I have concerns with the FEC-100

I use my pit four to five times a week. I also cater once a month for a company that has 60 plus heavy eaters. I have never missed a meal due to a breakdown. I do not use an inverter, battery setup.
I have been very happy with my FE. Picked it up at Mandalay Bay in 2003.

Hi Guy.

I bought the FEC 100 specifically with food vending in mind. I checked and rechecked and I couldn't find a unit that met my needs and bankroll better than the FEC.

I have found the quality, so far, to be very good. I love the product I am turning out too.

What seems to me to be a very important factor here is that if you do have a problem Cook Shack has the reputation of moving heaven and earth to fix it pronto. That is important to me. But, having said that, it seems to me that I have read very few and relatively minor problems with the FEC100.

I would be very interested in hearing what these people that have complaints are saying. What exactly are the issues? I have done searches on FEC 100 Complaints and Reviews of the product, but I can't come up with anything. I would think if anyone who owns one had issues they would be voicing them Loudly here. I have seen some sour grapes posted and some pellet envy posts, but nothing that would scare me.

You sound like a reasonable person who is just looking for reassurance. It is a logical response. Hope you find your answers.

Another thought is that if you are willing to spend twice as much, maybe you should consider buying two FEC's. Then you would have backup and way more capacity. I plan to buy a second unit. Just don't know if I will opt for the larger unit or another small one. I have faith in my FEC and Cook Shack.

Success to you!
Kate

hi guy,
we use our fec100 in our mobile food vending unit. we have never experienced an failures either directly due to operation of the unit or from any vibrational problems related to towing (and i wish that i could say that about my steam table)
in the past we have operated the fec for over 48 continuous hours and the door front does not even get hot!!!!!
i have experienced only one problem and that was of my own making. i ordered a new gasket set from cookshack and even though it was not a fault of theirs i was sent the new gaskets without charge!!!
we also own an sm150 and it too is without any problems whatsoever
jack

Guy,.

Instead of vague comments about other forums, how about asking specific questions and concerns. That's the only way we can help.

You ask us, we'll tell you.

A LOT of the comments I've seen in other forums are by people who don't even own an FEC. I have a lot of problem with people generalizing their comments about various pits (whether CS or not) and it's just the way of the world. I don't know if it's jealousy, that they don't like pellets, don't like FE or don't like CS -- but there is some of that.

What specifically are you trying to do? Give us an idea of yield, quantity how you're wanting to use it and we can help from that.

Smokin'

Guy writes "lately I've been hearing a LOT of negativity about this cooker on several forums from some experienced food service operators and competitors."

Point us to those forums and posts please. Those generalizations just don't hold water here or anywhere else. I am an experienced competitor that cooks with two of these units 16 - 20 times each year plus countless hours outside of competition and have had little to no trouble with three of these units. Sometimes certain cookers and folks just aren't a great fit. That can be said of every cooker made. If Ole Hickory had an active forum, there'd be folks expressing concerns and issues about their equipment there for sure. That's what it's all about.

Guy also writes: "I know that the main culprit with these reported problems lie with the CS association with Traeger, but why are the CS folks jeopardizing their reputation this way? I would think they would get to the bottom of these Quality Control issues quickly."

How do you have the inside scoop on the relationship between Traeger and Cookshack? What are the specific quality control issues of which you are aware? Please be detailed in your response.

Mistakes are made in business. A good business learns from it's mistakes and becomes better for it. I think Cookshack is a perfect example of this. Plus, the customer service is second to none. If you are really starting your business on a shoe string, I think I'd be very interested in the FEC over a brand new product that is twice as much. Oh, and did Ole Hickory mention that Cookshack used to sell their equipment? Maybe that's why they spoke so poorly of their competitor.

Rod

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here by the author may not be in agreement with Cookshack. I am in no way connected, emloyeed, invested, or otherwise monetarily adjoined with this company. My cookers are original FE products.

I believe I know (and have a copy of) the negativity of which Guy speaks. Let's face it, not everybody is meant to run a cooker like an FE.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by prisonchef313:
we use our fec100 in our mobile food vending unit. we also own an sm150 and it too is without any problems whatsoever

How would you compare the fec 100 to the sm 150?

bill,
it would be an apple to oranges comparison. i will say that based off of 2 cooks where i had both units fully loaded with bone in butts and packer beef brisket the product shrinkage in the sm150 was approximately 1.5% less than the fec but that difference is so small that it may just be an anomally.
as far as smoke flavor go in both of the cooks i just used my standard pellet blend from the fec in the sm by making a foil ball with 6 tiny holes. taste was identical from both units.
cooking times once i got the temperatures matched(i used a total of 4 remote taylors with one taylor in each pit dedicated to nothing but pit temp)were 1hr12min/lb on the pork. the cook time does not include running both pits at 165 for 2 hours which on the fec is smoke setting. all meat was placed in the units at 38f.
peg taught me to use the manual temp feature on the sm so i could run both pit temps the same.
while the sm did give the smaller shrinkage i found my bark on the brisket was a little nicer and i mean a little. i now understand why the sanctioning bodies wont allow the sm. if you take good notes man it is too darned ez!!!!
on the fec plus side it can hit much higher temperatures which is great for chicken, you can custom blend your smoke flavor and heat profiles and you can compete. so to answer your question some days i like apples and some days i like oranges but both are good.
jack
ps. but i will say this. the more i use the sm150 the more impressed i am with it, almost hate to admit it but it is kinda fun to use especially matching the pit temp with the fec by manually controlling it--almost reminds me of my rusty trusty webber bullet on the fun factor

I've come to the conclusion that my CS 50 isn't big enough for my lifestyle so I'm in the hunt.

