i feel like my BBQs never last long enough. They either rust out or the whatever you call the part with the flames stop working. How long has yours lasted and what brand/model is it?
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How long has your propane BBQ lasted
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Mine was really cheap and I don't really look after it, but I've had it for just over 8 years. Pretty good really! No idea what make it is?
My current one is on 6 years. It sits outside on the patio and gets rained on, whenever it decides to rain in Texas.
The only part I have had to change was the igniter button and battery and new propane bottle occasionally.
Weber Genesis
I had the issue of getting tired of buying a grill then either the paint peeling right off or completely rusting out it seemed like one or the other happened every one to two years. After 4 grills I said there has got to be a different way, bought the Weber and haven't looked back.
The only part I have had to change was the igniter button and battery and new propane bottle occasionally.
Weber Genesis
I had the issue of getting tired of buying a grill then either the paint peeling right off or completely rusting out it seemed like one or the other happened every one to two years. After 4 grills I said there has got to be a different way, bought the Weber and haven't looked back.
should see some lower craigslist prices in time for fall/winter
i am buying a craigslist weber Genesis or weber 'Q' later this year. Looking for a Q with a stand and the adapter for a full size propane tank
i am buying a craigslist weber Genesis or weber 'Q' later this year. Looking for a Q with a stand and the adapter for a full size propane tank
I have a gas grill that's about three years old. I keep a cover over it.
8 years so far with an entry level Weber. I clean it thoroughly once a year, and I keep a cover on it when not in use, and I think that helps.
Weber’s have gotten good reviews here and elsewhere but they are a lot more money than others. So of course torn between paying more now or just going through this again in couple of years.
Yeah, that’s always the choice that needs to be made (cost vs quality).
I made the choice a while ago though, that I’d rather buy something right, and only buy it once. Within reason of course. So the extra cash for the Weber made sense to me since I know I’d have spent at least as much on cheaper grills by now.
Well I forgot about Kmart going out of business so I picked up a pretty big kenmore 4 burner with side burner for half the price of the same sized ones I’ve seen online. Plus had some Kmart points to use or lose. Cost $140 and got it about halfway set up last night.
5 years but it was rough. I live near the coast so rust is an issue. The 'stainless' steel is a joke. Was rusting within 1 year.
Charbroil lasted almost 15 years, and that's after I almost melted it with a residue fire. It had the round style burners, so really bad hot and cold spots. I've now got a 3 year old Brinkman with 4 burners that cooks much better, but is starting to rust.
I always got frustrated by the cheap gas grills that usually only lasted 2 seasons, so I finally went and bought a Weber about 7 years ago. Had to replace the igniter and grates but everything else is still going strong. I hope it lasts 3 more years until I retire. This experience has sold me on Weber forever.
I love random questions like this on these forums! I bought a red Weber Platinum BBQ with the first paycheque of my new job in the fall of 1999. With minimal maintenance and staying outside in the snow all winter it lasted until spring 2016. I paid around $900 CDN for it and I got 17 good years out of it. When it finally gave up the ghost the legs rusted-through and collapsed. The grill itself was still very solid and still easily usable; the red top cover was still perfect. I've been told that it was one of the last "Made in America" Weber's and in the mid-2000's they switched manufacturing to China and the quality went downhill. I replaced it with a Napolean Elite that cost nearly $2,000 CDN and it's awesome. Like everything else, you get what you pay for.
I have a Weber Genesis Platinum series grill. I bought it in 2005/2006, not exactly sure. It is still running great. I do keep it covered.
Buy a Weber. Sure it'll cost more, but it'll last 3x as long as a cheap grill. Plus it'll perform better with more consistent grilling temperatures.
Parts are available years after purchase. Other grills, you can't get parts other than perhaps a hose/regulator set. So when something wears out, you're chucking the whole grill.
With a Weber, pretty much every part is available when it wears out. And there's a ton of die-hard Weber fans that can help you out if you have an issue. It's like the Macrumors equivalent for Weber grill lovers.
https://tvwbb.com
Parts are available years after purchase. Other grills, you can't get parts other than perhaps a hose/regulator set. So when something wears out, you're chucking the whole grill.
With a Weber, pretty much every part is available when it wears out. And there's a ton of die-hard Weber fans that can help you out if you have an issue. It's like the Macrumors equivalent for Weber grill lovers.
https://tvwbb.com
My last one, Charbroil, lasted 12 years before I got rid of it due to a move. Worked like a charm.
Re: burners getting clogged. Bunch of thing that you can do to keep them in good shape, but, eventually need to replace them. Ordered some knock-offs off Amazon and brought new life to the grill. Worked as well as the originals and half the cost of the name brand ones.
Re: burners getting clogged. Bunch of thing that you can do to keep them in good shape, but, eventually need to replace them. Ordered some knock-offs off Amazon and brought new life to the grill. Worked as well as the originals and half the cost of the name brand ones.
I have a Weber Silver A which still works fine after 18 years. I keep it under a cover. I've replaced the flavorizer bars, cover, grates, thermometer, and hose. The painted area around the burner controls and folding side table are as good as new.
There are a number of sites that rate grills, but these have paywalls.
Consumer reports rates Coleman, Weber and Broil King top in reliability. Kenmore is not recommended due to their estimated failure rate.
https://www.consumerreports.org/products/gas-grill/brand-reliability/
Top rated for performance are generally Weber, Char-Broil:
https://www.consumerreports.org/products/gas-grill/ratings-overview/
America's Test Kitchen also top rates Weber and Char-Broil:
https://www.americastestkitchen.com...?incode=MASAD00L0&ref=new_search_experience_1
There are a number of sites that rate grills, but these have paywalls.
