversation with them, were you able to find out what kind of control they are using?


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## kawakx125 (Feb 10, 2020)

''Yoder does not use a PID. Our team designed our board from scratch around a microcontroller chip and have written our own code from the ground up in order to have the most flexibility possible. We have 1,000’s of hours of testing that have gone into honing the firmware to deliver great accuracy and to handle sudden changes in the pit environment such as extended door openings, the introduction of large cuts of cold meat, environment changes from below 0 degrees to over 100-degrees Fahrenheit and so on. The PID control is far less agile than a microprocessor control, we’re not sure why manufacturers are choosing this type of controller, except that they do not need a staff programmer to write the firmware. ''


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## Alphonse (Feb 10, 2020)

Thanks 
K
 kawakx125
 for sharing the statement from Yoder.  I searched for the text string and immediately found it on their community forum.   

So, thanks for clearing up my misinformed assumption that they'd adopted the entire FireBoard control scheme.  

It would be fun to know what they are using but I cannot blame them for not giving any real detail in this crowded market segment of pellet smokers.  

Meanwhile their control system integrated with the FireBoard capabilities is top shelf in my opinion.


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## kawakx125 (Feb 11, 2020)

They are using their own control built in house and have a programmer that takes care of software and such, as far as I can infer from digging around on it.  I really like what I see with the Fireboard integration, but I can't really justify the $400 upgrade cost when my non-ACS controller works just fine


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## hondabbq (May 13, 2020)

Im contemplating getting the 480. I have a GMG Jim Bowie for the last few years. 

I know the Yoders are built beefier, but what makes them better over my GMG. Sell me on it guys. 
Is the grill temps fluctuate like others? does it produce smoke at higher temps? ( not like 300+ i mean)

What make sit better?


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## texomakid (May 13, 2020)

You guys do know that Yoder has their own board/forum. Any questions you have regarding your Yoder cookers should be answered on that board from what I've read there. They seem very much engaged with their owners there and appear to monitor on a regular basis.

Or you could call them and ask to speak to one of their technicians.

in my case, I've never needed to so far. Mine YS640 looks like hell but has been cooked on for 2 years hard and heavy. It's fixing to get a good cleaning and a little touchup paint but other than that I haven't had any real issues out of mine.

I don't plan to upgrade to the new Fireboard system but I'm considering replacing the ignitor with their updated version if and when this one goes out.

I could not be more please with my Yoder cooker. After 2 years of hard use and abuse it cooks great and the Korean style ribs we cooked last night were fantastic as always.


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## hondabbq (May 13, 2020)

texomakid said:


> You guys do know that Yoder has their own board/forum. Any questions you have regarding your Yoder cookers should be answered on that board from what I've read there. They seem very much engaged with their owners there and appear to monitor on a regular basis.
> 
> Or you could call them and ask to speak to one of their technicians.
> 
> ...



mom sure there is a forum for yoders but going to a brand specific forum usually leads to fanboys and not true real life experiences. 
on a generic forum like this you get both sides of reviews.


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## Alphonse (May 13, 2020)

I find the Yoder forum not to be very helpful.  Naturally it is moderated by Yoder but has very little participation.  The queries I put there were not really answered to my satisfaction.

I find the Facebook owners group more helpful but it too seems to be administrated by Yoder.  Hopefully it will grow and become more worthwhile.


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## bacon_crazy510 (May 14, 2020)

hondabbq said:


> Im contemplating getting the 480. I have a GMG Jim Bowie for the last few years.
> 
> I know the Yoders are built beefier, but what makes them better over my GMG. Sell me on it guys.
> Is the grill temps fluctuate like others? does it produce smoke at higher temps? ( not like 300+ i mean)
> ...





 hondabbq
 I've got a YS640S ... I had a Camp Chef for a bit. The Camp Chef had tremendous temperature swings .... 40-50F .... horrible to try to control.

The Yoder is a solid, heavy beast. Once it comes to temp, the fluctuation is minimal. It recovers quickly once you open the door .... I love my cooker. As for smoke .. it puts out a nice, thin blue smoke at lower temps, but with the nature of pellets, the quicker and hotter you burn them, you get a lot of heat, but little smoke. You'll get a nice, mild smoke flavor ... emphasis on mild. if you really want to amp up the smoke, you can burn a smoke tube of pellets to one side. I actually like the mild smoke flavor. It lets the other flavors shine, whereas with the Camp Chef I got heavy, and sometimes acrid smoke flavor. I loved the Camp Chef ... for what I paid it was a great, entry level cooker.  

I've has a few minor issues with my Yoder too. When I try to start a cook early on a cold, early morning (1:00-2:00am..) I have problems getting it to light.  I can bypass that by taking a palm full of pellets and lighting them with a propane torch. Even with that issue, I'm happy with my Yoder.

It does come at a premium price point. You'll have to justify the expense to yourself - I did, and I'm happy with my purchase.


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## texomakid (May 15, 2020)

hondabbq said:


> mom sure there is a forum for yoders but going to a brand specific forum usually leads to fanboys and not true real life experiences.
> on a generic forum like this you get both sides of reviews.


Yes I absolutely agree but my post was more pointed to the questions I read regarding the equipment and any specific questions in regard to that equipment (such as the PID, proprietary systems, hardware, software, etc.....) No, If I want a review or consumer/owner opinion I too seek sources other than a manufacture. For sure this forum is a great source for real world experiences with no filters. 

Once again, I failed to communicate my thought. My first wife told me this often.


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