Jack didn't mention how easy it was to install the new rubber gasket in the FE. Now we're back in good as new shape. Customer service comes through again!
Peggy

Ok I've not checked in here for awhile but here is my experience with my Fast Eddy 100. Zero failures in the year we've owned it. Several occasions I've cooked over 2,000 pounds of meat in one week. To my wife and my taste buds we are cooking the BEST Beef and Pork ever on our FE and we've won a few awards for our BBQ in the last three years.

So, whatever happened to "guy" that posted this? Came in, posted a complaint and never came back?

Hmmmm....

Hi SmokinOkie,

Apparently, there was too much heat in the kitchen and the "guy" got out.

Some "guys" are like that!

Kate

I bought a FE100 for primary use in my concession/competition trailer and have nothing bad to say about it. In fact I am going to purchase another one to leave at the restaurant for weekly duties there. I used a J****** for 10 years and after using the FE I have said to self & everyone else that I should have done this 10 years ago!

I use mine catering, haul it in a trailer, unload, load - it takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. Almost fell into a pool last weekend - I don't guess it would have survived that.

I'm a pretty regular reader of the BBQ Forums on the Internet, and I haven't seen the negativity Guy is talking about. Maybe a snide comment here and there about how it's not "real BBQ" (which is cr#p, we're burning 100% wood, the people saying this are usually using briquettes) - but no comments on the quality or reliability of the unit. I think it's pretty much understood by everyone that the quality of the unit is first-rate, and the customer service is unparalleled.

I think Guy's post might have been a sneaky way of slipping in an ad for the Ole Hickory Tri-Oven. It sounds like the Ole Hickory would be more comparable to the FEC 500, which we're all waiting for more details about.

If Guy is doing a vending business, I'd say he should look into the FEC 500 or even 1000, depending on what type of events he's doing.

I don't know about sneaky stuff, I can't ever see that until it's too late.

I like our FEC100 and am very protective of our SM150. They are both wonderful. I think the cook has a lot to do with how the final product turns out.

Peggy

Tom,

I bet you wish there was a pool nearby when you set your cooker on fire. When you help me with my whole hog I'll make sure we don't set up the pig roaster anywhere near the pool.

Your pal,
Bill

Tom,

I don't think it would compare to the 500 because I don't Ole Hickory Tri-Oven cannot hold 500 lbs. of meat like the 500. It would only compare in the sense that it has the option of having a rotisserie.

John

Good deal, Bill. Let me know the date for the pig. (I think it has to be over 125# to be called a hog).

RibDog, I don't know much about the Tri-Oven. How much does it hold? Looks like it was designed to compete with the FE's.

Every smoker has problems. Some more than others. If you have moving parts on it. One time or another you will have a problem with them. I got to go last week and see the Cooksack plant and I have to say that they are first class. This Fec is pretty new on the market and might have acouple of bugs to work out. I can tell you that they will do anything to make you happy and you will be at the end great family run company.

Craig

Tom,

I look at the Ole Hickory Tri-Oven as being inbetween the FEC 100 and the FEC 500. The specs on the Ole Hickory are dependent on which shelf setup(fixed or rotisserie) you have. The capacity runs max from 175 rotisserie to 225 fixed on 7 lb. pork butts. It goes downward from there.

Guy I don't understand your concerns with the FE100. I have had mine for a couple of months now, and just last week finished a 4 day concession run where the FE was only shut down long enough to change the foil about every 30 hours or so. It runs very consistantly, regardless of weather. And it is so, so easy to clean. I used to cook on a Jed for 10 years, and I can honestly say I wish I had com onto these Cookshack cookers years ago.
I use the FE100 3-4 times a week for my restaurant and then take it with me when I do concession runs or competitions. I can't speak for others, but I for one am very satisfied with the FE100 and am planning to purchas another one later this year.

Well maybe Guy is still lurking and maybe not. Tom and I just came back from an Operation BBQ for the Marines at Twentynine Palms, CA. Both of us had our FE100s going for better than 24 hours filled to the limit on each load. Load of Brisket, Load of Butts and then 2 high temp loads of chicken.

I drive mine around the West Coast on a platform plugged into receivers behind an Excursion. It rode 20 hours to Oregon and 23 hours to Kansas.

I use mine with both battery setups or house power. Its just to easy.

Its a steady workhorse that offers great flexiblity in cooking temps that I believe a vending outfit would love.