Let's Talk BBQ
Outdoor Cooking Equipment => Grills & Smokers => Gas Grills => Topic started by: old sarge on December 04, 2016, 05:49:10 PM
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Howdy folks,
I am giving a lot of thought to getting my son and his family a new gas grill, maybe for Christmas, maybe a little later. I have looked at a lot of gas grills of the stainless variety. I was not tied to any particular brand. When possible I have done the touchy feely on the grills, much to the chagrin of store employees as I would wriggle lids (sort of a slight twisting), disassemble down to the bottom of the cook box in order to check the stoutness of burners and metal flame tamers and the like as well as look over the grease management, etc. I have looked at Weber, Master Forge (Lowes), Kitchen Aid, Broil King, Sears Kenmore, NexGrill, Dyna-Glo. So I am looking for info on the grills I cannot see personally: Bull, Urban Island (mfg Bull for Costco), Lion, and Blaze. Anyone here have one of these? How do you like it? Problems? And I thank you for your time.
Dave
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For an example I have a Weber E-330 on the patio for 6 years uncovered and not one problem. It is use at least once a week.
One item though is I have found is the sear burner is not necessary and we make better steaks without it.
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Thanks Art. The kids have a Ducane 5005, converted to natural gas. They could use a grill with a little more real estate but I am having trouble finding something built as well as the old Ducane. I have found something negative (in my opinion) on every grill I have physically looked at. The more money it costs, the more critical I am getting. Thanks again.
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Ok,, In my opion you can't go wrong with a Weber Gas Grill, I have owned several and they have been great and have lasted. Weber would be my choice :)
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Thanks. I appreciate the input.
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Weber......no other gas grill represents as solid a value.
Parts for almost any Weber ever made are still available. They have the BEST customer service...and the durability that you pay extra for - will make it the cheapest to own as the years roll by.
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I agree with Weber, can't go wrong. Don
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Weber is a great grill. As others have stated they are worth every penny.
Broil-King is also top notch. They have been in the grill business for a long time.
Bull also makes a very good grill.
Kitchen aid and Kenmore are hit/miss since they don't actually make their grills. They are made by different manufacturers and then badged.
Lion and Blaze I have not had any personal interaction with.
Stay away from Nexgrill and Dyna-Glo.
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We have a 41 inch Viking.Lots of real estate.When we purchased it we paid less the half the asking price as it had been a demo unit and needed a all week cleaning. it was still $2000. It has lasted at least 10 years and needed different repairs and some like the rear burner for the rotisserie and the rotisserie we gave up on. It will get hotter then a weber. It has been worth what we paid for it. When it is replaced we will look at a Weber first.
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I like Muebe's list...
Weber would be the first choice. The Genesis if possible. I'm not completely 100% sold on the Spirit. But its still right at the top of the list.
Broil King would be second. I bought my Daughter in law one of these a couple years back and its holding up well. (And shes not one to take over good care of it).
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Weber...................cry once.......................they will have a dependable grill for a long long time.................
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I see a lot of recommendations for the Weber line. They are good grills with a great reputation. I was looking at the Simmut as their high end. My biggest concern with Weber is the thin wall of the burners and their grease management system. I doubt that it would be a problem but for the money I would expect a stouter burner and thicker metal on the flame tamers. On the Broil King, a similar concern. On the smokers I have not been able to see in person, the Blaze Pro seems the most robust. There is a video on youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sX5Ovuvu8bc) that was pretty impressive as far as material in and around the burners is concerned. But it is very expensive. And I believe it is an import, but not sure. Bull is similarly expensive thus my quest for information. Champagne taste, beer budget. Many thanks for all the input.
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Sounds like you are comparing Apples and Oranges,
As far as the thin wall on Weber it is warrantied for 10 years and I have 6 years on mine which stays uncovered with no issues except for a knob which Weber sent a full set of four 2 day shipping. ;D
The Blaze Pro seems the most robust as you stated but it is in a much higher price and level of grills.
