Just Bought A Yoder Loaded Wichita

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RogerWilco
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Re: Just Bought A Yoder Loaded Wichita

Postby RogerWilco » Thu Sep 28, 2017 9:34 am

darn it, now you guys have got me actually considering a 30" RD Special. At that size, I wonder if it would be better to have it trailer mounted, even for backyard use, though. Somehow, I always thought my next smoker would be of the vertical offset variety but that 30" is calling to me........
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Re: Just Bought A Yoder Loaded Wichita

Postby slamkeys » Thu Sep 28, 2017 5:55 pm

or ... just get the 36" Grizzly. Horizon adds the front wheel option to their smokers for a couple extra bucks, so I'll call that their version of the "competition cart."
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Re: Just Bought A Yoder Loaded Wichita

Postby RogerWilco » Thu Sep 28, 2017 6:18 pm

^^^^That thing would look great out back, collapsing my rear deck. What I would really love, is to NEED a smoker that size. For some reason, having a fire box door that requires a counterweight appeals to me......
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Re: Just Bought A Yoder Loaded Wichita

Postby slamkeys » Thu Sep 28, 2017 6:48 pm

RogerWilco wrote:^^^^That thing would look great out back, collapsing my rear deck. What I would really love, is to NEED a smoker that size. For some reason, having a fire box door that requires a counterweight appeals to me......

LOL. Yeah, when I saw those counter weights I thought that thing looked like something right out of the Flintstones. :cheers:
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Re: Just Bought A Yoder Loaded Wichita

Postby freddie987 » Thu Sep 28, 2017 6:56 pm

And make sure you don’t wimp out and get that 2 door grizzly either. Thats a toy for kids. You get the 3 door or nothing.
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Re: Just Bought A Yoder Loaded Wichita

Postby BurningStick » Fri Sep 29, 2017 5:14 am

Does the 24" RD Special Marshal have a cover? I went to checkout and there isn't any options. I'd hate to wheel this from the garage to the back yard for every cook. I'll give them a call if no one knows.
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Just Bought A Yoder Loaded Wichita

Postby freddie987 » Fri Sep 29, 2017 5:25 am

I cant imagine why someone would put a cover on an offset pit. Just an needless inconvenience. I have had my pit outside in all sorts of rain and hail for probably 2 years and i can honestly say the weather has had zero effect. The firebox lid lost its paint early on because it wasnt painted properly originally to withstand the firebox heat, and I just spray that area from time to time with pam and it stays black like the painted areas.
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Re: Just Bought A Yoder Loaded Wichita

Postby txsmkmstr » Fri Sep 29, 2017 8:45 am

Unless the cover is "breathable" you'll end up trapping moisture making things worse than no cover at all. And if you have "breathable" material it won't keep the water out. However, during pollen season a cover is handy to keep things from turning green. I had a cover for one offset pit that was a custom fit and looked great but it was a bit of a pain to deal with.
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Re: Just Bought A Yoder Loaded Wichita

Postby RogerWilco » Fri Sep 29, 2017 9:49 am

Our offset is located at the edge of a stand of trees at our weekend place, and a cover has been a good investment. Otherwise, much time was spent just cleaning the cooker before any cooking could take place. Also, it does seem to keep the rain out/off.
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Re: Just Bought A Yoder Loaded Wichita

Postby RogerWilco » Fri Sep 29, 2017 9:54 am

BurningStick wrote:Does the 24" RD Special Marshal have a cover? I went to checkout and there isn't any options. I'd hate to wheel this from the garage to the back yard for every cook. I'll give them a call if no one knows.


When I replaced out several-years-old cover recently, I noticed there were no covers listed on the horizon website, so I called. They were expecting a new, much heavier-duty cover and just didn't have it on the site yet. They took my money, shipped the new cover a couple of weeks later, and it is indeed much more substantial than the last one, which had gone for eight or nine years.
I suggest you call them and I'll bet they can get you fixed up.
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Re: Just Bought A Yoder Loaded Wichita

Postby slamkeys » Fri Sep 29, 2017 11:12 am

I think a cover is a good investment for a backyard cooker that is fully exposed to the elements. It would be impractical for very large units, but most of those are on trailers anyway, and are parked in a carport or garage. It's not like you can't hose these things down, but I do like being able to pull my cover off and having a clean cooker ready to go. My issue involves things like leaves, pollen, bird poop, spider webs, and critters walking on top of the smoker. I think my gauges benefit too, since the cover doesn't allow the sun to bake on water spots or fade the dials.

