# Any Yoder YS640 owners on here?



## radio (May 10, 2020)

I am tired of fussing with cheap pellet grills!  As soon as this rona thing is over I am looking to upgrade and do NOT want a smoker with a center burn pot.  If any of you have a Yoder, I would love to hear any input, either good or bad.


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## bregent (May 10, 2020)

radio said:


> do NOT want a smoker with a center burn pot.



Just curious why that is? If it's because of the long auger tube,  be aware that grills with rear mounted have shorter augers and/or drop chutes.


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## radio (May 10, 2020)

bregent said:


> Just curious why that is? If it's because of the long auger tube,  be aware that grills with rear mounted have shorter augers and/or drop chutes.


because of uneven temps/hot spots with the pot being in the center.  I am more critical than a lot of folks about smoker performance and the end results.  Even though I have figured out how to work around the uneven temps, it cuts way down on the meat capacity.  The Yoder's end mounted burn pot and the adaptive control system is touted to eliminate hot spots


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## Buttah Butts (May 10, 2020)

I know your not interested in a center pot but my Rec Tec Bull has pretty even heat thru out and can maintain even temps on long cooks. I think it’s worth a look. I’ve never had a Yoder but I’ve heard good things about them they were on my short list of smokers when I upgraded but decided on Rec Tec for there warranty and customer service


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## mike guy (May 10, 2020)

I think that is a myth, or maybe just a a bad implementation, that a center burn pot would cause hot spots.   For one it’s logically inconsistent.  Second I’ve measured my cooker that has a center burn pot which a calibrated thermaque in several months paces along the grill grates and the difference was very minor.  5-12 degrees across the entire chamber. 

coming from an offset smoker you would be insane to complain about such a low delta.  To put this in perspective franklins pits have over 50 degrees difference and they manage world class bbq.  Most backyard offsets swing plus or minus 25-50 as you add fuel and stabilize.

to be honest years of experience have taught me perfect temp stability is not as important as people think and a fools errand to chase. That said if you want it, center fired cookers with a PID is the closest you will get.


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## SmokinEdge (May 10, 2020)

radio, I have cooked extensively on a 640 since 2017. Upgraded from. GMG Daniel Boon..
This machine operates more like a pit than a grill. It can do both though. Very solid unit. The adjustable heat baffle is a game changer for sure. The paint sucks, but otherwise, nothing much to complain about.


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## SmokinEdge (May 10, 2020)

mike guy said:


> I think that is a myth, or maybe just a a bad implementation, that a center burn pot would cause hot spots.   For one it’s logically inconsistent.  Second I’ve measured my cooker that has a center burn pot which a calibrated thermaque in several months paces along the grill grates and the difference was very minor.  5-12 degrees across the entire chamber.
> 
> coming from an offset smoker you would be insane to complain about such a low delta.  To put this in perspective franklins pits have over 50 degrees difference and they manage world class bbq.  Most backyard offsets swing plus or minus 25-50 as you add fuel and stabilize.
> 
> to be honest years of experience have taught me perfect temp stability is not as important as people think and a fools errand to chase. That said if you want it, center fired cookers with a PID is the closest you will get.


Just from what you are saying about center pot grills, generally, no offense, but I have to question your experience.


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## mike guy (May 10, 2020)

Please cite some sources that a center burn pot is inherently more inconsistent.  Offset heat sources being more even than a center fire is not consistent with experience or thermodynamics.


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## SmokinEdge (May 10, 2020)

My experience, Yoder’s design, along with the Fast Eddie competition and commercial cookers. I’m really not going to sit here and spoon feed this to you. Look up the designs. Learn why these cookers are made the way they are. Different from mass produced machines and the reasons are many, but cost savings is not one of them.