In any case enjoy the chase as I and I am sure other have and will. :)
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May as well bite the bullet and get a Kalamazoo. You'll be the best Dad ever! And the most broke! :P
On a serious note I have a weber from 1985. Last burner, grates and igniter were installed around 16 years ago and are finally giving out. It sits uncovered year round. From -22 degrees to 105. Tough to beat.
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Thanks Art. I sure don't know how the video popped up when all I wanted to post was a link. That is kind of intrusive. Yes, I have been comparing warranties as well and Weber has a real dandy. And Weber has the side burner which is a lot handier, in my opinion than a rotisserie. Yes it is higher in many ways which is why I was looking for input from folks who may have some experience (the lights and rotisserie are not pluses in my book). A lot of times, a high price is no guarantee of matching quality. But sometimes it is. So the chase is on. Not in a rush. This may take months. But it is good to know that Weber is spoken highly of and there is one vote for the Broil King. So life is good. Thanks again.
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May as well bite the bullet and get a Kalamazoo. You'll be the best Dad ever! And the most broke! :P
On a serious note I have a weber from 1985. Last burner, grates and igniter were installed around 16 years ago and are finally giving out. It sits uncovered year round. From -22 degrees to 105. Tough to beat.
Boy Howdy a Kalamazoo would be nice.
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Personally I would like to see you get the higher end Blaze Pro so we could enjoy watching you cook on it.
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It would be nice to see how it stacks up to my Ducane Meridian (manufactured for Ducane by Twin Eagles) before Ducane went belly up.
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It would be nice to see how it stacks up to my Ducane Meridian (manufactured for Ducane by Twin Eagles) before Ducane went belly up.
The old Ducane's would give a Weber a run for their money - as far as durability.
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It would be nice to see how it stacks up to my Ducane Meridian (manufactured for Ducane by Twin Eagles) before Ducane went belly up.
The old Ducane's would give a Weber a run for their money - as far as durability.
Ducane is owned by Weber since early 2000's but their original grills were great for the price. Have no idea how they are now.
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I rebuild old gas grills as a hobby.
In the " Moderate price range " Weber & Broil King are the best choices .
They have a cast aluminum firebox & parts are easily available .
SS if low grade doesn't hold up as well as enameled steel.
The Weber Genesis series holds up better than the Summit .
(http://i828.photobucket.com/albums/zz203/Lostarrow-photos/298AD5F7-EC59-4839-8817-38CBB77F2E6B.jpg) (http://s828.photobucket.com/user/Lostarrow-photos/media/298AD5F7-EC59-4839-8817-38CBB77F2E6B.jpg.html)
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Great job on the upgrade.
Beautiful for any patio or backyard.
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Nice rebuild!
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Finally went with the Bull Angus in natural gas on a cart. Son and family should be real happy when it gets there and is hooked up.
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That's a heck of firebox! Can't wait to see some pics off that guy. Should last and last.
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I rebuild old gas grills as a hobby.
In the " Moderate price range " Weber & Broil King are the best choices .
They have a cast aluminum firebox & parts are easily available .
SS if low grade doesn't hold up as well as enameled steel.
The Weber Genesis series holds up better than the Summit .
(http://i828.photobucket.com/albums/zz203/Lostarrow-photos/298AD5F7-EC59-4839-8817-38CBB77F2E6B.jpg) (http://s828.photobucket.com/user/Lostarrow-photos/media/298AD5F7-EC59-4839-8817-38CBB77F2E6B.jpg.html)
That is soooo fantastic! Wow! :)
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Finally went with the Bull Angus in natural gas on a cart. Son and family should be real happy when it gets there and is hooked up.
Now that is one heck of a grill. Can't wait to see some cooks.
