BBQ Lifespan?

[supton]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
The regulator has a "short circuit protection" (not what it's called) that can trip and wreak havoc.

Maybe splice another one on if you can find one in a junk pile.


That appears to be the issue. I looked at the manual, and it suggested purging it of air. I did that, had all three burners at full heat--then after a minute they dropped to naught. Looks like a $50 part.

 

[Pop_Rivit]

Our 1995-ish Weber Red Top is still doing duty at our lake house. It was replaced at our main home last spring with a new Weber Genesis that is built like a tank-the Red Top was retired to duty at the lake house.

The old Weber Red Top was never stored inside, still looks great, still has the original burner, the igniter still works, and at 18 years old has none of the issues that are common for the cheaper grills. During it's time here was used a couple times a week in the summer and probably once or twice a month when snow was on the ground.

The one issue that I had with the grill (a broken knob) was fixed with an email to Weber. Even though it was far out of warranty they had a replacement knob and sent it-free.

So my guess is that a quality grill should last at least 20 years or more.

 

[sciphi]

I have a Weber Q120. It's about 3 years old now, and works very well. It should, considering what we paid for it. Always stored covered outside, though.

Replace the regulator if the rest of the grill is up to snuff. Otherwise, scrap it and get a Weber.

 

[andyd]

The burner makes the grill.Weber burners are a length of pipe with holes drilled into it. Most burners are stamped out of sheet metal and electro welded together. Webers are the Toro lawnmowers of BBQs. I don't know how much they cost, I get them free.

 

[Mr_Incredible]

I'd invest in a new one if you can swing it. My last one (Charmglow) is at least ten years old and has zero rust...it's stainless. The grates are stained but as thick and solid as the day I got it. I'll keep those grates for the rest of my life.

But the burners die. I've had to replace all three. The clicky lighter still works.

I clean it out yearly and replace burners as required. I have to get the burners online and they aren't cheap. No hardware store would have them on hand; there are just too many to inventory.

 

[supton]

Bumping my own thread. I must have replaced the regulator (back then), and I replaced that regulator this summer. Grill is still going; side burner was supposedly dead but I think it was just full of rust. But one of the ignitors quit (rusted away), the heat deflectors are almost there, and the grilling surfaces just started pealing with rust. 11 years old now, most of the time not covered. [It's actually fine on the outside, minimal rust; it's basically everything on the inside that isn't so fine. Except for the temp gauge--wife had a fire--it now reads 700F all the time, or some outlandish number, and spins back to normal/cold temp as real temp comes up.]

Wife is trying to get me to buy another Kenmore, as we have "points" from the recent fridge purchase which expire today. She wants this one as she likes the side burner; it'd be about $200 all said and done.

Personally I'd just as soon give up on grilling, but I'm not the cook. The only time I've been willing to grill (for myself) is to make veggie burgers, and that is a recent development for me.

Hmm, now that I think about it, I wonder if I can just get parts...

 

[Danh]

Or buy a Weber charcoal grill: 2 moving parts, lifespan longer than most humans, food tastes better and lots cheaper to boot. It's the manly thing to do.

 

[totegoat]

I have a stainless charcoal grill from the 1940's. My stainless Kenmore gas grill is 12 years old. Looks good and works just fine.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: Danh
Or buy a Weber charcoal grill: 2 moving parts, lifespan longer than most humans, food tastes better and lots cheaper to boot. It's the manly thing to do.


Perhaps, but how long does it take to make burgers and dogs? I turn on ours, wait 2-3 minutes, toss on stuff. Wait 5, flip; wait 5. Might need one more minute, if making cheeseburgers. Done.

 

[Malo83]

Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: Danh
Or buy a Weber charcoal grill: 2 moving parts, lifespan longer than most humans, food tastes better and lots cheaper to boot. It's the manly thing to do.


