Martin Cattaneo

“I've just fired this thing up for the first time. It's easy to talk about the build quality (top class, almost overbuilt in a good way) in a way that makes you think the 640 is sort of like a brute tank and wasn't necessarily designed with aesthetics as the top priority, but when you get it set up at your place it is absolutely gorgeous. I got the black competition cart and it is stunning. The paint job almost looks better than my car. Next, starting it up was a revelation. From YouTube videos of most other pellet smokers and seeing some in action, you can get the impression that pellet grills sound like an ultra loud hideous contraption. The sound of turning on the 640 is like turning on a luxury vehicle- powerful, but very quiet, feels almost silky smooth to your ears. It sounded ultra sleek and honestly surprised me the most out of anything. The smoke this thing puts out was basically immediately the thin-blue-smoke that every stick burner maestro spends ages perfecting. With BBQ'ers Delight hickory pellets, the smell had me salivating from the get-go. The comp cart wheels are performing excellently in my back yard, which is not smooth. I have been able to roll it around on the dirt and grass with the large wheels that come with it, and the extra wide stance of the comp cart is quietly the best part of getting the comp cart. People don't really talk about the bonus of the extra wide stance with the comp cart, but it's immediately noticeable what it does for you when rolling it off the delivery pallet (on my own with no help) and to your back yard spot. I'll try to update this review when I get a few more cooks under my belt. All I can say for right now is that I'm dreaming about all the savory stuff I'm going to smoke.”

4 Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

Kristian Stevens

Verified Reviewer

“I have owned my Yoder now for just about a week. Here are my takeaways. Very well-built and sturdy machine. If I had it to do over I would've ordered the 10 inch wheels, the largest available. Because it is a heavy machine I think the larger wheels would be better since I plan on moving it around some. I had ordered the 8 inch wheels. I truly value getting an owners manual and not a link to a website. That in itself is a true level of customer service. It makes it so easy to reference. The pellet burn rate is faster than what I anticipated from reading in the manuals. I live in Southern California so it wasn't extremely cold the night got down to 65. Maybe a little larger pellet bin would've been better. Just concern if it got really cold. Not a big deal just a mention. I ordered the competition cart in red and love it. Now I see that is a $345 up charge. Not sure that would be worth it before I saw it. I ordered the stainless steel shelves and couldn't be happier. Very easy to clean. It is an up charge. I have cooked a tri-tip, pulled pork, chicken, and a meatloaf. All came out perfect. Brisket this weekend. The Fire Board Wi-Fi Thermometer is a game changer. This thing is simply awesome. Allows me to monitor two probes as well as the pit temperature. I also paid and had two thermometers installed in the hood. Very good tool to help me understand the damper and work to adjust it. I would definitely buy this machine again.”

6 Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

Richard Veley

Verified Reviewer

“This is a heavy duty smoker. Although more expensive than others, it is clearly of higher quality. The smoker was sent Fedex freight and was extremely well packed. I didn't have a single scratch on the unit. Assembly is simple--add the shelves and the stack, and put in the diffuser and grates.”

2 Helpful Report

Posted 6 years ago

Steve Dinkins

Verified Reviewer

“I spent over a year researching the different pellet cookers out there. It took me another year to convince my wife that we should pull the trigger on one of these bad boys. This is one bad-ass cooker! Took my wife only about a month to tell me she was glad we bought it. I cook everything on here! Friends and family are amazed with the food and versatility. Little bit of a learning curve with it cooking at altitude(Denver) but it's all dialed in these days. If it's only you that you are convincing; just buy it already! If it's your wife or significant other, be persistant and they will thank you after 1 or 2 cooks!”

3 Helpful Report

Posted 7 years ago

Greg Bruggeman

Verified Reviewer

“Make sure you have help, this is heavy heavy heavy. Looks like I will never be shopping for a grill again, except maybe another Yoder.”

2 Helpful Report

Posted 7 years ago

Craig Taylor

Verified Reviewer

“I've graduated over several years from traditional indirect wood / charcoal to Tr***** and now Yoder YS640s Competition. I was pleasantly surprised with my unit showed up ahead of schedule, completely assembled. It was ready to grill right out-of-the box. The YS640 is a beast, built like a grill should be and will be your last stop in a smoker-grill search. I happen to be on a championship BBQ in Memphis. I'm not suggesting I know more than the next guy, but I do have a lot of experience covering the range of backyard burgers to national level competition grilling. Yoder beats all in my experience. The YS640s also did a great job of convincing me to step into the wifi world of grill controls. My first real experience in driving the grill with the onboard controls was this Thanksgiving. Two probes in two twenty pound turkeys produced the best birds I've ever smoked. All this being said, the front end customer experienced rounded off with a best-in-class product resulted in a purchase that you should make if you're in the market for a smoker-grill.”

3 Helpful Report

Posted 7 years ago

Douglas Hughes

Verified Reviewer

“I looked at pellet grills for over a year, trying to find the right one. I was leery of spending so much since I am a huge fan of offset smokers. Unfortunately, they can be time-consuming and I rarely have the time to do a long cook on one. I researched several brands and decided it was Yoder or nothing. I have had it a couple of weeks and already did three cooks on it. The first cook was 5 slabs of ribs, could have easily put a few more on there. The second was 4 beer can chickens, could have done at least 8. The third was 3 10lb Boston butts, could have held 6 easy. I have tried the BBQ delight pellets that came with the smoker, and some 100% Hickory lumberjack. Both worked great. With the thermal jacket on, it is using less than 2lbs an hour. The pork roasts cooked for 10 hours, and the hopper still has a few pounds left in it. Combined with an Amazing Tube this cooker gets really close to offset smoker flavor with out much effort. While cooking I needed to run to the store to get some sides, came back 2 hours later, and the things were humming away at 220 just like I left it. The temperature does read hotter than my Maverick by about 20 degrees, not sure which one is more accurate because the Maverick is pretty old. The thing heats extremely even. I cooked some bacon on it after the initial burn in, and it cooked evenly throughout the smoker. I haven't grilled anything yet, but I have no reason to believe it won't excel at that too. I do highly recommend the 2 piece heat deflector option. I couldn't be happier with my purchase, and hopefully, this will help someone else with their decision. I don't think you could go wrong with this smoker.”

10 Helpful Report

Posted 7 years ago

YS640s Competition Pellet Grill Reviews