Consumer reports rates Coleman, Weber and Broil King top in reliability. Kenmore is not recommended due to their estimated failure rate.
https://www.consumerreports.org/products/gas-grill/brand-reliability/
Top rated for performance are generally Weber, Char-Broil:
https://www.consumerreports.org/products/gas-grill/ratings-overview/
America's Test Kitchen also top rates Weber and Char-Broil:
https://www.americastestkitchen.com...?incode=MASAD00L0&ref=new_search_experience_1
Ha ha, clearly I set the record on this. I have a ANOVA grill that I bought from the Consumers Distributing in Toronto back in 1988. Both companies don’t exist anymore by the way.
I replaced the burner with a generic replacement one from Canadian Tire 3 or 4 times. The ceramic coated grill grid corroded after 10 years and I had to manufacture a replacement one from stainless steel and since then it looks like it will last forever. The supporting grid on top of the burner that holds the square ceramic blocks that is used in lieu of the lava rocks in this model gets corroded every five years or so despite being stainless steel and I keep replacing it with a newly made one.
The legs are rusted a bit but regular cleaning with wire brush and occasional spray painting keeps them alive.
I keep it covered and out of the rain and snow as well.
It’s a Franken-BBQ
I replaced the burner with a generic replacement one from Canadian Tire 3 or 4 times. The ceramic coated grill grid corroded after 10 years and I had to manufacture a replacement one from stainless steel and since then it looks like it will last forever. The supporting grid on top of the burner that holds the square ceramic blocks that is used in lieu of the lava rocks in this model gets corroded every five years or so despite being stainless steel and I keep replacing it with a newly made one.
The legs are rusted a bit but regular cleaning with wire brush and occasional spray painting keeps them alive.
I keep it covered and out of the rain and snow as well.
It’s a Franken-BBQ
OMG Consumers Distributing... now that takes me back to when I was a kid! I remember filling-out the store order form in triplicate, pressing the pencil down hard to make sure it went through all the copies. Because if it didn't I was afraid they'd tear it up and you'd have to do it all again. Then waiting at the counter with an anxious mix of fear and excitement to see if they had what you wanted in stock. When they did, they'd place it on the pick-up counter and you'd be bursting with excitement. But when they didn't have it in stock they'd bring-out some lame substitute and I'd be absolutely heartbroken, life ruined. How times have changed.
We have a built-in Coyote grill. It's a few years old. It does have a cover over it much of the time, and nothing's gone wrong with it so far, but that might be because it doesn't get all that much use 
Have had a Weber Spirit the last four years, clean it once a year or so. The flavorizer bars are starting to rust but otherwise still in great shape. I do keep it covered in the winter/early spring to protect it from rain and snow though.
You probably notice a theme here. There is a reason that Weber, Vitamix, even Apple are more expensive... quality. I got tired of buying cheap crap. You will too.
You probably notice a theme here. There is a reason that Weber, Vitamix, even Apple are more expensive... quality. I got tired of buying cheap crap. You will too.
Many parts like the burners are considered to be wear items and will have replacement parts available. That doesn't really help if the body is rusting out though.
I'm using a Sears Kenmore brand grill which I think is a rebranded Char Broil in this example. It's going on about 8 years. The stainless body is holding up. I've had to replace the flavorizor bars and the ignitor's battery. Probably in the next couple of years I'll have to replace the grill plates and the burners. The burners used to produce beautiful blue flame, but as they corrode they are turning blue and orange--I assume the orange is lower heat and inefficient.
The infrared burner still looks and works perfectly. I wonder if those are meant to last the lifetime of the grill itself. Nowadays I tend to cook steaks using the IR burner only. Still use the gas burners for everything else.
We’ve gotten probably 15+ years out of our Webers. What’s particularly interesting parents own a vacation home in Rhode Island on the water and nothing tends to last very long there due to the humid, salty air. We always keep them covered when not in use. I suppose the good thing about Weber’s is you can easily buy replacement parts, though I don’t think we’ve ever replaced anything except the grates.
By comparison I am a partial owner of a residential psych program. They bought a NexGrill from Home Depot I believe. Despite being stainless it only lasted about 4-5 years. I think the actual mechanics of the grill are made out of cheap metal that corrodes. That said, to buy a comparable Weber would be far more expensive.
I think it all depends on the quality of what you buy and how much effort you put into maintaining it.
My parents neighbors in Connecticut years ago bought a Viking Gas Grill ($5000? + built into stone work). It lasted 2 weeks before a bear came along and tore the thing apart having smelled the grease I guess the lesson is if you have bears around don’t spend too much.
By comparison I am a partial owner of a residential psych program. They bought a NexGrill from Home Depot I believe. Despite being stainless it only lasted about 4-5 years. I think the actual mechanics of the grill are made out of cheap metal that corrodes. That said, to buy a comparable Weber would be far more expensive.
I think it all depends on the quality of what you buy and how much effort you put into maintaining it.
My parents neighbors in Connecticut years ago bought a Viking Gas Grill ($5000? + built into stone work). It lasted 2 weeks before a bear came along and tore the thing apart having smelled the grease I guess the lesson is if you have bears around don’t spend too much.