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## mike guy (May 10, 2020)

Well that settles it.  I’m sure all the offset owners out there that install fire bricks and tuning plates to even out the heat from a side source do that for fun instead of the physical challenge of dealing with heat flow.  

but cool you do you buddy


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## SmokinEdge (May 10, 2020)

mike guy said:


> Well that settles it.  I’m sure all the offset owners out there that install fire bricks and tuning plates to even out the heat from a side source do that for fun instead of the physical challenge of dealing with heat flow.
> 
> but cool you do you buddy


You have been cooped up too long and are board just looking for a fight, or need exert you dominance. Either way, I’m not playing.
The post is about pellet grills, YOU inserted offset smokers, not me, I’m not addressing those. I am addressing the differences between center pot and side pot pellet grills, such as the difference between a Rec Tec and a Yoder us 640. Catch up and learn up on this subject. This would benefit this post more than your current attempt.


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## mike guy (May 10, 2020)

the physics are the same.  The only people telling you their side fire designs are the same people trying to sell it to you.  Which Yoder is a company who I’m sure makes fine pellet grills, but they also designed a side fire smoker that worked so poorly their official recommendation was to put a stick to prop open the fire box door to maintain airflow.  

Thermodynamics answers this question easily.  Side fires will have more delta than center fire.   It’s not even a debate.


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## WoodFan (May 11, 2020)

Ive had 2 Traegers and made the upgrade to a Yoder YS640s. The Yoder will be the last smoker/grill I ever buy.. No complaints, smokes great and there is no comparing the two for quality. Yoder is built to last. My very humble 2 cents. Ive heard the paint issue but I have only had the Yoder a few months no issue yet.


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## D.W. (May 11, 2020)

mike guy said:


> I think that is a myth, or maybe just a a bad implementation, that a center burn pot would cause hot spots.   For one it’s logically inconsistent.  Second I’ve measured my cooker that has a center burn pot which a calibrated thermaque in several months paces along the grill grates and the difference was very minor.  5-12 degrees across the entire chamber.
> 
> coming from an offset smoker you would be insane to complain about such a low delta.  To put this in perspective franklins pits have over 50 degrees difference and they manage world class bbq.  Most backyard offsets swing plus or minus 25-50 as you add fuel and stabilize.
> 
> to be honest years of experience have taught me perfect temp stability is not as important as people think and a fools errand to chase. That said if you want it, center fired cookers with a PID is the closest you will get.


 
I didn't want to jump in this since I don't use pellet smokers, but don't spread false information about offset stick burners. Of course there will be temp variation as you move away from the fire box of about 15-25 degrees between gauges if you're doing it correctly, but use that to your advantage. Secondly, no, if you are having 25-50 degree swings on your gauge readings regularly, that's either laziness or incompetence, or both. You never learned your pit and how to manage a fire.

OP, I don't have Yoder pellet smoker, but I do have one of their stick burners and can say the craftsmanship is top notch imo, and would think the same for any of their products they put out.


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## mike guy (May 11, 2020)

Every pit swings as new fuel is put in.  And every pit has hot spots with heat flow.  It’s why tuning plates exist.  People who think they are perfectly stable probably aren’t using accurate enough digital thermometers or are not placing them at grate level.  the best pit masters in the world have talks about how to manage hot spots.  And they are using  with biggest pits with the most thermal mass.  If you think they are having the problem with massive industrial cookers and we’re not with our backyard cookers, I don’t know what to say. 

guys, meat is not some delicate liquid that can’t handle minor flux in temperature.  Any pro pit master in the restaurant industry knows this. They just know how to manage their cookers.


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## radio (May 11, 2020)

