Buying a pellet grill can be a huge investment. You have to pick a good one so that you do not regret it later. It is very important to have a grill that can cook the dishes that you want. If you are wondering about Yoder and Traeger as brands and the models that they make then you have come to the right place. We will tell you all about the two brands and even compare a grill from both ends. Take a look.
Company History
We are going to look at both Yoder and Traeger as brands and then we are going to discuss about the two models - the YS640s and the Timberline 850. Just a little bit of history about both of the brands so that you understand where they are coming from.
Traeger
If you are thinking of pellet grills then the very first thing that you are going to think about is the company Traeger. They created the pellet grill in 1986. They held the patent for the pellet grills for a lot of year's. They mass produced the grills in China and then marketed them all over the globe. Since they were the only brands making the product, they were very popular at the time. They have retained their popularity but the patent has ended and now they do not have monopoly on pellet grills. A competitive market has made Traeger do better.
The old models of the pellet grills were perfect for the people. They were build in a sturdy manner and performed well. However, there was some problem with the later models of the company. Thankfully they have cleared up the problems in the recent models of the grill. There are many companies that have joined the business and they are also making food pellet grills. Yoder is also one of them so lets take a look at their history.
Yoder
Yoder was established in 2007. They were created to make smokers. Yoder was dedicated to making high-quality smokers. All the smokers and grills are manufactured in the United States, and they are all pieces of workmanship. They have mainly focused on competition smokers rather than backyard smokers for a long time but now they are ready to take on a new challenge. They have invested time in making backyard modems which we are going to discuss today.
Traeger VS Yoder: Head to Head
Now let us see a comparison between the two. We are sure that you are going to love it. We had a lot of fun comparing the two models and brands at such a close vincity. We can only hope that our efforts are not wasted. Take a look. We have divided everything into categories.
Temperature Control
Both the brands have a good temperature control so that the customer can maintain the temperature of the pellet grill. Unevenly cooked food tastes very bad so a good grill should be able to maintain the temperature. Traveler comes with the D2 PID (proportional–integral–derivative) controller. It can help keep the temperature within a 5 degrees range of the selected one. Some grills also has additional features.
The TRU Convection system can help you cook the food very fast. The TurboTemp system can help bring the temperature to your desired position. The timberline series also has the D2 Direct Drive system in the auger to allow you to control the amount of pellet burning in the grill.
Yoder is known for its Adaptive Control System with proprietary code. It is said to be flexible and accurate. You can get an efficient temperature control in the grill. The ‘S’ series microprocessor is one of the best one in the market and they can be very good at controlling the temperature of the grill. Yoder might not have the TRU Convection and TurboTemp system. However, they are sufficient enough for a user because of the advanced temperature controller, pit calibration, and component testing capabilities of their own models.
Pellet Hopper Capacity
Timberline 850 and YS640s both have a hopper of more than 20 pounds capacity. This means that both of them can cook for a long time without needing a refill. They are mounted on the side but the Traegee grills have recently started including a door at the bottom of the hopper for easy cleaning. It can also help you get rid of the excess pellets and try different types of wood in between cooking. No need to wait for the pellets to completely burn out before you can try new kind of pellets. There is also an alarm on the Traeger app, telling the customer about a refill. This can come in very handy. Traveler is clearly the winner in this one.
Cleaning
No one likes to clean for hours after having a good meal. Thankfully both of the grills have a grease management system that can help you get the easy way out. Now the Traeger brand goes a mile ahead with the angled trap that allows the grease to go into a run-off collector which makes the cleaning process even easier. The Traeger app can also remind you to clean the grill after a few uses. The ash can be disposed off easily with the help of the tray. It is present in both grills. Cleaning is often considered as the worst part of grilling by many people.
WiFi / App Experience
Wifi connectivity was the one thing that set Traeger apart from the modern models. They did not indulge in this option and faced a lot of loss over the years. Now Traeger has come back in the business with the Wifi connectivity. The Timberline series is one of the few series of pellet grills in the market which is compatible with Amazon Alexa.
Yoder’s YS series pellet grills have been made to be compatible with Wifi. They can connect easily to the YS Drive app. You can check the internal temperature of the grill on the app. If you have a meat probe then that is also very easy to use and monitor the internal temperature of the food. The YS640s has two probes while the Timberline 850 only has one. Traeger app comes with a lot of recipes. The database is huge. They are said to lag at times but the company keeps on updating the app for better service to the customers.
Appearance
This is a subjective matter that can differ from one person to another. You can like something and the same thing might not be liked by someone else. Your grill can look good to you. However, it might not be suited for the theme that another is going for. There is no way of telling which one is better without getting into personal opinions. So we will leave that to you. Both the YS640s and Timberline 850 have similar built. They are different than the other pellet grills in the market but they are very similar to each other.
