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Which cooker to keep

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thunderbird
thunderbird Posts: 15
in Off Topic
I have a BGE L and MM, just took delivery of a Yoder YS460 Friday and today, somehow, I won a Timberline 850. Ideally I'd keep both the pellet smokers but it seems foolish to do so. Anyone on here have experience with the fancy Traeger or the Yoder? So far, on two cooks, I'm not that impressed with the Yoder compared to my BGE. The smoke and bark as lacking big time. I love my BGE but just wanted something to cook for me when I got busy. 
OKC
Large Egg & MiniMax
Yoder YS460

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  • SaintJohnsEgger
    SaintJohnsEgger Posts: 1,826
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    Using something like a FlameBoss the BGE can cook for you when you get busy. As for the pellet cookers, they often don't have a heavy smoke flavor, Not sure what they do for the bark.
    Marshall in Beautiful Fruit Cove, FL.
    MiniMax 04/17
    Unofficial BGE MiniMax Evangelist
    Facebook Big Green Egg MiniMax Owners Group


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  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,026
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    If the Traeger is still in the box unused you'd probably be best off selling that one over the Yoder. I also think people are going to know the Traeger name over Yoder. I'd give the Yoder a few more cooks and decide what you want to do with it. Selling both pellet grills will give you some nice cash to play around with on a new grill/smoker. 
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
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  • cookingdude555
    cookingdude555 Posts: 3,194
    edited September 2018
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    I'd keep the yoder, personally.  I have a green mountain grill pellet grill (Daniel Boone version), and it is a great cooker.  It requires adding smoke with a smoke tube to meet my needs.    Here is a recent cook from a few weekends ago.  I cook it hotter than some at around 300-325, and adding the pellet tube gives great smoke and the bark was fantastic.  I used the woo extender from my large egg.








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  • littlerascal56
    littlerascal56 Posts: 2,104
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    I had 3 Traegers and a Yoder YS640.  Bought pellets by the pallet online, and burned thru ton's.  The Yoder is built like a tank, so that heavy steel takes a lot of pellets to get up to temp.  Traegers are tinny and heat up (and cool down) fast, so they do the job when you are lazy and in a hurry.  I just didn't like the lack of smoke profile, and they dried out food with all that air blowing thru them on a cook.  Sure you can use water pans, but they are a pain.  And cleanup was not fun on either.  
    The good side is all were very easy to sell, and you don't see too many used Yoders on the market.
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  • Killit_and_Grillit
    Killit_and_Grillit Posts: 4,326
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    So you won the IG giveaway yesterday?

    Well. Freakin. Done. First world problems right there. 

    If it were me, I’d keep the Yoder. (And send that Traeger my way....you know, keep it in the family and all  ;)=) )

    "Brought to you by bourbon, bacon, and a series of questionable life decisions."

    South of Nashville, TN

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  • unoriginalusername
    unoriginalusername Posts: 1,063
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    I’ve had my eye on a yoder for a while, that’s the one I’d keep 
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  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
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    The timberline is insulated and WiFi. Timberline design mimics the Memphis convection design with the blue smoke circulating the elongated cooking chamber and exiting out the back of the cooker.

    As mentioned earlier, the Yoder is a tank which has its +\- ‘s. I have had feedback that it does in fact take a long time to heat it up due to its thick build. Of course that thick build will extend its longevity.

    You are in a can’t loose position. If you keep a pellet cooker make sure you have a set of Grill Grates. Enjoy!
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  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262
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    I like your problems.  

    Phoenix 
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  • thunderbird
    thunderbird Posts: 15
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    Thanks for all the responses guys. There are a lot of pros to both units. I think I'll probably cook on both for a while and sell one. Hopefully I get to keep both!

    The Instagram giveaway includes a brisket from Meat church, I really hope its the waygu from SRF. I've been wanting to order one but have not been able to justify the cost or occasion lately. 
    OKC
    Large Egg & MiniMax
    Yoder YS460

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  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,961
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    cookingdude555 said:
    I'd keep the yoder, personally.  I have a green mountain grill pellet grill (Daniel Boone version), and it is a great cooker.  It requires adding smoke with a smoke tube to meet my needs.    Here is a recent cook from a few weekends ago.  I cook it hotter than some at around 300-325, and adding the pellet tube gives great smoke and the bark was fantastic.  I used the woo extender from my large egg.




    How do you like the Meater?
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
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  • cookingdude555
    cookingdude555 Posts: 3,194
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    The Cen-Tex Smoker said:
    cookingdude555 said:
    I'd keep the yoder, personally.  I have a green mountain grill pellet grill (Daniel Boone version), and it is a great cooker.  It requires adding smoke with a smoke tube to meet my needs.    Here is a recent cook from a few weekends ago.  I cook it hotter than some at around 300-325, and adding the pellet tube gives great smoke and the bark was fantastic.  I used the woo extender from my large egg.




    How do you like the Meater?
    Love it!
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  • thunderbird
    thunderbird Posts: 15
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    Started a brisket on the Yoder before bed, when I got up the hopper was empty and fire was out, thats 20lbs of pellets in like 10 hours. 

    Anyway, smoker temp was still about 190 so I put another bag of pellets in and walked away. About 20 minutes later I had a full on 800 degree grease fire raging. Killed 3 probes and god knows what else, got a mess to clean up!

    My takeaway:
    Reverse sear brisket is gross AF.
    I love my egg, 6 years and never any issues really. 


    OKC
    Large Egg & MiniMax
    Yoder YS460

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  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
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    thunderbird said:
    Started a brisket on the Yoder before bed, when I got up the hopper was empty and fire was out, thats 20lbs of pellets in like 10 hours. 

    Anyway, smoker temp was still about 190 so I put another bag of pellets in and walked away. About 20 minutes later I had a full on 800 degree grease fire raging. Killed 3 probes and god knows what else, got a mess to clean up!

    My takeaway:
    Reverse sear brisket is gross AF.
    I love my egg, 6 years and never any issues really. 


    Wow. That’s a pellet hog. I would expect closer to 1# / hr. Never used the Yoder personally, but the Timberline will be closer to #/ hr. 
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  • littlerascal56
    littlerascal56 Posts: 2,104
    edited September 2018
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    My YS640 burned at least 2# per hour in hot weather, so it was my summer cooker in 2016.  My BGE does most of the winter cooking, as it’s so efficient!

    You really need to vacuum the ashes and fire box on the Yoder’s before every cook, per Yoder’s instructions.  Otherwise you can have a nasty grease fire!
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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
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    Part with a grille 😂😂😂
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262
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    This thread is curing me of my interest in pellet poopers.

    Phoenix 
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  • thunderbird
    thunderbird Posts: 15
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    littlerascal56 said:
    My YS640 burned at least 2# per hour in hot weather, so it was my summer cooker in 2016.  My BGE does most of the winter cooking, as it’s so efficient!

    You really need to vacuum the ashes and fire box on the Yoder’s before every cook, per Yoder’s instructions.  Otherwise you can have a nasty grease fire!

    It was only my 3rd or 4th cook on the Yoder and it was clean as a whistle! I'm scared to death to do a sleeper cook again. That timberline should be here soon, maybe I'll like it better. 
    OKC
    Large Egg & MiniMax
    Yoder YS460

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  • littlerascal56
    littlerascal56 Posts: 2,104
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    I had 2 fires in the pellet hoppers on my Traegers....what a mess and it really screws up the electronics.  Traeger fixed the problem when they made the fan run a short time after grill was shut down.  Got tired of replacing hot rods and auger motors during a critical cook.  And didn’t trust them for overnight cooks at all.
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