Big Lots BBQ Swag

[bigabyte]

First, a disclaimer, I never meant to stir anything up with my thoughts when looking at the grill. I just thought another perspective could help was all. It went further than I intended it.

As for that review, that reviewer does not know how to use a grill obviously. He is complaining about having to fill the whole bowl with charcoal to do 4 burgers. all he needs to do is put a few lit coals off on one side where he cooks the burgers.

I, personally, hardly find that review a justification for getting a piece of junk grill (in my opinion).

Once again, my opinion here is just to provide some balance since this thread seems to be anti-Weber and pro-junk.

 

[augie]

I looked into the Weber. The customer reviews, however, were quite mixed.

Is there any product that you can think of that has sold as many units as the Weber kettles that have unanimous approval? If so, I'd like to hear about them.

More apples to apples, have you been able to see multiple customer reviews on the grill you bought instead of a Weber?

Bottom line is, if you're happy with your purchase, then it was a good one for you. If it seems like you are being attacked by defensive Weber owners consider this:

The "two sides to every issue" theory says that the Weber apologists that are questioning your good fiscal sense may feel that you are implying that they paid too much for their kettles since they paid more for a product that you say may not be any better.

 

[Smokey Al Gold]

Al,

I read the reviews, mostly on Amazon.

Go there, and type in: Weber 751001

They're all still there.

Here's what one guy said about his:

"I have to say I am quite disappointed with this grill. After handing down my hand-me-down Charbroil due to a move, I was excited to get this Weber (my wife calls me a brand whore). My excitement abruptly dwindled. First of all, when I opened the box, I quickly realized that some of the parts were missing. When I finally did get the parts (a week later) and assembled the grill, I found that the lid did not fit the bowl well. While smoking a pork shoulder, I stood there watching the smoke pouring out of one side of the grill. When I measured the lid's diameter at several different points, I found that the lid was out-of-round by about 3-1/2 inches. Another thing I like about the Charbroil is the fact that you can adjust the height of the charcoal rack. With this weber grill, you have to throw in about 2 pounds of charcoal to cook 4 hamburgers. Wasteful. While Weber's customer service is excellent (which is the only reason I gave this 2 stars), I will tell anyone who will listen to go with the less expensive, albeit less glamorous, Charbroil. "

I have no doubt that the older Weber's were all great grills. Dated a girl that had one (in the early 90's) and it was a machine.

But things change Al.

I'm with Bigabyte on this review the guy doesn't know what he's doing. I'm not trying to stir anything up I'm just giving you the facts that Webers are very well made and perform excellent. My one touch gold was bought oct. 08 so its still new its not an old model. I have 4 webers so far. I'm just trying to help you out with facts and not a review from amazon. I have looked at that posting and 96 people gave it 5 stars, 15 gave it 4 stars and that posting has a 4.5 star rating almost perfect. I'm just saying if you were considering a weber and you were thinking they are poorly made cooking devices that you should reconsider because they are not. If you like your kettle grill and don't want a weber that is ok. Don't forget to post pron from your first cook :-D

 

[btcg]

First, a disclaimer, I never meant to stir anything up with my thoughts when looking at the grill. I just thought another perspective could help was all. It went further than I intended it.

As for that review, that reviewer does not know how to use a grill obviously. He is complaining about having to fill the whole bowl with charcoal to do 4 burgers. all he needs to do is put a few lit coals off on one side where he cooks the burgers.

I, personally, hardly find that review a justification for getting a piece of junk grill (in my opinion).

Once again, my opinion here is just to provide some balance since this thread seems to be anti-Weber and pro-junk.

Well,

If we do a closer reading of my first post, the reader will note that I readily admit that the Big Lot's grill, on several fronts, are not as well made as a Weber grill.

But the claim of "junk" puts me in mind of my wife's best friend and her hubby.

On our last trip there (they live in Miami, and we stay in their guest house when we go there), the 2 of them proudly announced to me that they had switched over... to Mac computers, and told me that I "ought to switch over too. Macs are superior."

Me... I'm a programmer, and in all modesty, a darn good one. I'm fluent in 12 languages, and write windows programs for a living.

So, I asked them to explain, what exactly are the superior features of a Mac?

Now normally, you hear the claim about better virus and bug protection. They couldn't really sound this note though, because she(wife's friend) had encountered some type of Mac malware that week, and she had to reinstall her OS.