Customization Options & Accessories
Yoder has a lot more of customization options & accessories than Traeger. There are 12 optional extras in the YS640s. Remember when we said that Yoder mainly made competition grade smokers. The habit has not gone and therefore you get so many options to customize your grill. The Traeger accessories are pretty common like cover, drip tray liners. That doesn't mean that they are not useful. It's just that it is pretty simple when compared to what you are getting at Yoder.
Customer Service
Both the brands have a good reputation. They are well known in the industry and they offer a good customer service to their customers. The service is based in United States. They are happy to help you with anything. You can call them whenever you want with your issue and they will help you solve it in the best way possible.
Warranty
Traeger loses this one without a doubt. There is a warranty of 3 years with the Traeger grills but all the Yoder grills comes with a warranty of 10 years. That is a huge difference between the two brands.
Stand Out Features
The standout feature of the Yoder grills is the sturdy construction. It is made to last for a long time. They use 10 gauge steel for the hopper and 14 gauge steel for the cart. This also includes the warranty of 10 years as a back up. You are set for a long time if you invest in this grill.
There was a period when Traeger was lagging behind the technology world. However, they are very good now. They have caught up to the game. We are sure that you are going to love the new models of the brand. The Timberline series has Wifi connectivity and you can use Alexa to make your grill voice-activated. Can you think of that?
Which Pellet Grill is Best?
The Traeger grill bottom model starts around 900 dollars. The the Pro 575 is a pretty common pellet grill that is used by a lot of people. Yoder is much more expensive so if you are considering that, you need to increase your budget. The YS640s is the top model of the Yoder brand and we are going to talk about it with the Timerline grill of the Traeger brand. They are both at the top of their companies.
There are two sizes in which you can get the Timberline grills - 869 and 1300 square inches. The Yoder YS640S comes with a 1,070 square inches. Both of the grills come with a lot of features and bells and whistles. Here is a comparison between the two so that you can understand it better.
Yoder YS640S
The Yoder YS640S is a quality grill. You get a sturdy construction made of high-quality steel. The proprietary micro-controller chip and code combination is unique in the grill. They are not commonly seen in the pellet market. The grill comes with 1,070 square inches of cooking space. It is also Wifi enabled so you can check the progress and temperature on your phone. The heat retention of the grill is also good. The Yoder YS640S comes with so much space that you can feed a lot of people at the same time. There is no need to cook in batches. The warranty of 10 years also adds to the positive features of the grill.
Features
The Yoder’s Variable Displacement Damper is one of the most unique features of the grill. We know it is kind of a long and confusing name but bare with us. It is a metal plate that concentrates the heat right up to where the good food is. You can get some searing done with the help of this technology. The cooking grates are made of 7/16″ hardened chrome-plated round bar steel. The Adaptive Control System can help you control the temperature of the grill.
Pros
- It has a strong steel construction.
- It is made in the United States.
- It comes with a warranty of 10 years.
- The Variable Displacement Damper allows you to sear food.
- There is a lot of cooking space on the grill. The total amouts to 1,070 square inche
Cons
- It is very expensive. It is not for you if you are on a budget.
Traeger Timberline 850
The Traeger Timberline 850 is the top pellet grill of the brand. They have made a comeback in the market with this grill. The strong and squat appearance of the grill makes it look good. It is quite unique. It is not shaped like a barrel but the manufacturer went with an oval cooking chamber. You can fit in there cooking racks in the chamber without any problem. There is a lot of cooking space in the grill so you can cook a lot of food at the same time. The even distribution of heat and smoke makes it easier for the food to be cooked properly.
Features
The Traeger Timberline 850 does not have any chimney. It has an exhaust vent that runs along the back of the grill. We are sure that you are going to find the model to be quite unconventional. The cooking chamber is made with double walls to make sure that the heat stays where it needs to be. The body of the grill is also sturdy and made with stainless steel. You do not have to worry about the rust. The PID controller is WiFi enabled. You can control the temperature through the app. There are also several recipes on the app that you can try. The cooking space is 850 square inches.
They have added additional options to make the grill look even better. The Super Smoke option, allows the smoke to linger more and it adds more smoky flavor to the good foo. The Keep Warm Option can keep the cooking temperature to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pros
- The pellet capacity is 24 pounds.
- The cooking area of the grill is 850 Square inches.
- The stainless steel construction is noteworthy.
- Keep Warm and Super Smoke options are very handy.
- The oval shape helps in better distribution of smoke and heat.
- The unconventional pattern makes it unique.
Cons
- It has a warranty of only 3 years.
Conclusion
Thank you so much for giving this article here a read. We are sure that you have had a hard time trying to browse and find out which one is the better grill option. Some might like the Traeget grills better while others can go for the Yoder one. There is no one way to pick the grill. For example, you can pick the Yoder one given that you have the budget while others will go for the Traeger one because they have a cheaper option among the two. We have given you all the facts about both the brands and now the final decision is up to you. We do hope that you enjoyed reading this article as much as we enjoyed writing it. Happy grilling!