New cover. This one is light weight and breathes enough to allow the cooker to dry quickly after a rain:
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During Hurricane Harvey:
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After more than a year in the backyard, when I remove the cover my Wichita still looks brand new:
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Re: Just Bought A Yoder Loaded Wichita

Postby slamkeys » Fri Sep 29, 2017 11:55 am

I noticed a new post over at the Yoder forum last night from a past Wichita owner, wherein he describes some of the same issues highlighted in this thread. Like many others, he was encouraged to speak out after learning he wasn't the only one:
Let me start by saying that I do respect the input. However, I've had a different experience with the Wichita. I purchased mine almost 10 years ago. I had things mastered, but always hated the heat differential from the firebox side to the exhaust. Somewhere in there, Yoder developed the heat management plate. I thought that would be my fix and grow my love for the Wichita. While it did bring some temperature leveling, it caused me to have to continuously maintain the fire. Without the plate, I had it mastered where I could come out every 45-60 minutes and add a log. With the plate I was needing to be around the pit at all times; especially if the wind was coming from a different direction.

So, I sort of just chalked it up to "offset smokers" and decided to sell for a YS640 (I was also an owner of a YS480, but that's another story). Anyway, this week I started reading on the forums about offsets (because I was missing that kind of cook) and discovered that I'm not the only one to complain about this issue. I'm not going to go into the details; because a very long thread is already posted out there. But I discovered that there are many folks like myself that know how to run a fire and this thing is NOT efficient with the heat management plate. It was a relief to know that I wasn't the only one having the exact same experience.

Long story short... I called Yoder Customer Service today and confirmed that there are some re-designs that they are testing for this exact issue. While I love Yoder, I beg that you listen to your customers and admit there is an area to improve. Yoder Herb's mic drops in the forums are getting old. Listen and we can help!

Meanwhile, we are heading into fall. I'm going to re-evaluate in the spring. If this known issue isn't resolved I'm going to have to go with a Horizon. Identical smoker, but it's designed to draft. Call me a basher, but I've purchased a brand new Wichita, YS480, and YS640 Comp. So, yeah... I can bit$h a bit!

Anyway, I'm hopefully optimistic that Yoder can figure out how to streamline this unit without trying to tell me that I just need to learn how to use it.


RE: My Wichita Experience

http://community.yodersmokers.com/viewtopic.php?p=8960#p8960
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Re: Just Bought A Yoder Loaded Wichita

Postby BurningStick » Fri Sep 29, 2017 1:57 pm

Well I spoke with the "MAN" at Horizon and the they are working on a cover for the 24" RD Special Marshal. Should have it by the end of the year. Anyway, I'm in negotiations with the wife, l think I'll have to sell some of my toys. But this is my next and last offset I'll be purchasing. They are having trouble getting 1/4 steel and are building with 5/16 currently so I'd love to get one of those.

And no, the cover is not a deal breaker...just asking.
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Re: Just Bought A Yoder Loaded Wichita

Postby BurningStick » Sat Sep 30, 2017 2:46 am

I didn't intend to make that last post seem anti Yoder. I'm going to continue helping them solve the issues with the Wichita or at least give them my input with video and photos. I received a package yesterday before going to work at 1:00PM as they had told me I would have in one business day.

I'd like to help Yoder find a solution and to help every unhappy owner.

I'm using seasoned hickory not kiln dryed wood today but I have a problem, the wood has mold. So I'm going to another supplier for a couple arm loads. Taking the other crap back.

No meats will be harmed, smoldered or incinerated in this test.

Yoder_BurningStick.....mic drop....

see what I did there....Herb?

P.S. I don't know Herb, just trying to get a laugh.
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Re: Just Bought A Yoder Loaded Wichita

Postby freddie987 » Sat Sep 30, 2017 2:58 am

When do you think us mere mortals will hear some results from whatever testing Yoder is getting you to do?

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