I'm still waiting for a good answer.

Her hubby (who is a retired Math & Software professor) gave me a similar answer:

"Well, trust me, it's better"

Lesser quality? Of course, I admitted it.

Junk? Not IMO.

 

[btcg]

I'm with Bigabyte on this review the guy doesn't know what he's doing. I'm not trying to stir anything up I'm just giving you the facts that Webers are very well made and perform excellent. My one touch gold was bought oct. 08 so its still new its not an old model. I have 4 webers so far. I'm just trying to help you out with facts and not a review from amazon. I have looked at that posting and 96 people gave it 5 stars, 15 gave it 4 stars and that posting has a 4.5 star rating almost perfect. I'm just saying if you were considering a weber and you were thinking they are poorly made cooking devices that you should reconsider because they are not. If you like your kettle grill and don't want a weber that is ok. Don't forget to post pron from your first cook :-D

Al,

He may not be in yours, or Big's league, as to his BBQ.

But it doesn't take Gordon Ramsey to see when smoke is escaping from your grill, and to see that it's out of round.

 

[DanPop]

I'm always so leery of Amazon reviews, or any shopping site. People are more likely to review a product if they don't like it and want to complain about it. Some positive reviews sound more like an infomercial, like the reviewer has some sort of stake in the product. That's one of the things I really enjoy about the brethren, more honesty IMO.

 

[Smokey Al Gold]

Al,

He may not be in yours, or Big's league, as to his BBQ.

But it doesn't take Gordon Ramsey to see when smoke is escaping from your grill, and to see that it's out of round.

I'm not saying I'm in any league at all. Luckily webers customer service is awesome and takes care of problems asap. Like I said I was just trying to give you a friendly opinon. Enjoy your new swag :-D

 

[btcg]

I'm always so leery of Amazon reviews, or any shopping site. People are more likely to review a product if they don't like it and want to complain about it. Some positive reviews sound more like an infomercial, like the reviewer has some sort of stake in the product. That's one of the things I really enjoy about the brethren, more honesty IMO.

I agree. The old adage, "believe nothing of what you hear..." rings true.

Something though, about his review also, rings true.

Maybe his lid was damaged in shipping?

Doesn't matter to me, as my 1st post says, I bought it to play with it, and frankly, it's quite well made. I'm happy, and the swag was fun shopping for too.

 

[KC_Bobby]

Yeah, I'm not trying to start anything either. I just know Weber's are thicker then the off brands and they finish their product with a coating (I think enamel) that really reduces rusting. Any round shape can easily get slightly mis-shaped while in transport or store display - but they are easy to shape back too. After a few uses, the user knows how to put the lid on to fit without spinning it.

 

[bigabyte]

Touche, so junk was a stronger word than I should have used. The Big Lot grills are simply of lesser quality, in my opinion of course. I wonder if all of the Big Lots grills have perfectly fitting lids? I have to admit, I have never had an out of round Kettle lid, but I am sure it happens.

 

[btcg]

I'm not saying I'm in any league at all. Luckily webers customer service is awesome and takes care of problems asap. Like I said I was just trying to give you a friendly opinon. Enjoy your new swag :-D

Yours (in your avatar) looks great.

Weber got him the assembly parts he was missing quickly. I'm sure they'll replace the lid, too.

But having already had to wait a week for parts, I think anyone would be peeved at finding the lid to be defective too.

 

[btcg]

Touche, so junk was a stronger word than I should have used. The Big Lot grills are simply of lesser quality, in my opinion of course. I wonder if all of the Big Lots grills have perfectly fitting lids? I have to admit, I have never had an out of round Kettle lid, but I am sure it happens.

Big,

I did worry about the lid fit. When I opened the box, that was the first thing I tried: it fit snugly. I went: WHEW!

 

[Bigmista]

Always good to have turtles on the perimeter. Check out posts about KCquer if you don't get the reference.

Check here for more insight...

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13636

Just sharing the culture..

 

[BobBrisket]

Not trying to hijack or steer in another direction, but does anyone know if these BL kettles are even just a hair wider in diameter than a kettle lid? My buddy has yet to make his and the donor kettle he bought has a dented lid and not in the best of shape, plus, do to his work schedule, it might be nice if the lid just fit right on instead of him having to do lots of time consuming mods.

