Big Box Gas Grill Rant

[pierhogunn]

Why is it that every grill manufacturer uses those super cheap, un-reliable stainless steel burner tubes in their grill that maybe have a 3 year life span? I grill at least twice a week, and I got 3 years, only 3 years out of my grill from lowes, I paid $250 for it, and expected more...

I was cruising around big blue today, and decided to do some investigative shopping,

I thought surely some of the higher end models will have something like cast brass or bronze burners to justify the extra $$$...

NO

all of them, without exception use this cheap stainless steel tube burner assembly, some with 2, 3, or 4 burners...

If all of them use the same material, won't all of them have about the same life expectency?

Here, in Charlotte NC, with our humidity and other environmental factors, should I expect to get more than 3 years out of a set of burners on a grill?

am I crazy, am I being unrealistic?

if all of the grills use the same materials, then why on earth would I spend the extra $$$ to get one that will last just as long as the cheap one?

this just irritates me...

for $500 I would expect the primary mechanism, the burners, followed by the cooking grates to outlast the housing, not the other way around. These companies sink massive amounts of cash into the housing of the grills but leave the innards to the cheapest garbage materials... wow, designed in america, built in China, rusted through in 3 years on my back porch...

grrrrrr.

okay, rant off

[Uncle Cracker]

The grill I bought last year at HD had cast brass burners.

[crokett]

My Weber was bought 9 years ago at Lowes - one of the first purchases I made when I bought my first house. Some of the best advice I've gotten was to get the best cover I could find. I ended up with a heavy canvas one that I still have. It is faded but no rips/tears etc. I don't know if that helped but I finally replaced the burner last summer.

[Tom Slick]

8 years on a Weber "Silver C" with 3 stainless tube burners, zero burner issues and the ignitor still works. This thing sits uncovered 24/7/365 1 mile from the ocean and is used 3-4 times a week. Its been through 3 sets of grates (the cast iron ones rot away quickly in this climate, new SS are better) and a set of "flavorizer bars", the original ones were enameled steel, new ones are SS and no signs of deterioration.

This model was made in USA when I bought it, I believe the replacement model is made in China but the next level up is still made in USA.

[jackellis]

If the burner tubes really are stainless instead of mild steel, they should last. The stainless steel exhaust tubes on my airplane are probably good for 1000 hours before they need to be repaired or replaced.

Are you sure the tubes are stainless and not mild (plain carbon) steel?

[pierhogunn]

hmmm, need to check into that

thanks for pointing out the difference.

[dbhost]

What is this "gas" grill thing you refer to? Barbecue and grilling requires hardwood, preferrably nut bearing tree wood cutoffs.

Okay seriously though...

I noticed what you are talking about a long time ago. Some brands DO use better cast bronze burners, but most of them use the cheap stainless ones, even on their high end stuff...

Want better than they offer? DIY...

[Pappy]

Try sticking a magnet top the 'Stainless Steel' on these grils. Most of them are SS clad over steel.

[Sam Conder]

I finally gave up on gas grills about 3 years ago. I tried several, including one maked of cast aluminum with cast brass burners. I couldn't get more than 3 seasons out of one. Finally we bought a Weber charcoal grill and love it. I have a Lodge charcoal chimney to speed up getting the coals ready and don't miss the gas grill one bit.

[capncarl]

I also gave up on gas grill last year and purchased a Green Egg charcoal lump grill. It was expensive but I calculated that I had already paid for it twice with gas grills and replacement burners, and burnt food. We love it, and would not do it any differently, except we should have bought it years ago.

[BigguyZ]

If you ask me, charcoal is the way to go. it just tastes better, and there's something about grilling over hot coals...

My brother and I grill about once a week during the summer and football season. About 2 years ago we bought the giant Barrel style grill that Menards carries. The thing I like most about it is that it has a massive amount of space to cook your vegetables along with several types of meat, and even a roast in the corner for later in the week. Yeah, we've had quite a few feasts come from that sucker.

We got the side fire box a while ago. I hope to attach that soon so we can start smoking/ BBQing for real.

OK, now I'm hungry...