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I have a Weber Summit and could not be happier. I have had it for 8 years. I have always kept it covered because we get so much rain here in the Seattle area. It is a natural gas unit. Just a quick story here to tout their OUTSTANDING customer service: I was doing a Fall clean up on it and noticed there was a small rust hole in the front of the burn box right behind the control panel. The spot was about a quarter of an inch long. I call Weber and no foolin' the guy on the phone said "No problem sir we will get a new burn box out to you tomorrow free of charge". I asked if he wanted pictures to which he replied with a swift - "NOPE". I also asked about the flavorizor bars as they were showing signs of rust after 8 years and he said they were out of warranty but sold me a new set for about $40 which seemed like a pretty good deal.
I would buy another Weber based on the quality of the product (the only BBQ I have ever owned that lasted 8 years before needing ANYTHING) and the outstanding customer service.
Good Luck
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It does seem like a good grill. I found out that Null now makes the fire box out of 24 gauge 304 steel which is an upgrade from 16 gauge. Also taker heat system has been redesigned and the flame tamers are perforated. They also have s grill marketed as the Elite. It can be seen at the 'CARDDINE' website. Too much bling for my budget.
Correction: 14 gauge and not 24.
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It does seem like a good grill. I found out that Null now makes the fire box out of 24 gauge 304 steel which is an upgrade from 16 gauge. Also taker heat system has been redesigned and the flame tamers are perforated. They also have s grill marketed as the Elite. It can be seen at the 'CARDDINE' website. Too much bling for my budget.
Just one point if I may. The smaller the Gage number the thicker the metal.
Gage 16 is 0.0598 of an inch.
Gage 24 is 0.0239 of an inch.
Anyway can't wait for your Bull Angus arrived and be fired up.
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Fat finger problem. Should have been 14 G.
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Fat finger problem. Should have been 14 G.
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Glad I am not alone with the Fat Finger Problem. :)
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Big difference between a full size keyboard and a phone.
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Big difference between a full size keyboard and a phone.
And don't those old fingers know it. :)
Waiting for pics of that impressive grill coming your way.
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Hopefully it is delivered in time for Christmas as I will be visiting my son and his family. They will probably want to get it set up ASAP. If so I will take a snapshot or two.
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You can't go wrong with 304 stainless :thumbup:
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Yes, 304 was on top of the list of desirable attributes. I found out that many companies employ 304 in the lid but the cook box itself could be another alloy, chiefly 430.
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You are right, even Weber in their Genesis went from 302 to 430 but that is a much cheaper grill then what you are buying.
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Well, The Bull Angus arrived and was assembled. Took about 30 minutes. Due to all the Christmas activity, never got it connected to gas. That is for another day. But the old Ducane is still connected so all is well. Son and Daughter-in-Law pretty excited.
[attachments deleted after 6 months]
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According to my son and his family, this grill is a beast. I haven't seen it used yet but they are using it several times a week and loving it. They have a couple of griddles (sizzle Q and the half size professional) for it from little griddle so they can do a lot of different cooking along side the grilling. Will visit in April and see for myself.
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As far as the thin wall on Weber it is warrantied for 10 years and I have 6 years on mine which stays uncovered with no issues except for a knob which Weber sent a full set of four 2 day shipping. ;D
The Weber warranty is not "bumper to bumper" for 10 years. It's a limited warranty and what parts are covered depends upon what model you bought. For example, if you bought the model with the stainless flavorizers and grates then those parts have a longer warranty than if you bought the ceramic coated version.
I've had a natural gas Weber Genesis E-310 for about 5 years that sits outside my house 365 days a year and is rarely covered. I use it all year long even during our wonderful New England winters. I've had a couple of warranty claims on my grill. After a year or so, the chrome finish was flaking off on the Weber logo on the lid. This year I made a warranty claim on the cook box which warped. I also tried to make a warranty claim because the bottom of the cabinet was rusting. They said that part of the grill was only warrantied for 2 years. HOWEVER, they sent me the part at no charge as a courtesy.
Bottom line . . . Weber makes a good product and they definitely stand behind it. Their customer service is top notch and I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one of their grills. However at this rate, mine will probably last another 10 years. So, it might be a while before I'm in the market again.