BTCG--I love BL. Good deals on stuff from time to time. I think that kettle will do just fine for what you want it for.......to experiement with and learn from, and have some fun with. Really what it's all about anyway. I can see some great grub and pron coming of it for sure. I'd like to know how that charcoal burns.

Bob

 

[btcg]

Check here for more insight...

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13636

Just sharing the culture..

So, I take it we're not the only ones with a turtle sentry, eh? Small world.

Sounds like you all had a great time. Very cool!

 

[btcg]

Not trying to hijack or steer in another direction, but does anyone know if these BL kettles are even just a hair wider in diameter than a kettle lid? My buddy has yet to make his and the donor kettle he bought has a dented lid and not in the best of shape, plus, do to his work schedule, it might be nice if the lid just fit right on instead of him having to do lots of time consuming mods.

BTCG--I love BL. Good deals on stuff from time to time. I think that kettle will do just fine for what you want it for.......to experiement with and learn from, and have some fun with. Really what it's all about anyway. I can see some great grub and pron coming of it for sure. I'd like to know how that charcoal burns.

Bob

I'll let you know.

 

[jgh1204]

If someone is having problems with the legs not staying on the weber, they probably put it together wrong. I was having the same problem, until I read the instructions. the wheels should be on the same side as handle.

 

[Stoke&Smoke]

btcg,

Nice score at the big lots, you got a lot of stuff for dollars spent looks like!

However, I have to take exception to any critque of Weber's products.
The weber Genesis gasser you see on the upper deck in this photo is 15 years old, and still works great (although I almost never use it anymore for anything other than a storage container for all my BGE Eggcessories)

The lineup at the bottom is a mix of old and relatively new weber products.

The 22" WSM is 2 years old. It had some minor fit issues when I bought it, (it had been gently used by it's owner about 3 times before he sold it to me) easily straightenable by just laying the main body down on it's side on a large sheet of cardboard (to prevent scratching) and gently pushing on it until achieving round. It was blown off our trailer at a contest in Elk Grove, IL last year, and again, was easy to put back into shape. Also, while I have heard of some fit issues with Weber, my experiences with their customer service folks have been consistently top notch!

Moving to the right, past the carlisles and lawn chairs is a 20+ year old WSM. It is in great condition, and is my go-to cooker for butts as it's the steadiest of my 3 18" and 1 22" WSM's! It's as close to set-it-and-forget-it as a charcoal cooker can be! Next to that and the trash can that holds my lump is a Stainless Orion I'll be happy to sell someone for cheap!
Past that are two more 2 year (going on 3) old WSM's, flanking the 18"kettle I scored (used only a few times) for 15 bucks on Craigs list last spring

Past that is a 15-20 year old Outrider model, the predecessor to the smokey Joe Platinum they sell now. Still in fine condition, no rust, etc. and then a 22" kettle in the 15-20 year old range. There is another SJ platinum inside the 22" WSM

Although I would agree that, for what you paid at big lots, you got a pretty good buy, I'd be willing to bet that, in 10 years, let alone 20, that grill will be but a memory.

Bad reviews aside, and it's my opinion that, if most folks gave a weber a bad review, it was because they weren't doing something right. Weber makes a great product line, and stand behind every one. And, at least for now, they are still made in the USA. Something I doubt the Big Lots model is.

One thing I have to admit, with the exception of the Genesis, the older cookers all belonged to my wife when I met her. She's the one that got me hooked on Barbeque:thumb: She has since indulged my no longer new-found addiction, as our collection of cookers has grown. BTW, the BGE is not seen in the photo, it's on the front part of the upper deck.

And no, I do not work for Weber:-D

 

[btcg]

btcg,

Nice score at the big lots, you got a lot of stuff for dollars spent looks like!

However, I have to take exception to any critque of Weber's products.
The weber Genesis gasser you see on the upper deck in this photo is 15 years old, and still works great (although I almost never use it anymore for anything other than a storage container for all my BGE Eggcessories)

The lineup at the bottom is a mix of old and relatively new weber products.

The 22" WSM is 2 years old. It had some minor fit issues when I bought it, (it had been gently used by it's owner about 3 times before he sold it to me) easily straightenable by just laying the main body down on it's side on a large sheet of cardboard (to prevent scratching) and gently pushing on it until achieving round. It was blown off our trailer at a contest in Elk Grove, IL last year, and again, was easy to put back into shape. Also, while I have heard of some fit issues with Weber, my experiences with their customer service folks have been consistently top notch!

