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March 25th, 2021, 11:00 pm
#1
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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  • Joined: March 25th, 2021, 10:02 pm
  • Posts: 11
  • Location: East edge of Phoenix

To set the stage, I have been grilling for over 50 years on charcoal and both propane and natural gas. Added a medium BGE three years ago to my six burner built in Weber. Fire rules in the mountains prohibited the use of the BGE the last several summers. Probably three cooks at the most.

In December 2020 I was in the local CostCo and there was a Traeger road show so I bought a made in China Century 885. It showed up in late January 2021. We finished the electrical work for the new grilling area and I did a burn in. That went okay. Got a small "slab" of brisket around four pounds for first ever pellet grill exercise. I was fighting an extremely erratic Traeger temperature system that completely disagreed with my Thermoworks Signals four port system, I was exhausted spending nearly nine hours beside the grill. I guessed beginners luck. We tried St Louis Ribs next which I bought at CostCo for the first time. Turns out there are three ribs to a CostCo package. I tried to pace them on the grill with one at an angle. Gave up and cut one set in half so there was one full and one half in each line going left to right. By now I saw a 40 degree variance between the cool right side and the hot left side where the chimney was located. A truly tiring exercise.

As a HVAC chap, I know air takes the path of least resistance. With the fire pot in the middle, there was no incentive for the air to flow to the right to warm the area close to the hopper. I knew then this design was fatally flawed. I screwed the cover way down of the stock cover trying to restrict the exit of the heat so it could build up on the right. That helped a little. I could see no real solution to a design problem. I was busy flipping ribs left to right and shuffling their positions to try and get even heat. I was exhausted by days end.

Tech support agreed to replace both temperature probes. I installed the two new probes and did the manual's calibration of the meat thermometer using ice water. Not too many steaks are cooked in ice water. Boiling water might be better. The third exercise of the full brisket was another stress filled exercise. The Traeger recipe gave the temperature settings to use and the estimated time. The internal grill heat probe was set to 225 degrees and my two other devices were reporting 20 to 30 degrees lower. The six hours stretched to nine hours only after raising the indicated by 15 degrees. I then wrapped the brisket and three hours later quit as we would have to reheat the effort for the day of the meal anyway.

Coctco has a strong return policy and I was thinking about that yesterday. I cruised the internet looking for top rated pellet grills Sadly, Traeger was not on many of the lists while Yoder was right up there with good marks. Some of the others were also built overseas with inflated pricing considering the point of manufacturing.

The Yoder web site was worth the time to read so I went to the local Phoenix dealer to actually see and touch a YS640 and a YS480. The build quality was in a different league and I felt the prices were really reflecting of the work involved for USA made products. There is no uncommitted inventory even for the incoming April shipment. So I put down a significant deposit for an August delivery of a new YS640S with accessories.

I will blunder through another ribs session Saturday and clean up the Traeger to return it to CostCo for not working properly as a grill.

There are only two features on the Traeger missing on the Yoder and that is a dump port to easily empty unused pellets from the pellet hopper when one wants to change wood flavors. My small Stanley shop vac will have to be the solution. And the other is a pellet level gage.

I like that the Yoder control board was made my Fireboard Labs and I have a set of their equipment Fireboard 2 Drive with six probes coming on Saturday as well. One iPhone can monitor the temperature on both devices from within one app.

I will read until August when the vaporware morphs into hardware.

My Yellow Competition Cart YS 640S
Built 31 MAR 2021. To dealer 2 AAPR 2021. To my place 8 APR 2021
March 29th, 2021, 10:20 pm
#2
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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  • Joined: March 25th, 2021, 10:02 pm
  • Posts: 11
  • Location: East edge of Phoenix

Today I drove to CostCo and got the return instructions for the Century 885 Traeger. It will have been here less that 2.5 months.

I called the Yoder dealer Saturday (27MAR2021) and was able to upgrade my order from a YS 640S with an August delivery to a competition base in bright yellow with a YS640 S here in 10 days. My Fireboard 2 Drive also arrived today so I will be ready to go when it gets delivered. There is a high probability it could be delivered on my 76th birthday, 8 April.

My Yellow Competition Cart YS 640S
Built 31 MAR 2021. To dealer 2 AAPR 2021. To my place 8 APR 2021
March 30th, 2021, 5:28 pm
#3
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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  • Joined: March 25th, 2021, 10:02 pm
  • Posts: 11
  • Location: East edge of Phoenix

CostCo refunded the full purchase price plus sales tax about two hours ago with thunk in their store.. No tears shed as I drove away....

My Yellow Competition Cart YS 640S
Built 31 MAR 2021. To dealer 2 AAPR 2021. To my place 8 APR 2021
April 3rd, 2021, 4:45 pm
#4
* Abilene ** Abilene *
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  • Joined: March 25th, 2021, 10:02 pm
  • Posts: 11
  • Location: East edge of Phoenix

The manufacture date on the lid label is 31 March 2021 and it arrived at the Phoenix area dealer 2 April 2021. They have to finish unpacking the gear. The plan is to deliver it next Thursday, 8 April which is my 76th birthday. Great gift to myself to share the results of my cooking efforts with the family.

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My Yellow Competition Cart YS 640S
Built 31 MAR 2021. To dealer 2 AAPR 2021. To my place 8 APR 2021
June 15th, 2021, 10:41 pm
#5
* Abilene ** Abilene *
  • Joined: June 15th, 2021, 10:03 pm
  • Posts: 1

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