Yoder 15monthish cleanup

mattmountz94

mattmountz94

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Approx 15months ago I bought my 640. It was a great day. In the beginning the thing held rock solid temps and looked beautiful. Well over the course of one year she started showing signs of rust and the diffuser was warped horribly. I never ran this unit over 300 set temp with the diffuser in so that had me alittle mad. The rust well that's another story. For keeping under roof for the one year I had it I don't think it should have rust but according to Yoder I'm wrong. Any how is what it is. More recently too the unit is always approx 35 degrees below the set temp. I read up that the bent diffuser could be the main reason. Well I ordered some touch up paint and the new 2pc diffuser. Good day
Here is some pics of the rust before




All that from a few mornings of dew?? Come on
Bent diffuser

Then we got into the cleanup

New diffuser in. Man I'm going to love this

Then I painted. I should of sanded better but the end result looks better then it did. Hopefully it will last more then a year.




She cleans up well

Since she was so clean and I wanted to see if the diffuser would help with my temp swings.. Now let me remind you this is a clean pit, can't open the doors and no food in it. I think the 2hr test results will surprise you. Basically let it get up to temp then take temps at 4locations for the next 2hrs...
My set temp was 275 with the handle all the way out
BL 273 average Hi/low 306/249
BR 279. 307/253
TL 262 275/235
TR 290 333/258

If you average out all 40temp readings I took the average is 275.8.... that's damn impressive even though we eliminated many variables. Ok end of rant. Just figured I would let you know where I am with the thing. The pit is a great machine and turns out some fantastic food. Honestly though the paint has me pretty upset. I have a 12yr old kettle that sits out year round in the rain and doesn't have one drop of rust.. Maybe I got one with a bad paint job?? Who knows. I am still on the fence if someone asked me if I would buy another..
 
Spray it down on hot days with canola oil.... that'll help with the rust. Or maybe see it you can find a local person to paint it. Such a nice rig I'd think about it. Good high temp sherwin Williams..
 
I have been wanting one so bad. I can't tell if your review is favorable or unfavorable. It seems like you put it all out there though and thanks for that. Some people refuse to say anything negative about the stuff they purchase. I assume it's because when you spend $1500 you don't want there to be any negatives.
 
i had an offset out in the elements with the cover on only half the time for 10 years. the paint at the bottom of the cart never rusted and the paint never chipped. my Abe's insulate cabinet has been under a roof and a cover for 3 years or more and the fancy automotive paint has nearly complete come off the top and bottom of the cooker. it will need to be completely repainted. i blame this on a crappy prep job. i am really surprised that the high heat paint on your Yoder didn't stand up better.
 
Pstores said:
Spray it down on hot days with canola oil.... that'll help with the rust. Or maybe see it you can find a local person to paint it. Such a nice rig I'd think about it. Good high temp sherwin Williams..
Click to expand...

Thanks I'll give it a try. I did think about getting it painted. If it looks worse in a year from now it will be the only option.
 
12ring said:
I have been wanting one so bad. I can't tell if your review is favorable or unfavorable. It seems like you put it all out there though and thanks for that. Some people refuse to say anything negative about the stuff they purchase. I assume it's because when you spend $1500 you don't want there to be any negatives.
Click to expand...

If I had a place I could roll it in and out of a garage completely out of the elements there would be no doubt. 100% buy. I also see many other units that don't have the rust. I feel like mine might be a lemon
 
pjtexas1 said:
i had an offset out in the elements with the cover on only half the time for 10 years. the paint at the bottom of the cart never rusted and the paint never chipped. my Abe's insulate cabinet has been under a roof and a cover for 3 years or more and the fancy automotive paint has nearly complete come off the top and bottom of the cooker. it will need to be completely repainted. i blame this on a crappy prep job. i am really surprised that the high heat paint on your Yoder didn't stand up better.
Click to expand...

I am surprised too. I would think for the cost of the unit that it should last for more then a year before chipping/rusting. I agree that this was properly prepped.
 
