Weber Gas Grills Worth the Money???

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

gitaryzt1985

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Nov 6, 2014
81
18
If this is in the wrong place, feel free to move...

Does anyone have an opinion on the durability and longevity of Weber gas grills? I've been of the mindset that I would just buy the cheapest $200 grill every couple years because they all eventually wear out. Well, 12 years later, I imagine I've gone through 5 grills.

My latest grill was a $189 Charbroil. Lasted 2 years on the dot, and I just replaced the burners, grates, and rusted bits for about $120 in October. One burner has already gone out, and now the starter has given up the ghost.

So, I'm considering a Weber 3 burner Spirit or Genesis. If I can get 10 years out of it before the burners go out, I figure it will more than pay for itself. Yes, it will be covered/maintained, but do they give a more enjoyable grilling experience overall, such as better heat distribution and less hot spots?
 
I have the Weber spirit 300 I didn't cover it this winter and used it a few weeks ago no problem,it is covered now because I found the cover.I think they are a very good unit for the price.JMHO
Richie
 
I had the Charbroil stand up smoker. I tore it down after a year and sanded it and repainted with the High heat grill anti rust paint and it last a good long time. but it was alot of work to do. never owned a WEB before.
 
Longevity depends on a lot of things: how many times/week you use it; your weather conditions (assuming it is stored outside the whole time); how well you care for it; whether you are willing to fix it; and how you use it.

I bought my current Weber Genesis in the spring of 1995, so it is twenty-three years old. It is a natural gas grill, and so I don't have to worry about replacing tanks. I have replaced the flavorizer bars twice (they wore right through); the grates; the grease catcher; the ignitor; and the "crossover" burner that links the three burners together. I've also gone through three covers. I guess that if I had thrown it out when each of these parts wore out, I too might have bought a new one every 3-5 years, but every single one of these repairs was dirt cheap and took less than five minutes to do.

The main body is in fine shape, and the controls still work just fine.

I have seen many reviews that still rate this as one of the best gas grills you can get, at any price. My only slight criticism is that I wish it could get a little hotter. I can get it to about 550 degrees, according to the built-in thermometer, but I would like to get it a little hotter when searing steaks.

I think the unit is pretty well-made, and you ought to get a lot of service out of it, certainly more than 2-4 years.

I have never thought Charbroil grills looked very well made, but I have not owned one.
 
  • Like
Reactions: gitaryzt1985
Weber's burners are made of stainless steel and are very durable.

If properly maintained a Weber will last a lifetime. If neglected it will deteriorate just like any other grill. I service Broilmaster, MHP, and Weber grills for a small company here in Pittsburgh and see grills in all sort of conditions. If you get a Weber make sure you register it with Weber. Customer Service Dept. will have your information on file and parts will be easy to get when you need them.

Good luck,

John
 
  • Like
Reactions: gitaryzt1985
Although I don't think they're made in America anymore. The spirit is still considered a top of the line gasser.

Chris
 
Longevity depends on a lot of things: how many times/week you use it; your weather conditions (assuming it is stored outside the whole time); how well you care for it; whether you are willing to fix it; and how you use it.

I bought my current Weber Genesis in the spring of 1995, so it is twenty-three years old. It is a natural gas grill, and so I don't have to worry about replacing tanks. I have replaced the flavorizer bars twice (they wore right through); the grates; the grease catcher; the ignitor; and the "crossover" burner that links the three burners together. I've also gone through three covers. I guess that if I had thrown it out when each of these parts wore out, I too might have bought a new one every 3-5 years, but every single one of these repairs was dirt cheap and took less than five minutes to do.

The main body is in fine shape, and the controls still work just fine.

I have seen many reviews that still rate this as one of the best gas grills you can get, at any price. My only slight criticism is that I wish it could get a little hotter. I can get it to about 550 degrees, according to the built-in thermometer, but I would like to get it a little hotter when searing steaks.

I think the unit is pretty well-made, and you ought to get a lot of service out of it, certainly more than 2-4 years.

I have never thought Charbroil grills looked very well made, but I have not owned one.

Thanks for that!

My issue with replacing parts on the cheaper grills has always been that the replacement parts are generally aftermarket or "one size fits all" and tend to wear out faster than the original parts. Secondly, rust has been a huge issue, but I don't tend to cover my gas grills because I grill 3-5 times per week year round.

I will say that my sudden interest in Weber has been sparked by my purchase of a Weber Kettle. I use charcoal on the weekends now, which has taken a lot of wear and tear off of my gas grill.

I don't mind replacing parts as years go by, but I would just think that identifying and ordering new parts would be easier from a company like Weber. My main concern is really, with covering the grill, how long before the frame starts rusting?
 
Weber's burners are made of stainless steel and are very durable.

If properly maintained a Weber will last a lifetime. If neglected it will deteriorate just like any other grill. I service Broilmaster, MHP, and Weber grills for a small company here in Pittsburgh and see grills in all sort of conditions. If you get a Weber make sure you register it with Weber. Customer Service Dept. will have your information on file and parts will be easy to get when you need them.

Good luck,

John

As I said above. If properly taken care of a Weber will last many, many, years. Yes, cover it!

John
 
Weber's burners are made of stainless steel and are very durable.

If properly maintained a Weber will last a lifetime. If neglected it will deteriorate just like any other grill. I service Broilmaster, MHP, and Weber grills for a small company here in Pittsburgh and see grills in all sort of conditions. If you get a Weber make sure you register it with Weber. Customer Service Dept. will have your information on file and parts will be easy to get when you need them.

