Head-to-head · Best Pellet Smokers

Camp Chef Woodwind Pro 24 vs Yoder YS640S

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

Camp Chef Woodwind Pro 24 comes out ahead by a clear margin (4.8 vs 4.4). The gap is mostly about Serious BBQ enthusiast who wants real wood-fired smoke flavor with pellet-grill convenience and a $1,500 budget cap — read the strengths below before deciding.

Higher ratedRanked #2 in Best Pellet Smokers

Camp Chef Woodwind Pro 24

4.8

4 sourcesall derived$1,400as of Jul 1

Offset-smoker flavor without a 14-hour fire-tending babysit is a rare combination, and the Woodwind Pro 24 pulls it off. A dedicated smoke box, a perfect-score AmazingRibs review and the 900°F sidekick add up to the most capable all-round cooker under $1,500 on the market.

Strengths

— Industry-first smoke box burns wood chunks or charcoal alongside pellets for real stick-burner flavor
— AmazingRibs Platinum Medal with a perfect 5-star rating
— PID controller with Smoke Number setting lets you dial in smoke intensity independent of grate temperature

Watch-outs

— WiFi probe accuracy drifts in cold weather (some users reported 60°F swings)
— Smoke box advantage shrinks at low-and-slow temps — wood chunks burn through in roughly 30 minutes
— No rain guard on the chamber door — water can pool inside in heavy weather

$1,400 · Buy at campchef.com Full review →

Ranked #4 in Best Pellet Smokers

Yoder YS640S

4.4

2 sourcesall derived$1,799as of Aug 1

Built in Kansas to outlast its buyer, the YS640S is competition-grade equipment. AmazingRibs gave it a Gold Medal, and Smoked BBQ Source called the build quality 'higher than the top of the range Traeger Timberline.' Between the 10-gauge steel and 700°F searing, no pellet grill comes closer to a real offset smoker.

Strengths

— 10-gauge American steel construction with 1/4-inch firebox — built like an offset smoker, weighs 335 lbs
— Made in Kansas with 10-year burn-through warranty on the cooking chamber
— Direct flame grilling capability with 2-piece heat diffuser — reaches 700°F for steakhouse-grade searing

Watch-outs

— 335 lbs makes this effectively immobile — moving it requires two people and the heavy-duty casters need flat ground
— $2,699 base price (plus shipping) puts it in the heirloom-grade tier — buyers should expect this as a 15+ year purchase
— ACS controller is newer than legacy Yoder controllers — some reviewers note longer learning curve than Traeger's polished UX

$1,799 · Buy at yodersmokers.com Full review →

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

How they stack up

Camp Chef Woodwind Pro 24

The Woodwind Pro's smoke box gives it more authentic wood flavor than the Traeger Ironwood XL or Recteq RT-700 Bull, which rely on pellets alone. The Yoder YS640S and MAK 2 Star General both win on raw steel thickness, but neither comes near the Woodwind Pro's $1,399 price.

Yoder YS640S

The YS640S has the most cooking area (1,070 sq in) and thickest steel (10-gauge) in this lineup, plus a higher max temp (700°F) than the Traeger Ironwood XL, Recteq RT-700 Bull, or Camp Chef Woodwind Pro 24. The MAK 2 Star General matches on hand-built-in-USA quality but costs $800 more and uses 304 stainless instead of carbon steel.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Camp Chef Woodwind Pro 24	Yoder YS640S
Cooking Area	811 sq in (429 primary + 382 secondary)	1,070 sq in (four 8"x19.75" main grates + 15.5"x28" upper shelf)
Hopper Capacity	22 lbs	20 lbs
Temperature Range	160-560°F	150-600°F (up to 700°F with direct flame grilling)
Max Temp	560°F (900°F with Sidekick burner)	700°F
Wi-Fi/App	Yes (Camp Chef Connect)	Yes (ACS controller with Bluetooth + Wi-Fi, FireBoard app)
PID Controller	Yes, with adjustable Smoke Number	Yes (Adaptive Control System)
Material	430/304 stainless steel, powder-coated exterior	10-gauge American steel, 1/8" cooking chamber, ceramic ignition
Weight	152 lbs	335 lbs
Warranty	3 years	10 years burn-through, 3 years ACS controller, 3 years igniter

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