advice needed on used pellet grill/smoker

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viodea

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There are 2 local listing I'm considering.
One is 4 year old MAK 1 Star general pellet grill. No upper grate. One probe only. $950.
The other one is 5 year old Yoder YS640. Two level grates. $1050.

Based on my research, they are two of the better controllers out there. Yoder has more cooking surface but not sure if I need all that much. MAK one can get a bit closer if buying optional upper grate.


Are those prices reasonable?
Which one is safer choice for a used unit?
What are common issues with them?
Is there any major upgrade/changes between the used unit and a brand new one today?

What to look for or pay attention to when shopping for a used unit?

Thanks!
 
I would have a hard time buying either of them, for that price. Both of them are out of warranty as far as electronics go. The Yoder still has a 5 years left on the body. I think Mak only has a 3 year warranty on body. I would say look at them, and go with the one that is in the best shape. I would go into either, expecting to replace an igniter.
 
tough call I'd get them both and try them out, keep what you like and sell the other you'll probably break even and you will know the answer for sure. Serious!
 
Joshw said:
I would have a hard time buying either of them, for that price. Both of them are out of warranty as far as electronics go. The Yoder still has a 5 years left on the body. I think Mak only has a 3 year warranty on body. I would say look at them, and go with the one that is in the best shape. I would go into either, expecting to replace an igniter.
Click to expand...



What is a good price?


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tom b said:
tough call I'd get them both and try them out, keep what you like and sell the other you'll probably break even and you will know the answer for sure. Serious!
Click to expand...



I hate to buy or sell used equipment. No way I’ll buy both and sell one later.


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I'd probably go with the Yoder, but not for that price.



Other's have mentioned the age, warranty, etc. They will also show signs of rust in certain areas on the cooker. It can be remedied with Evaporust and some Yoder paint. You really have to look at them. I'd make sure it feeds/fires properly first and foremost.



What's a YS640 new? $1500+? My general rule is 50% off the top used, if it's in solid shape, and something I want. If it has issues or is going to cost money to remedy, the price goes down. That's also how I approach selling things as well. Think about your time and money and how much of a headache you want. If I found a used one around me for seven bills I'd probably pull the trigger and sell some stuff to fund it.



That said...if the seller is firm at $1050, you might want pass on it, consider saving a little more and just buy a brand new one.


I don't own a YoderYS640, but I would in a heartbeat. The guy next to me at a local rib comp was cooking on one. It's a really nice unit.
 
viodea said:
What is a good price?


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Click to expand...

That is going to vary from person to person. It really depends on how much money you have, and how badly you want a pellet grill.

You didn't mention options, so I am assuming it is the base model of both.

YS640 new is $1449 you save $399
Mak 1 star is $1699 You save $749

You will also be saving on shipping, on my Yoder it was $200, not sure what a Mak would be. So both are a pretty good deal, assuming they are in great shape, and the electronics don't crap out on you. I would certainly want to see them fired up, and running, before I bought one. It just depends on how big of a gambler you are, I guess. Although I prefer the looks, and build of the Yoder, just looking at the numbers, the Mak is the better deal. I think you would be happy with either as far as cooking.

Maybe I'm chicken, but my concern about pellet grills is the electronics, and dropping that much money on one, that is 5 years old, makes it an even bigger concern.
 
Personally, between those two, I’d go with the MAK. If you do not need the additional room that the Yoder provides, I think you will be very pleased with the 1 Star. With that said, if you add the full upper grate to the MAK, it is amazing how much food will fit inside such a “small” cooker. The MAK’s are smoking machines! Also, they have aluminized steel under the 1200° powder coating, which means that even if you chip the powder coating you will still not be dealing with rust. The Pellet Boss controller on the MAK’s will run circles around the Yoder’s controller as far as programability goes... and is just a more solid controller imo. Both are great cookers, but I vote MAK. Also, I wouldn’t worry to much about warranty. Both cookers are built for the long haul, and replacement parts when needed are readily available and not that expensive.

PS: I think it’s reasonable to go for $50-100 less than asking on either one.
 
Still 2/3's the price of new and 4+ years old, on an out of warranty cooker which actually has parts that can wear out or fail compared to steel or ceramic?
 
The one that's in the best shape but not at those prices. Slightly lower but then again Josh has a good point that they're both old.
 
Thank you all for your input. The main reason I was considering the Yoder due to shipping and tax when buying a new unit. There is no local dealer. I found a couple place online and the shipping + tax was around $300. So, effectively, the saving is similar.

Usually, I don't buy anything used less than 50% off. I would rather get a new one.
However, based on review saying both build quality are top notch and last forever.
I don't worry about the body much. I only worry about mechanical parts and not sure how well they last; hence this post. Also, get an opinion on the used market pricing too.
 
What other good options are as far as pellet smoker goes?
I want good quality one. I can comfortably spend $1500 on a new unit.
Of course I want to spend as little as possible without sacrificing quality.
 
If $1500 is your cutoff, I would probably go with a Rec-Tec, but I personally would find the extra $ to go for the Yoder, even if I had to wait a little while. I see you are in KS, how far away are you from Wichita? Maybe you could just pick it up, and save the shipping.
 
Those prices are way high. I sold my year old yoder with many options for 1100. I’m not a rec tec fan (can’t stand the videos and the horns for the handles), but they seem to be ok. Not nearly as heavily built as the yoder imo.


Memphis Elite





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about 3 hours to the dealer in Wichita. Save about $170 for shipping but 6 hours driving. Guessing gas costs around $80 or so. There is a bit of money saving if my time cost nothing -_-
 
gtsum said:
Those prices are way high. I sold my year old yoder with many options for 1100. I’m not a rec tec fan (can’t stand the videos and the horns for the handles), but they seem to be ok. Not nearly as heavily built as the yoder imo.


Memphis Elite

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Click to expand...

Couldn't agree more. I was very close to buying a rec-tec over my yoder. The videos they posted, raised some integrity questions for me, and I went with the Yoder. I don't think they are in the same class as the Yoder, but all the good reviews can't be fake.
 
viodea said:
about 3 hours to the dealer in Wichita. Save about $170 for shipping but 6 hours driving. Guessing gas costs around $80 or so. There is a bit of money saving if my time cost nothing -_-
Click to expand...

Same situation I was in. I was willing to pay shipping, to save the time, and not have to worry about any mishaps on the way home. I actually ended up getting free shipping, and a stainless shelf upgrade, but I haven't seen that deal since.
 
TBH, shelling out $1750 for a smoker is not out of reach. I just need to convince myself it really worths it from longevity and convenience standpoint.
 
Joshw said:
Same situation I was in. I was willing to pay shipping, to save the time, and not have to worry about any mishaps on the way home. I actually ended up getting free shipping, and a stainless shelf upgrade, but I haven't seen that deal since.
Click to expand...

Where did you get it from?
Any idea how often deals like this come up?
I'm not in a hurry.
 
Just in case it makes a different, I like to cook hot and fast. Around 275 to 300 F for both my ribs and briskets.
I don't think it make different on a choosing pellet smoker though.
 
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