Yoder YS640 & YS1500

[Ducaticraig]

Does anyone have first hand experience with both these pellet grills? I've tried the 640 and really like it. I like the end result for cooking low and slow and like the direct heat grilling. I have not tried the YS1500. I'm guessing cooking low and slow will yield similar results to the YS640? Does anyone know how the 1500 compares to the 640 when it comes to direct heat grilling? For direct heat grilling which grill has more direct heat cooking area? Which of the two pellet grills talked about is better for direct heat grilling? Please tell me pros and cons of the 1500 ability to cook using the direct heat method? I don't have a clue how cooking over direct heat works or if it does work on the 1500? Your answers will help me decide which grill to buy. Thanks in advance for your feedback.

[BIGGLOPEZ]

I don't own either and here is their ad,

Our customers have asked for it, and here it is. The Yoder YS1500 Pellet Cooker has redefined versatile. The integrated heat management system (HMS) that was perfected in our wood pits is now available to pellet cooks! The HMS gives the pitmaster outstanding temperature control from side to side, making it easy to grill off a bunch of steaks, fill it full of butts and briskets or cook an entire competition on it. Mounted on our competition cart with 10" pneumatic tires you have exceptional style and unmatched mobility from your trailer to cooking position. That's Yoder listening to your requests, and delivering.

The bigger the better I would think...


To "Wife"...wish I had one...

[dsgarner06]

I don't think that you could go wrong either way. I absolutely love my YS640 and have been amazed at how much fun I have had cooking on this very versatile smoker/grill. Price point the YS640 was right in my ballpark and definitely bang for the buck. I have never seen the 1500 in person, I have seen a 1320 though and the 1500 is just a bit bigger so should be similar. With the add of the HMS (Heat Management System) that are prevalent in their offset smokers, you would get very good heat distribution across the entire cooking area of the 1500 and have a larger cooking area than the 640, but at a considerable cost bump. It all boils down to your requirements and budget. I'd be more than willing to test drive a 1500 if someone needed a review and could get me one to play with

[Ozric]

I saw a 1320 in competition back in June at a regional event in Williams, AZ (they guy also had a 640, the first I'd seen, and the reason I bought one). The heat management system REPLACES direct grilling. If you look at the product page for the 1500, you'll notice that they offer NO options for the 1500. That includes no Direct Grill option. The HMS plate basically covers the left side of the grill, and you pull it forward toward you. Not to say you can't do steaks (it gets plenty hot), just not direct.

[jtrainor56]

If you download the user manual from their site for the YS1500 read from page 23 on and they tell you how to direct grill. They use the Grill Grates as with the YS640 but may have to special order them since the YS1500 is significantly larger then the YS640.

It looks like the diffuser plate has a sliding door that you slide back, remove the cooking grill on the left side and replace with the Grill Grates.
~ Joe

[joshcary]

The YS640 and YS1500 are very different units.

The YS640 gives you the obvious direct grill capabilities, while the YS1500 allows you to do so by pulling the adjustable damper all open (this is the Heat Management System from the competition wood pits) and placing GrillGrates in the position of the expanded metal grates.

The other thing to think about is that the YS1500 goes from 150º to 500º, not 150º to 600º like the YS480/YS640. It does a fantastic job direct grilling, but is built to be a smoker in every sense of the word. The wood flavor on the 1500 is more pronounced, and it cooks like a wood pit more than the YS640 will by design.

Also, the pellet usage on the YS1500 is under 1 lb. an hour at 200º. More tests on pellet usage will come I'm sure, but this is the latest. So, it will use less fuel than the YS640.

[Ducaticraig]

Thanks everyone for your response. Soon I will make my decision which grill to get. I really appreciate the feedback. Can Yoder just bump the YS1500 controller to reach max temp 600 degrees like on the YS640? That would allow the grill to keep the low and slow smoking and also give the 1500 the direct grill (higher heat temp) of the YS640. Just an idea. :)

[Hookecho]

Ducaticraig, my guess is no....

It's primary function is to be a large enough pellet smoker to allow for a four meat comp. Think of it as a pellet version of the Kingman stick burner on a comp cart. The 640 is a multi tool so to speak, the 1500 is a large comp pit.

If you have further questions, PM JoshCary above you, he works for Yoder and is quite knowledgeable on all things Yoders.....just a hint

I have both a YS640 and a Kingman Comp stick burner, if your looking for dual use I'd go for a 640 with a 2nd shelf. I prefer the mobility of the cmp carts but thats up to you to decide.