Buying something new, but what????

Pretty good read that might help you decide on your want/needs.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=160242

I think the 640's are cool but if I was planning on getting an insulated firebox stick burner, I'd push towards that and not mess around with the Yoder 640. It's just too much money to divert away from the "master plan."

If I were in your situation, I'd either sell the BGE and get an XL BGE or KJBJ because your large will sell easily on CL and the difference between in price (what you could get for your egg and what the KJBJ would cost) would be <400 bucks if you get the KJ at a Costco road show. That gives you a great and more versatile day-to-day cooker after the stick burner arrives, keeps a lot of extra cookers off the patio, and gives you reasonably good set-it-and-fortget-it-ness. Plus, there is nothing mechanical to break so it will likely have a longer shelf life than any pellet grill...even an awesome one like that 640's.

The other option if you like your large and want to keep it, is get a WSM. Great cooker for the money and easy to resell once the big guy gets there and plenty of cooking space and temp control.

That's my 2 cents.

I was just in your shoes and after much research and conversation, went with the M1 grill/reverse flow smoker. Just ordered it yesterday. If you are interested, they have a Texas State Fair special going on right now. Enter FAIR im the promo code box during checkout. $200 off. Kinda like a Hasty Bake but way different
https://mgrills.com/products/m1

OP, have you looked into the Adjustable Rig made by Tom at Ceramic Grill Store? If you hold onto your eggs, or upgrade to an XL/KJ/etc. he has rigs for all of those that expand the cooking capability probably 3 or 4-fold.

Since you mentioned it...a UDS will give you a LOT of cooking capacity. I'm not mechanically inclined and I built my 4 with relative ease. They'll cook a ton of food, are super easy to use, and you can leave them for pretty long periods without checking on them....once you get yours dialed in. Plus....you can make one for not a lot of $$$

This gem cost about $60.00 and is my favorite. Isn't she gorgeous? I've used it in comps and beat guys with $5000+ smokers :mrgreen::mrgreen:

The guy (or gal) that invented the UDS should win a Nobel Prize.....

I have the assassian 48 up for sale. Assassian makes a great product. The group at c&c are great to work with to. Good luck I'm going back and forth with the same issue.

I always find it interesting how we all take different paths with regards to cookers and this hobby. And most of us are always upgrading to a certain point.

I cut my teeth on a cheap stick burner but sold it when we moved. I knew I wanted to invest in something better. My next purchase was a hasty. I still own it and use it almost every week.

I then purchased a Yoder 640 (basic model). One year later I sold it. The pellet thing was not for me. I am now saving for a good off-set (Shirley or LSG). It's hard with kids and life but my goal is to one day finally get a good stick burner.

In the interim, I've mastered smoking on the Hasty. It's not the same as a stick burner, but it does the job. And another benefit is I can grill on it too.

My crazy 2 cents.

What's stopping you from getting the stick burner now? If it's money then i would go cheap and do a UDS or find a used WSM so you aren't spending money that could get you the stick burner sooner.

If you're "dead set" on the ease of a YS640, get the YS640, and be happy. It's a big cooker, should definitely fit your current needs.

I have a Klose stick burner, and various Weber kettles and WSMs. Love them all. The WSMs are pain free and predictable... not much baby sitting. The Klose wants to be fed every hour, butt has a lot of capacity for large cooks. If you are looking for an interim solution until you get the stick burner, WSM is my recommend.

mattmountz94 said:

What's stopping you from getting the stick burner now? If it's money then i would go cheap and do a UDS or find a used WSM so you aren't spending money that could get you the stick burner sooner.

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I'm with this opinion. If you must have something to smoke food in and your main goal is to work towards a stick burner then I would buy something like a WSM, USD, PBC.

I don't see the reason to spend that lot of money for a Y640 (I haven't looked at the price I'm sure its pricey) if you want a stick burner. If you want something of ease the WSM, USD, or PBC is right up your ally to get you smoking more food until you save for your stick burner!

But I also might add, Its YOUR money. You can buy whatever you want! I'm just a guy that's not as fortunate as some/most people. I try to consider all expenses and find the best outcome before spending any money. If I had the money to blow, then I'd just buy whatever I wanted LOL

No way would I want a stick burner as my main cooker, to much fire maintenance. Get the YS640 for your every day cooker, because it sounds like you want something simple, and get a stick burner later for the hobby cooker.

BHowe said:

Good points guys.

I'm interested by the M1, being a newer company I'm just concerned about the longevity of the business more than anything.

Estepel13, I actually have a raised grate that I've built, but more than anything am considering something else just for purely having something else to utilize.

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I too was concerned with the M1 being fairly new to the market. The company itself has been around since the mid 80's. McGee Metal Fabrication. Don't think they are going anywhere

Well you can't go wrong with a Yoder. I had a treager food was good. It'll be a completely different. But yet in my opinion much much better flavor than the BGE. I had an BGE XL. Cooked on it a lot for a year and a half. Almost every night. But my Treager kicked out better food. But expensive to run for long cooks. Best salmon and ribs I have done was on my Treager. And Yoder is by far a step up.

With that being said. I really like the flavor of my Meadow Creek Reverse Flow. Much cleaner taste. Hard to explain but that seems to describe it the best. I think it's true the best que comes from a stick burner..... But they are time consuming.

Now, if you want to save money and get a stick burner sooner than later. You can't go wrong with a basic UDS.....

Fo me this is my list I have liked the best.
Meadow Creek Stick Burner
Treager ( Wore it out in about 7 years had to completely rebuild, tube, auger, control panel, thermo couple)
Weber Charcoal Summit
Cabelas Pro 100 with wood pellets
BGE XL...... ( Makes great steaks, not as good as Weber, and beats all at pizza, but last for que, and gaskets suck burning out every 45 days)
These a subjective thoughts with subjective tastes...... And My Humble Opinion.... By My Very Own Taste Buds.....

BHowe said:

On a side note, I found an Oklahoma Joe on craig's list here locally to me for $350. Might be a good gateway stick burner to be sure I even like tending to a fire before I jump into a Jambo backyard or something similar. Horizon, LSG, ETC.....

Am i getting a decent one with a serial number of 50302832? Looks to be in great shape.

I really like the idea of the M1. Gives me the abilities of a Hasty Bake and the option to stick burn. One of the main reasons to have something alternate of the egg is for a different flavor profile. And ease of use is a must. As many of you already know, I will likely end up with a couple different smoker/grill setup's. I just want to be sure I'm making single investments in the right places.

A UDS or WSM with a fan setup certainly seems like something cheap and easy.

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The M1 is 10 gauge steel. And is constructed to be almost as airtight as a kamado...almost. I've cooked on kamado Joes for over 3 years and LOVE them...but I am thinking I am REALLY going to like the M1 when it arrives early November. Give Travis a call 214-289-3807, owner of M Grills. He's a great guy and has a ton of patience with potential customer questions.

BHowe said:

Thanks Rwalters, I'll get in touch with him.

I don't know that I will ever get rid of this large BGE I have. It's survived a divorce, multiple moves, and about 8 years of abuse. Hell, it still has the original gasket; err.... What's left of it anyway. So much build up in place now that it seals really well. I've thought about putting a new single fiberglass one on the bottom half like a lot of cool kids do, but it just flat out works now.

I really need to find a better way to post some pictures on here.

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Flickr is your friend, very easy to use. HERE is a tutorial I put up on my watch forum, should be very similar.