Just to clarify, I have smoked meat on a variety of smokers since the mid 80's, so I am not without a bit of experience.   I currently have 3 horizontal offsets and love them all.  With those, one expects and accepts a certain amount of uneven temps across the grates.  I have tuned mine to minimize that as much as possible.
On to the pellet grill grate temps.  I have a GMG Daniel Boone and have never really liked it all that much.  I found a method of positioning the heat deflector to minimize the temp differences, but as with nearly all center pot grill/smokers, the heat is forced by a fan into,the chamber on at least 3 sides of the deflector and shields.  If one places a large packer or several other cuts anywhere but the center of the grill you will get crispy meat where it is close to the edges of the grates.  Also, the grates are so close to the shields that when smoking at 250° or above, the radiated heat from the shields just below the grates can burn or dry out the bottom of the meat.  My solution to this was place 4 bricks on the grates and set another grate on top of those to smoke the meat on.  That eliminates a lot of the problems in the Daniel Boone.
I have found that many pellet grill owners have never smoked meat until they got the new grill and know little or nothing about temperature variation, hotspots, uneven cooking and so forth.  Not a one that I have talked to have a remote probe thermometer and blindly trust the units thermometer, or digital temp readout.  I have also noticed that many of these guys somehow consider themselves experts at smoking meat and offer all sorts of advice to anyone willing to listen.
If Yoder made a vertical pellet grill, I would be all over it!  My old rusty, trusty New Braunfels Bandera vertical is my favorite smoker!
Speaking of rust, I have no issue with a bit of rust on a Yoder smoker. They are made from 10 gauge steel and will last a lifetime, rust or not!
Rec tecs are manufactured in China, and especially after this Covid-19 thing, I refuse to support their economy when I can buy American! 
End of rant, carry on


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## mike guy (May 11, 2020)

Yea I’m sure some pellet owners start with them.  Others start with wood smokers and lose the time to stay up all night tending fires.  That describes me anyway but I still use my offset when I find the time.  

anyway the point has always been you can’t condemn and entire design because you had a poorly designed one. This isn’t about Rec tec vs Yoder, it’s about the bad claim that center fire pot causes hot spots. You had a center fire pot that did, But I assure you that not all do. If you want a Yoder for the fact that it’s a good cooker, get a Yoder. You won’t be disappointed. But it’s not going to be inherently better or worse than a center fire pot.  

FYI the Yoder uses a fan to push the air into the cooker as well. Many report it probably has the strongest air pressure of the high end pellet grills. So much so that a few have commented that the air pressure is too high for some external cold smokers to add smoke to the chamber without stronger pumps.

point is they all work with the same principles, the rest is implementation details.  If you don’t want air convection, don’t get a pellet grill period.


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## Alphonse (May 13, 2020)

I own many pits and cookers.  This BBQ and outdoor cooking thing is a major hobby of mine. 

I own and cook often on my Yoder YS640S pellet grill.  I was sold when I saw one in person at a dealer.  The quality of construction and it integration of FireBoard into its control system sold me.  

It is a bit pricey and yes, it is made of carbon steel.  If you don't like maintaining paint from time to time,  this is not the grill for you.  The functional capability of the grill is awesome.  It is built like a tank and I really appreciate having the FireBoard data logging and records of my cooks. 

I am happy with it and would buy one again.    I hope you can find one locally to take a hands on look.


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## radio (May 13, 2020)

Boy, aren't you just the Bluebird of happiness?!?!?


Alphonse said:


> I own many pits and cookers.  This BBQ and outdoor cooking thing is a major hobby of mine.
> 
> I own and cook often on my Yoder YS640S pellet grill.  I was sold when I saw one in person at a dealer.  The quality of construction and it integration of FireBoard into its control system sold me.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info.  I have not seen one in person, so perhaps you can tell me the info I am interested in.  Does the heat and air come up on the end AND sides, or just the end where the pot is located?  Do you have any issues with meat getting crispy near the edges of the grate?  All the info I can find points to heat from the pot end, then over the grate to the stack with little to no  circulation from the sides so you can cook from edge to edge.  My GMG crisps things too much unless everything is in the center of the grate, plus the center burn pot heats the deflector just under the grate and will overcook things if you cook anything over 225°


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## SmokinEdge (May 16, 2020)

radio said:


> Boy, aren't you just the Bluebird of happiness?!?!?
> 
> Thanks for the info.  I have not seen one in person, so perhaps you can tell me the info I am interested in.  Does the heat and air come up on the end AND sides, or just the end where the pot is located?  Do you have any issues with meat getting crispy near the edges of the grate?  All the info I can find points to heat from the pot end, then over the grate to the stack with little to no  circulation from the sides so you can cook from edge to edge.  My GMG crisps things too much unless everything is in the center of the grate, plus the center burn pot heats the deflector just under the grate and will overcook things if you cook anything over 225°


Radio, the ys-640 has an adjustable heat baffle, so you can tune your heat in the chamber. This tuning feature is not available on any other grill that I am aware of. In addition, the pellet auger delivers pellets 6 inches or so above the fire pot dropping the pellets into the fire. This pretty much eliminates hopper fires that can happen with augered  to the fire pot center confrontation. In the center pot machines, the pellet hopper must be pressurized by air to stop back burn in the auger tube. The Yoder design does not need this as the fire box and auger system are not connected.