Moving to the right, past the carlisles and lawn chairs is a 20+ year old WSM. It is in great condition, and is my go-to cooker for butts as it's the steadiest of my 3 18" and 1 22" WSM's! It's as close to set-it-and-forget-it as a charcoal cooker can be! Next to that and the trash can that holds my lump is a Stainless Orion I'll be happy to sell someone for cheap!
Past that are two more 2 year (going on 3) old WSM's, flanking the 18"kettle I scored (used only a few times) for 15 bucks on Craigs list last spring

Past that is a 15-20 year old Outrider model, the predecessor to the smokey Joe Platinum they sell now. Still in fine condition, no rust, etc. and then a 22" kettle in the 15-20 year old range. There is another SJ platinum inside the 22" WSM

Although I would agree that, for what you paid at big lots, you got a pretty good buy, I'd be willing to bet that, in 10 years, let alone 20, that grill will be but a memory.

Bad reviews aside, and it's my opinion that, if most folks gave a weber a bad review, it was because they weren't doing something right. Weber makes a great product line, and stand behind every one. And, at least for now, they are still made in the USA. Something I doubt the Big Lots model is.

One thing I have to admit, with the exception of the Genesis, the older cookers all belonged to my wife when I met her. She's the one that got me hooked on Barbeque:thumb: She has since indulged my no longer new-found addiction, as our collection of cookers has grown. BTW, the BGE is not seen in the photo, it's on the front part of the upper deck.

And no, I do not work for Weber:-D

Hey guy,

I want to thank you for taking the time to write. I saw that you're from Illinois, and being that I was born & raised in Detroit, I'd like to apologize in advance for what the Red Wings are about to do to your Blackhawks in the SCP's. But all kidding aside, the 2 teams may well square off in the 1st round, and it'll be cool to see 2 original 6 teams, have at it.

You'd better hold on to that woman of yours... she's a keeper.

Now, as to the brother whose new Weber has its leg fall of when he moves it, I'd have to defer to him to comment. He did say that a fix he had planned was to add a few screws to hold it on, and strenghten the base. If he's like me, adding a few screws wouldn't be a deal killer.

The Amazon reviews, in particuliar, the gentleman who opened his box and found it to be missing parts... I can understand his anger. You wait a week for parts, then find out that your lid is out of round as badly as his was, and frankly, anybody would be angry.

What I'd like to ask that guy is if the box looked like it had been opened previously. If it wasn't, this might lend credibility to the other Amazon customer reviews: Weber may very well be transitioning their manufacturing to China. This won't mean much to guys like you... you've got product that'll last a lifetime, made in the USA. But to those who buy in the future, this could well be a serious problem.

Me... I have nothing against Weber. My purchases were not made to strike a blow against Weber. In fact, I readily admitted in my first post that the quality of my BBQ grates may not be up to the standards a Weber is.
And, in Big Lot's defense, neither was the price.

I may not get the longevity that a Weber provides... but then again, maybe I will. I've made arrangements (ordered) 4 Weber charcoal baskets (a pair for $12.50 on Amazon... I ordered 2 pairs) and hangers. I'm going to replace the top grate with the Weber cast iron grate. For a small amout of cash, I can improve this grill dramatically.

Of course, it all comes down to cooking. Although I'm new here, I've been BBQing since I was 12 (I'm 52 now). Like everyone else, I've had bad/fair/good/great results during this time, and expect to have mixed results in the future. There's an old saying "only the mediocre are always at their best." I've always found that to be true, in any walk of life.

My ultimate plan (wife willing) is to put together a community BBQ team, and to purchase a good enough machine (Lyfe-Tyme or similar) to use in that endeavor. This is why I went with the Big Lot's grill. It'll end up as a mere backup within the next year.

Pleasure talkin Q with ya!

-Bill

 

[NASCARican]

I bought this grill for the lid on my UDS...its a pretty good grill...I actually use it as a station for my charcoal starter chimney...I found the Main grill and charcoal grate to be waaayyy too flimsy compared to their weber counterpart, but even if you replace the grills it will still be cheaper that a weber!!