Perhaps, but how long does it take to make burgers and dogs? I turn on ours, wait 2-3 minutes, toss on stuff. Wait 5, flip; wait 5. Might need one more minute, if making cheeseburgers. Don

Typical gasser response! might as well go to burger king

 

[Danh]

Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: Danh
Or buy a Weber charcoal grill: 2 moving parts, lifespan longer than most humans, food tastes better and lots cheaper to boot. It's the manly thing to do.


Perhaps, but how long does it take to make burgers and dogs? I turn on ours, wait 2-3 minutes, toss on stuff. Wait 5, flip; wait 5. Might need one more minute, if making cheeseburgers. Done.


Charcoal grills take 15-20 minutes to get the coals up to temp. Just enough time to have a beer while you wait.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: supton
Perhaps, but how long does it take to make burgers and dogs? I turn on ours, wait 2-3 minutes, toss on stuff. Wait 5, flip; wait 5. Might need one more minute, if making cheeseburgers. Done.

Yeah, the convenience of a gas grill is hard to dismiss.

As far as your original lifespan question, our Weber Spirit E300 is 7 years old now. Gas burners/delivery is still working well. I did replace the porcelain grates on it with stainless steel ones, soon after I bought it, and then replaced the flavorizer bars just a few months ago as the original ones were crumbling away. I'll probably keep it for another few years. Eventually when we get a new house, I'll buy a new one.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted By: Malo83
Originally Posted By: supton
Originally Posted By: Danh
Or buy a Weber charcoal grill: 2 moving parts, lifespan longer than most humans, food tastes better and lots cheaper to boot. It's the manly thing to do.


Perhaps, but how long does it take to make burgers and dogs? I turn on ours, wait 2-3 minutes, toss on stuff. Wait 5, flip; wait 5. Might need one more minute, if making cheeseburgers. Don

Typical gasser response! might as well go to burger king

And if you go to Burger King, as for the burger fresh off the broiler, way better than when it's sitting in the warming tray. Sometimes I have to watch them to make sure it's really right off the broiler.

 

[supton]

Originally Posted By: Danh
Charcoal grills take 15-20 minutes to get the coals up to temp.


Too long during the week. Make dinner, eat, move onto the next thing. Cooking is not something I enjoy. Plus I bet you can't store charcoal outdoors like a propane tank.

Sorry, gas fits my life better. Maybe someday I'll try charcoal. But not any time soon.

*

Got the wife to reconsider. She used the points on a DVD player for the car for the kids. We'll see if I can milk a few more years out of this crate.

 

[97f150]

I have a perfectly good inside gas grill, it's called a stove. For the flavorful variety of grilling, smoking, and BBQ is 2-22" Webers and a Smokey Joe that is used often. I understand the convenience of gas, but a stove is just as convenient and food from there taste the same as food from a gas grill.

 

[supton]

Do you just pan fry burgers?

I know my wife tries to avoid cooking indoors in summer, but I could live with pan frying stuff. Well, I usually just nuke stuff, at least when I can.

 

[97f150]

If it must be done in the house, they are pan fried. I can't remember last time burgers were done in the house though. No doubt I'm just a nut, but rain doesn't even stop me from grilling.

 

[supton]

We slow down a bit when it snows--if the lid has a foot of snow on it, and no path to the grill, it's a bit of a problem. Plus, in that weather we'll keep the Btu's indoors, save a bit on home heating oil.

 

[Malo83]

Originally Posted By: 97f150
I have a perfectly good inside gas grill, it's called a stove. For the flavorful variety of grilling, smoking, and BBQ is 2-22" Webers and a Smokey Joe that is used often. I understand the convenience of gas, but a stove is just as convenient and food from there taste the same as food from a gas grill.


Got rid of my 5yr old gas grill this summer, rarely used, still left with 2 Weber 22" grills and my favorite 26" Weber grill and my new addition a 55 gal barrel smoker, nothing beats the taste of charcoal cooked food! next on my list is a AKORN Kamado ceramic grill.

 

[SeaJay]

It is usually easy to manually light most gas BBQ grill with a long necked zippo lighter. Hardly worth replacing the igniter IMO.