I have a Pellet Pro that has served me well.  600 sq inch of cooking surface, and I have smoked 5 butts in it at one time.

It is time for a replacement.  I am looking at the Rectec RT-590 and my finger has hovered over the buy now button many times.

But, I always wanted a Yoder, and I am almost ready to just do the inevitable.  What is hanging me up is whether to get the YS-480 or the YS-640.  The 480 has 800 sq in of cooking surface, which should be more than plenty.  But....the 640 has 1000 and is only a couple hundies more.

There are no Yoder dealers in town, so this will require a road trip, which is one reason I consider the Rectec, and also the good reviews that the arfcom gives them.

What should I do?

I've never used a Yoder, but I do love my Recteq. Only real downside is it's not made in the US, Yoders are, but the build quality is still phenomenal. Recteq does pay attention to QC and has an excellent CS team to help out if there is a problem. I have the RT-700 Bull.



I have the smokebox addon which does work decently for cold-ish smoking of nuts, cheeses, etc. I solve some of the temperature issues, depending upon time of year, by throwing an aluminum tray of ice at the bottom.

I have a rectec as well - 590 and am very happy with it - only 2 problems in the 4 years I have owned it and resolved quickly with CS one was stuck auger due to moisture - CS talked me through fixing it on Thanksgiving day morning! The second one was a bad fan - replacement overnighted with no question asked for free.

However, they just went through some rapid growth helped by a private equity company buying into them, opened multiple locations, and, as I can see, have a fallout from that - QC is less stringent and they have more issues.


 

I second the reqtec.  I have a RT-700 and love it.  Build quality is superb as is their CS.

I'm a Yoder man...  If you lean that direction, get the 640, hands down.

10 years and going strong!

Any maintenance issues or any parts needing replacement in that time?

I have spares for my Pellet Pro, and I have needed them, which is why I ask. I have replaced two blower fans and my second control panel has a bad switch.

Do you need to clean the smoke burn pot often or does it have some self cleaning thing or a going on? @skunkape71

I have no doubt, this will be the last smoker I ever buy.

No wrong choice there

Yes, I've had the igniter go out, which was replaced with the ceramic igniter.  Also, the old style controller, with the push buttons, the pads got brittle from setting out in the sun for years.  Got a downpour which fried the board.  That's the only 2 issues I've had. Replaced the board with the ACS controller, which is pretty cool with the FireBoard software.  It's currently torn apart as I am in the process of sanding/stripping it down for a new coat of paint.  

I use it on average 3 times a week, and it's been a great smoker.  I'll be the first to admit, I haven't shown her much love  we recently built a new outdoors area with kitchen, etc.  figured it was time to show the ol girl some love!  There have been a lot of upgrades since the 14' models.  I'm upgrading the wheels/casters, and going with the stainless shelf.

The only thing I would change, and it's a tossup, I might have sprung for the competition cart, out of vanity lol. If you plan on moving it a lot, I'd go comp cart.  If not, the regular cart will be just fine.
As far as the ash, really just depends on how many/ how long of cooks I do..  chicken, pork loin, wings, etc I'm good for 4-5 cooks before vacuuming.  Brisket, pork butt, etc about every 2-3 cooks.

Oh yeah  I would highly suggest the front stainless grease catcher trap thingy..  that's where the majority of my rust was from sauces and rubs dripping, from loading/ pulling meats.

I really like my rectec

I wouldn't hesitate to spend that money on a gun, but was wringing my hands on this.

Then I went full Yellowstone and Fuck It!  I dropped a deposit on the YS640 and will pick it up Saturday. I have been doing quite a bit of overtime, so this is an easy decision. I am giving my Pellet Pro to my neighbor.  She was describing the Masterbuilt that she owned and the poor results with it.  I am going to change her life!

Photos Sunday, hopefully.  I will probably smoke some chickens for the inauguration.

Busy weekend!  I finally got things done and got my smoke on.  As promised, photos:







Wings, these needed no sauce.  I made naked, sweet baby ray, and 'The Sauce' of arfcom designed by "Camp Ninja".  Wings were around 190F internal:

We bought a Yoder this spring, thing is a beast. You won’t be disappointed and you bought USA made instead of USA designed china made shit.

Curious on your ribs...  why did you use the smoke, and not plug into your controller?

I love the fireboard and being able to chart the cook!  Im just a nerd when it comes that that kinda shit.  also nice to be able to bump the temp from the easy chair if I'm trying to hit a certain dinner time!  

I didn't have enough time to read the directions.  

Plus, the Thermoworks is a calibrated NIST traceable pro-grade piece of gear.  It is a no-doubter when cooking on any device. I already owned it and knew how to use it, so it was a literal no-brainer.  The Thermoworks app also charts the cook.

My opinion is always go to the bigger size. You may not think you will use one that big but trust me you will. I have a GMG Daniel Boone and wish I would have gone one size bigger.