mak grill

[killerq]

Anyone on this forum have or ever used a Mak Grill pellet smoker? if so what are your thoughts.

[Papa Tom]

Welcome to the forum KQ glad ta have ya.
I have never used a MAK so I can't comment on the brand but I have been using a pellet cooker for 15 years and as one might guess either I am a glutton for punishment or I am quite pleased.
(ANS: it's pleased ).

[Rambo]

Which one do you like Tom and why? I have a Big Lyfetime with the 52" tall vertical. I cook on straight wood and get the prettiest smoke rings , flavor is great but it is a wood eating son of a gun and I have to really stay on top of it to control temps. I still go up and down from 350-225 quite frequently during a cook but I have learned how to work it.

I've often wondered if one of these would make my life easier but I'm scared i'll lose my smoke rinf and taste.

[Papa Tom]

Which one do you like Tom and why? I have a Big Lyfetime with the 52" tall vertical. I cook on straight wood and get the prettiest smoke rings , flavor is great but it is a wood eating son of a gun and I have to really stay on top of it to control temps. I still go up and down from 350-225 quite frequently during a cook but I have learned how to work it.

I've often wondered if one of these would make my life easier but I'm scared i'll lose my smoke rinf and taste.

To answer you let me fill in some blanks. During the time I owned the pellet cooker I have owned several stick burners from small to very large and expensive, they're gone pellet cooker still here.
Is the pellet cooker better? nope.
Is the pellet cooker easier, Yes ain't even close.
What is lost in converting? The learning curve, you will have to learn the new cooker.
What is gained? Sleep.
Smoke ring are you kidding you're still smoking with wood.....

Which do I like? I still have the 15 yr old Traeger and use it but I also have a Fast Eddy PG500. The PG500 allows high temp over the flame grilling.
What would I recommend? I recommend that folks really look at all that are available today and think seriously how it will be used and ease of maintaining the pit.
There are some really improved pits out there.

[Rambo]

Thank you

[Papa Tom]

Let me offer some more guidelines as I'm sure those seeing this probably have little contact with the pellet pits.

The Pellet rig like the stick burner is basically a wood burning oven with the benefit of more automated heat control.

I have a friend that does killer wood oven pizza and bread on his Memphis Pro. (that pit has great high temp capability)
Catering folks tend to like the Fast Eddy PG100 (or bigger FE) with it's excellent control, reliability and fuel economy.
Heavy duty well built American admirers will like the Yoder pellet pit.
The Green Mountain Grill is a general purpose smoker that offers good value.
The Blaz'n Grill Works pits are innovative and geared towards ease of maintenance, made in Nebraska.
Rec Tec is relatively new to the market but is building a devoted following.
The MAK pits have been around a few years, American made and offer some innovative features like temperature monitoring of the meat.

I could go on but the point is there are lots of choices today and each has it's value features.

[Rambo]

You lost me at "is the pellet cooker better, nope"

I don't smoke enough, once a month, to change at this point. if I was cooking a bunch that fast Eddy looks real good

[spacetrucker]

BBQ has changed immensely from the fire pit on the ground to the offset, reverse flow (which I know very little about) to the pellet muncher and the electrics. Like Papa Tom says its all a matter of choice and one's preference of cooking style.
The electrics set and forget, I have one of them they can produce great food, easy to over smoke takes little wood and a very short learning curve since fire management is not required.
Pellet munchers at least the ones I have experience with, are simple and require little maintenance and a quick up and smoking curve. My pellet munchers are a Fast Eddy FEC100 and a Traeger Texas offset.
I believe one's choice comes from a decision related directly to the amount of research put in to the obtainment of knowledge, first one must decide cooking style, up all night tending fire? set and forget? both styles of cooking come with a price; each has a different price. Arguably taste can come in as a price as well as creature comfort. Things that work for me will not be tolerated by the next person.
Pellet munchers for me are as good as it gets, they are set and forget, very forgiving and produce a product that my "eaters" say can't be beat. I won't compete but do see where lots of pellet munchers win contests. My biggest complaint about the pellet muncher is that they in an un-compensated cook session are "light" on the smoke flavor this can be controlled though; there are a whole host of tools available to go from light to over smoked in the pellet cooked arena.
I wish I had experience with the cooker you are asking about, but I would encourage you to research and determine your cooking style with the price you are willing to sacrifice to make your BBQ adventure a pleasure.

[killerq]

thanks for the input...i am pulling the trigger on the mak next week.

[spacetrucker]

we will be here to try and help with any questions you may come up with, learning a new cooker takes time though...
Be sure you grill your sales person / store so that you know you have good after the "sale support" in case of a hardware failure