Yoder Smokers Community Forum

Hi,

I bought a Yoder Wichita a few weeks back. It is being kept under a shelter except for when being used.

The paint is now coming off in small 1/4 inch patches in many spots around the fire box door, and in some places on the actual firebox.

Rust is appearing in these places, as well as around the firebox welds.

Is there a period of time after purchase in which Yoder considers that type of rust something that they will address as a warranty issue and supply the required spray paint? I am based in Australia, and have been quoted over $40 if I buy a can of the paint myself which I would prefer not to spend so close to purchase date.

Thanks in advance....

Hi,

Please allow me to introduce myself, I am the Australian importer of Yoder Smokers.

Unfortunately the hole in the ozone layer & our UV rays here in Australia break the paint down much faster than in other countries.

The Australian Warranty of all Yoder Smokers excludes paint because of this reason.

I'm more than happy to give you a aerosol can of the black spray paint that I bring in from Yoder Smokers, the only problem is that due to it being in an Aerosol can I cannot post it to you direct.

Please email me at david@grillpro.com.au and I will work out how to get a can to you.

Kind regards,

David Sprigg
Grill Pro Australia

Thanks Dave!

To go along with what Dave has said, here are a couple of links about paint that will be helpful:

download/Best%20Practice%20and%20how%20to/The%20paint%20that%20is%20used%20on%20Yoder%20cookers%20is%20purposeful.pdf

download/Best%20Practice%20and%20how%20to/Prep%20and%20Paint%20Procedure.pdf

I have received my can of paint from Grill Pro, and am thrilled with the standard of customer service. Thanks Dave!

The paint started peeling and the unit started rusting, within THREE WEEKS of purchase. Also, he states that he keeps in the shade. Are you really attempting to blame that on a hole in the ozone and think sending a can of spray paint is a sufficient remedy?

Dave wrote:Hi,

Please allow me to introduce myself, I am the Australian importer of Yoder Smokers.

Unfortunately the hole in the ozone layer & our UV rays here in Australia break the paint down much faster than in other countries.

The Australian Warranty of all Yoder Smokers excludes paint because of this reason.

I'm more than happy to give you a aerosol can of the black spray paint that I bring in from Yoder Smokers, the only problem is that due to it being in an Aerosol can I cannot post it to you direct.

Please email me at david@grillpro.com.au and I will work out how to get a can to you.

Kind regards,

David Sprigg
Grill Pro Australia

I treat my Loaded Wichita like i treat my cast iron pans, i keep them oiled!!! I'll spray Pam or rub cooking oil on the fire box anytime I see a bit of rust poke through. I spray the Pam on while the smoker is hot so it can "cook into the steel". I do keep my smoker covered when it's not being used and it still gets some rust on it.
Paint does not last forever and the 1200 or 1500 degree number on the paint can is just that, it's only a number.
At $2400.00 it's worth a few dollars every other month to buy some Pam spray and protect your investment.

How does the lid look now? I am going to strip and intensely clean and redo my Yoder this spring. What was your process? Do you mind detailing it out?

MikesYS wrote:I treat my Loaded Wichita like i treat my cast iron pans, i keep them oiled!!! I'll spray Pam or rub cooking oil on the fire box anytime I see a bit of rust poke through. I spray the Pam on while the smoker is hot so it can "cook into the steel". I do keep my smoker covered when it's not being used and it still gets some rust on it.
Paint does not last forever and the 1200 or 1500 degree number on the paint can is just that, it's only a number.
At $2400.00 it's worth a few dollars every other month to buy some Pam spray and protect your investment.

A couple of points.

Cast iron pans have no paint on them so the analogy isn't a good one. Pam wouldn't be used on cast iron pans anyhow since the aerosol has a solvent effect on a seasoned cast iron pan. Putting cooking oil on the firebox is a waste of time and oil. The firebox gets too hot for the oil to stay on it and polymerize. The way old seasoning is removed from old cast iron is to put it in an oven on the self cleaning cycle or put the cast iron on a bed of burning charcoal. The seasoning flakes off afterwards. I see absolutely no reason to put oil on paint. Just keep the paint in good shape.

Yep, paint doesn't last forever and neither does polymerized oil that you'd find on a cast iron pan and it certainly won't help the firebox.

If you want to see what a loaded Wichita looks like when the owner puts oil on it look at a more recent youtube video of T-Roy Cooks. His firebox is covered with rust. He keeps his smoker outside. He says the rust is there because he forgot to use the smoker cover. The oil certainly didn't protect it.

Use high heat paint and a cover.

I tried a heap of different paint solutions for the firebox including the factory approved paint. Nothing would withstand the temps that the firebox gets to and just came off quickly leaving a rusting firebox.

The only thing that has worked is spending 5 minutes every couple of weeks thinly coating the firebox with flaxseed oil. I run the pit as hot as I like, and the firebox is essentially a similar black (from the polymerised oil) to the black paint on the rest of the pit, even though there is virtually no paint left on the firebox...

Paint that could withstand the heat would be ideal, but coating with oil is the next best thing.

Flaxseed/linseed oil is not commonly used as a cooking oil but it is food grade. It works well in oil paints. I've read good things about using it on cast iron and someone above seems to have had good results using it. Thanks for the information.