Spray it down also when cooking on it. Kind of like seasoning it. Olive oil will put on a pretty good layer of protection. But gets sticky...
 
No, you didn't get a bad one. The paint on mine is the same. Kinda pisses ya off when you pay what you do for the cooker. No way a garage kept cooker should rust the way they ALL do. Operation wise, I cant complain.
 
I recently sold mine at 18 months old. I live about a mile from the ocean in a warm climate and it had rusted a little but not nearly that badly. Mine stayed on the patio under a roof and usually with a cover on.
 
Mine has been under roof since day one and 24 months later I wish I had such little rust as yours. I love the function of the yoder but will not buy another nor recommend one because of how poorly the paint has held up. It really is a shame.
 
pjtexas1 said:
Am I the only one blown away by this rust issue?
Click to expand...

Nope! Can't get over it myself. My LSG offset has been sitting outside going on three years sometimes covered and sometimes not, being rained on, no cover during the hottest summer season and no issues at all except the fire box rusting slightly but that's given. I guess Chris wasn't kidding when he said he gives his smokers 4 to 5 coats of paint. Looking great still.

Looks like Yoder is just trying to push them out as fast as they can and a very bad prep job. No reason to have rust in some of the places I see. This early at least. Bosco said he didn't like the rust issues with Yoder and I see why now.

Nice clean up though Matt and as long as it cooks fine.
 
Wow that is disappointing. I'm pulling the cover off my 11 month old unit tomorrow, hope I don't see that kind of rust. I've had paint concerns since day 1. During seasoning, the door paint stuck to the frame and ripped good size chunks off. They sent me a can of touch up paint.

As for the diffuser warping, I've had two and both warped, need to call and see if they will send out another. I've never cooked at above 275. The second kind of twisted, so any grease dumped into the bottom of the cooker instead of into the grease collection system. From the bottom of the cooker it ran out, down the leg and onto the concrete patio - what a mess.

It's made some really good food, but seems there are still a few kinks to be worked out with these cookers.
 
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You are certainly not the only one. The main knock on the Yoders for those willing to admit they aren't perfect is the paint. I've seen some in person and many folks on other sites that have the identical issues. Years ago they had some significant issues with their early units. They seemed to fix that over time, so maybe they will eventually put some better paint on them.

You could always sell (they seem to be one of the more in demand pellet units), and get one of the Stainless Steel brands. That being said, a yearly sanding and spray paint will probably keep you in business for a long time.
 
ssv3 said:
Nope! Can't get over it myself. My LSG offset has been sitting outside going on three years sometimes covered and sometimes not, being rained on, no cover during the hottest summer season and no issues at all except the fire box rusting slightly but that's given. I guess Chris wasn't kidding when he said he gives his smokers 4 to 5 coats of paint. Looking great still.

Nice clean up though Matt and as long as it cooks fine.
Click to expand...

Yep, one reason I bought a LSG...
 
This is disappointing to me as I have been pining for a Yoder...now that Renegade 1300 has got my eye
 
tom b said:
This is disappointing to me as I have been pining for a Yoder...now that Renegade 1300 has got my eye
Click to expand...

Man I still would get the yoder.. that thing to me is like a tricked out civic and the yoder a muscle car. And what is up with the small little shelfs every where??
 
pjtexas1 said:
Am I the only one blown away by this rust issue?
Click to expand...

I'm right there with you. Half of the point of this thread. I did a fair amount of research before I bought my yoder and barely noticed anything about people complaining about rust. Now it's more and more coming out of the boonies and more of them seem to be the ones with newer units.

The other half was to show how rock solid that temp test was.

This grill is like my dog. I love him but I hate him. He has really good stuff about him but then there is that one issue I can't stand.
 
I have had my 640 for almost 7 months. No rust at this time, but the paint has peeled in a couple places. Where it has peeled you can see a grey primer underneath and not bare metal.
 
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