Good luck,

John

This is one of my main concerns. My Charbroil has no identifying information on it that I can see, and there are so many models out there that it's been difficult even finding what model I have. I call it the Target special!

Aftermarket parts have been acceptable, but don't fit well and don't really offer installation instructions worth a darn.
 
This is one of my main concerns. My Charbroil has no identifying information on it that I can see, and there are so many models out there that it's been difficult even finding what model I have. I call it the Target special!

Aftermarket parts have been acceptable, but don't fit well and don't really offer installation instructions worth a darn.

Webers, even though they are no longer made in the USA are still decent grills. They all have identification stickers with serial and model numbers on them. Make sure you register the grill with Weber because if they do not have those two numbers they will not honor the warranty or sell you any parts after the warranty expires; and aftermarket parts are JUNK!

John
 
Last edited:
I have a Genesis 310 . I've had it 3 1/2 years , paid $699.00 on sale . Be 4 years 4th of July so do the math . Like brand new still , and very well made . I keep it covered most of the time , but still needs some air and I bring it up the temp now and then even if I'm not cooking on it .
 
I looked at the latest crop of Weber gas grills a year ago as well as many others to get as a gift for my son’s family. What I found with Weber was a pretty good value for the money. Pretty good but not great. And today’s Weber is not the same as 20 or more years ago. My biggest reason for not going with Weber was the burners. They are very thin walled and although stainless I worried about burn through over time. A better option was Napoleon. But in the end I went with Bull grills. Very heavy cast stainless burners and heavy stainless cooking grates. Cost more but the quality was well worth it. Look at Bull or Lion or Napoleon. You will pay more but the components are more robust.
 
I have had one of Webers small Q2200 for the last 5 years. It seems to be a very well built grill and I never have a cover on it, its not stainless steel like many other grills. I have had to replace the burner tube once (cheap $25 part).
 
My biggest reason for not going with Weber was the burners. They are very thin walled and although stainless I worried about burn through over time.

I have never had to replace the burners on any of my Weber grills because of burnout. The only problem is that if the crossover tube burns out you can't purchase it as a separate part. You have to purchase the whole burner kit. . . . . Bummer, but not that expensive for a new set of burners compared to other brands.
 
  • Like
Reactions: chopsaw
I have had 2 Weber genesis grills in the last 40 years. And used them a couple of times a week for the whole time. The last one I have is about 8 years old & I still have all the original parts in it. And by the way it sits outside in the Florida weather all year long. I have had to replace the burners & flavorizer bars a couple of times on the first one, but the parts for the grill are readily available at HD, Lowes, or Amazon.
They are worth every penny!
If I could afford one I would buy the Summit.
Al
 
  • Like
Reactions: chopsaw
I usually find Weber grills on the curb because most people are too lazy to clean and maintain them. Apparently buying a new one is a lot easier. I have rebuilt enough Weber grills to supply both of my sons with one as well as a few of my close friends. Easy to do and besides, recycling them is better than filling up the landfills. Keep your eyes peeled. . . . You'll find one, you'll see!

John
 
I paid $461.12, including tax, for my Genesis, back in April 1995. Here's the receipt (I have all my receipts going back to 1970 ... yes, I have a problem).

Weber Receipt.jpg
 
I think that how well your grill holds up has several factors involved. Obviously, the actual quality of materials and craftsmanship will play a huge part but it has a lot to do with how much wear you put on it through constant use and weather. I live in So Cal and have a low end Walmart special stainless grill that is about 12 or 13 years old. I have replaced the flame deflector shields last year and that's the only thing that I have ever had to do with it. I paid about $150 for it when it was new. I had it covered to begin with but somehow that cover blew away or was lost for some reason. It's been out in the weather the whole time but again this is So Cal and we have had a drought for almost 10 years. So very little rain to deal with but enough that it can take a toll. This is why I'm taking care to keep my smoker covered and seasoned inside and out. I want it to last a good long time as well. I certainly can't complain about my cheap grill. I believe it's branded as Uniflame. I could be wrong though. I'm not at home at the moment so I can't confirm that. All I'm saying is that you don't always have to buy the most expensive brand but if you have that in your budget I would by all means go with a Weber. Everything I have ever bought with the Weber brand on it has been very high quality and lasted a very long time. Enjoy :)

George
 
I don't use a gas grill and am not sure how Webers are now. However back in the day my dad had his for around 20 years with heavy use for most of those years. I think he replaced the ignitor switch a couple of times and something else once but I don't remember for sure what it was.

That thing got a lot of use too. Probably 4-5 times a week in the spring, summer and early fall and some years a couple of times a week in the winter as well depending on the weather.

When my parents moved he gave it to a friend and I know it lasted a number of years past that with him. Dad has had a few other grills but said that Weber was probably the best one he ever had for even cooking etc. He just picked up a new one last year and he is so far pleased with it.
 
I bought my Weber genesis 330 4 or 5 years ago. I love it. The burners are guaranteed for 10 years. That being said a year or two after I bought mine Weber starting making all the gas grills in China. I saw the genesis 2 in the store and was immediately upset I bought mine right before an upgrade. Then I lifted the lid. Big difference in the weight of the lid compared to mine. No idea what else they cheaped out on. Don’t want to find out. No chance I buy a China made Weber. Find an older one at a garage sale. You’ll be happy you did.
 
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky