Buying a used WSM?


 

Erik Snyder

TVWBB Fan
I found a used WSM for a $100 on craigslist. What should I look out for when considering buying? Has anyone out there scored a used one and were happy with it? I'm a bit unsure if I'll pull the trigger, unless I can get it for cheaper than $100. Thanks
 
Erik

Thanks to this Weber forum, I scored a used WSM, last Sept. I believe.

Mine cost $35, and the owner claimed it was only used 3 times, which I believe it was.

When he showed my the cooker, he set the water pan right on top of the charcoal ring. That shows, what he knew about it.

I've been happy as a clam with mine.

As people on here have said, when you look at a used WSM. you should check for bent/loose vent covers. Loose or bent legs, see how tightly the different sections fight together. Make sure all the parts,are there etc.

The good news is weber has parts available, so if you need something you can pretty much get.

Good Luck !!!
 
Robert

You know I think I saw that Bobby Flay show as well.

Maybe that's where my WSM's previous owner got the idea.

All I know is my WSM is assembled correctly, where it "belongs" in my garage.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by John Furdyn:
Erik

Thanks to this Weber forum, I scored a used WSM, last Sept. I believe.

Mine cost $35, and the owner claimed it was only used 3 times, which I believe it was.

When he showed my the cooker, he set the water pan right on top of the charcoal ring. That shows, what he knew about it.

I've been happy as a clam with mine.

As people on here have said, when you look at a used WSM. you should check for bent/loose vent covers. Loose or bent legs, see how tightly the different sections fight together. Make sure all the parts,are there etc.

The good news is weber has parts available, so if you need something you can pretty much get.

Good Luck !!! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Got you beat! My dad found mine at an estate sale for $20. I have been looking for a deal on one for a while. He called me one day to see if I was still looking and the price was right. I think mine might have been used once. Hard to tell it was really dusty and the cooking racks had a little film of rust that I cleaned up with scotch bright. The legs hava a bit of rust from sitting. But hell for $20 bucks I feel like a thief! I was really having a hard time spending $250 on a 18" wsm. Now that I own one I should have paid full price sooner! I'm not sure when mine was made but the book that came with it looks very old. How do we know when they were made? Vince
 
Vince

Good deal on your WSM.

After hearing about your deal I'm not going to cry about my deal. Ha Ha

Go to the product info section of this forum to find out how old your WSM is.

The Vent covers have Letters stamped in them, and there is a chart in the product info section here.

Good luck with your WSM.

Cooked pork Butt yesterday and will cook chicken on mine today.
 
Erik, don't know where you are, but I don't see many around my area on CL. If you found one for $100, which is about 40% of new, by all means, buy it. To me, it would have to be a wreck to not be worth getting.

Vince, look here. Just curious: yours has rust on the legs? They're steel? What year is it?
 
I just paid 125 for one, and it turned out it was missing the charcoal grate. It made sense why he burned charcoal in the water pan, he was missing the grate.
icon_confused.gif


we compete with them and we needed a third. I had to buy it because it was cheaper than buying a new one. but yes, I had second thoughts about the purchase because I've heard people getting deals, but they are worth what ever you pay.

see here
 
Erik,
I have 5 WSMs, all wer purchased used. I have paid $10, $20, $80, $130, and $150 for them. The biggest thing when buying one used is to make sure all of the parts are there. If anything is missing, have an idea of what a replacement part would cost, and justify it in your purchase price.

Vince,
If you have rust on the legs of your WSM, you have a very old WSM, most likely a "C" or "D", which would put it at a 1981 or 1982 model. Look for a letter stamped on any of the vents. It might also have a steel access door.
 
I got my WSM new at a local hardware store for $150 because of the wrong sticker being on it. However, I would think that $100 for a used one would be pretty fair as long as it's in good condition. I would gladly pay $100 for another one.
 
I found my WSM used at a garage sale for $7. It was just sitting out there. But, it had a lot of issues:

1. Bad leg that had rusted out 2" hole in the base.
2. Another bad bolt.
3. Badly rusted.
4. Door severely rusted.
5. No charcoal grate.
6. Water pan dented from the bottom up.

Anyway, I got some new grates at HD, got a Brinkmann water pan, cleaned up the rust on the door/inside/vents, painted the door with high heat bbq paint, and most importantly used some layered rust proof flashing to reattach the leg and seal up the hole.

It has worked great for a couple of years now! Although, heat control isn't as good as a brand new one due to the issues, but who cares, it was $7 + $30 in repair costs. Oh, it was an E model.
 

 

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