The Yoder is a very even cooking chamber, once adjusted with the baffle. You can also cook direct over the fire pot with the baffle pushed all the way up to the fire pot. Steaks over open wood flame. And then the right side of the grill is a nice warming/keep warm space. It’s a great design, not like the mass produced Traeger style center pot grills this is a step above.


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## radio (May 18, 2020)

SmokinEdge said:


> Radio, the ys-640 has an adjustable heat baffle, so you can tune your heat in the chamber. This tuning feature is not available on any other grill that I am aware of. In addition, the pellet auger delivers pellets 6 inches or so above the fire pot dropping the pellets into the fire. This pretty much eliminates hopper fires that can happen with augered  to the fire pot center confrontation. In the center pot machines, the pellet hopper must be pressurized by air to stop back burn in the auger tube. The Yoder design does not need this as the fire box and auger system are not connected.
> 
> The Yoder is a very even cooking chamber, once adjusted with the baffle. You can also cook direct over the fire pot with the baffle pushed all the way up to the fire pot. Steaks over open wood flame. And then the right side of the grill is a nice warming/keep warm space. It’s a great design, not like the mass produced Traeger style center pot grills this is a step above.


Thanks for the info.  I don''t think any of them will measure up to my stick burners flavor wise.  
I bought the GMG for the convenience of cooking some things pretty much unattended, but have been very disappointed with the results it gives.  I have been smoking meats on various rigs for over 30 years, so it not lack of experience  that is the issue.  If anything, my problem is having such good results on my stick burners that I set the bar too high for anything else to match.
I have a very good friend who owns a BBQ restaurant in Branson, MO where he uses Ole Hickory propane smokers with Pecan wood and his Q is awesome!  They do not dry out the meat like my GMG does and because of my GMG I am now gun shy about all pellet smokers.  The Yoder is not a cheap experiment, so I would be pissed if it dries out food like a center pot smoker!


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## mike guy (May 18, 2020)

No pellet grill will be as good as a stick burner.  It’s a trade off of convenience for quality.  I primarily cooked on stick burners for over decade, but I stopped doing over night cooks often, which pellet smokers have brought back.  If you are willing to put the effort in, pellet smokers will get you most of the way there.  The cooker matters, but the cook matters more. 

kind of weird how only side pot burners need extra tuning features and heat baffles.  really strange how center pots don’t need that feature.


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## Buttah Butts (May 19, 2020)

radio said:


> Thanks for the info.  I don''t think any of them will measure up to my stick burners flavor wise.
> I bought the GMG for the convenience of cooking some things pretty much unattended, but have been very disappointed with the results it gives.  I have been smoking meats on various rigs for over 30 years, so it not lack of experience  that is the issue.  If anything, my problem is having such good results on my stick burners that I set the bar too high for anything else to match.
> I have a very good friend who owns a BBQ restaurant in Branson, MO where he uses Ole Hickory propane smokers with Pecan wood and his Q is awesome!  They do not dry out the meat like my GMG does and because of my GMG I am now gun shy about all pellet smokers.  The Yoder is not a cheap experiment, so I would be pissed if it dries out food like a center pot smoker!



Dont be gun shy of pellet smokers, the GMG Daniel Boone i had along with the Traeger cant even come close to comparing a higher end brand like Rec Tec, Yoder, Gorilla Grill or Memphis. I have a rec tec bull and it was worth every penny. It runs consistent temp unlike the GMG and Traeger which would have huge temp swings. I know there a bit pricey but the quality of build, there warranty and customer service is second to none.


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