Advice please......Char-Griller QC problem

First off I hope this is in the proper area. Semi rant and a question of the Brethren.

I bought a Char-Griller SuperPro w/Side firebox from Lowe's.

One of the things that I noted in the store where I purchesed this thing was the way they had welded the end caps to the main body at the bottom raidus of the round bottom part. I asumed that it was to stop grease from seeping out in the spot welded seam between the end cap and the main bottom body. They make a nice little grease cup holder and cut two holes for the grease to go into the grease cup. Fair. No leaks, nice and clean, good design IMHO.

The first one leaked like it was not welded. I called Char-Griller and they wanted me to send them a copy of my sales invoice and a letter of explaination, fair. Their customer service folk agreed to my thought that the six inch bead was to "stop" hot grease from excaping through that seam and not dripping into the gease cup. I did this and they sent me a second bottom. Great. I get to looking at the replacement part and it is just as bad as the first one, in fact worse! Both ends are poorly welded. The welding bead is on the end cap and misses the main body of the cooker. This one is going to leak as well. I an different life I was a metal fabricator and know what is good and what is bad.

So what do I do? Contact Char-Griller "again" and send them pictures or do it just haul it back to the store were I purchesed this mess and dump in on them? I am about fed up with poor guality, my dollar bills were of high quality and I expect the same in return. If they and not attempted to seal the bottom of the cooker then it was "bad on me" for buying a design that was flawed. It is not their design! It would work great if their craftsmanship was equal to their design.

This it really chaps my hide. :icon_pissed:icon_pissed

So what do I do?

I don't think that I should have to take this unit over to my old shop and weld it up. If I wanted to build a cooker that is what I would have done from the git go. How about all the people that don't have a welding shop and welding knowlage and are just getting stiffed.


Thanks for the help.

pdxRandy said:

So what do I do?

Click to expand...

Unless you go to something homemade (UDS) or try and get something off of Craigslist, I doubt you'll get much better for the price. Go ahead and mod it yourself - at least then you'll know it was done right.

Pron.............

Here are some pictures. Both pieces of metal should be welded togther the beads or on the end bell and sometimes touch the main body of the smoker.

Simple QC welding deal. Get the fella who is running the MIG gun glasses, tell him to run a larger bead or use larger wire, or if it is automatic fluff the program for a larger bead. They are running intershield or dual shield wire because there was flux on the beads.

In these pictures it is very clear that "both" pieces of metal are not joined by the weld. IMHO the wire feel gun was pushed to fast with someone pulling the trigger who has no clue of craftsmanship. None! I also think from looking at the burn marks at the start of the beads that this was done my hand not a machine. The one bead that looks good has pin holes. There is not one of these beads on either bottom, the one that was in the box or the one the they shipped me that are sound welds.

The top two are from the fire box end and the bottom is from the cold end of the smoker.

Tee hee, looks like some of my Friday afternoon welding if ya know what I mean.

Fix it yourself and mod it up. Or like they said, get a 55 gallon and a 15 gallon drum and make up one of your own. You'll be more satisfied. I hate to buy stuff.