SS grates and flavo bars


 

Sam Bee

TVWBB All-Star
Greetings all,

Sorry if this question has already been asked multiple times but I'm having a hard time deciding where I should buy the SS grates and flavo bars from for my silver B. My two choices are get them from RCplanebuyer or bbq parts.com. Both are made out of 304 stainless steel and are made in the USA. I think the difference is that the grates from RCplanebuyer are a little bit thicker (3/8" vs. 5/16") and the flavo bars are a little thicker gauge (16 ga. vs. 18 ga.). The price for the flavo bars are pretty much the same but the grates from RC are about $30 more than the ones from bbq parts ($120 vs. $89.99). Shipping on bbq parts.com is way cheaper ($8.95 per order) and that could be a deal breaker as shipping on RCplanebuyer is almost $20 per item. So my question is where should I get them from and why? Pay the premium price (RC) or be economical (BBQparts.com)?
 
You will see a difference in performance between the skinny grates and the wide spacing compared to RC's grates. The extra investment is WELL worth it. The shipping cost is because his are so much heavier
 
Sam,
As a rcplanebuyer owner of both his grates and bars I'd say it's a no-brainer, his are the absolute best. Talk to him about combining shipping if you want to get them both at the same time as he did this with my "Z" brackets as well.

I post about e-bay coupons from time to time and that would save you $15.00 off the top so keep an eye out.

Jeff
 
Sam, I agree that rcplanebuyer products are top notch I used his product for a grate section (replacement for smoker box) for my Summit and it is a fantastic fit, finish and quality.

I think it comes down to what you are using them for. If it is your keep forever (at least for now) grill then go with rcplanebuyer! I restored a 2001 for my son and found a deal at my local hardware store on weber stainless flavo bars ($40) so I bought them and used the half moon channel stainless grates, both are a good upgrade from rusted/broken originals.

Good luck and let us know what you go with!
 
I have ordered numerous times from rcplanebuyer and he usually has multiple shipping options and the one posted is not always the cheapest way. So you may want to check that out.
And as stated above I ordered a SS grate set from him for a large summit and the two grates and smoke box eliminator were over 30 lbs. Just massive grates well worth the extra $$.
 
I have both and recommend them both highly. It just depends on what you want. Rcplanebuyer are the absolute best. They are heavier and thicker so I have no doubt they will last somewhat longer.

However I see absolutely no performance difference in the two. And the bbq parts grates are very well made as well. And they have the advantage of being significantly cheaper.
 
I just ordered a set of SS grates and flavo bars for a Genny Silver B from BBQParts. I will try to remember to post up a review after I receive them later this week.
 
By the way after lmichaels statement above about grate spacing i decided to measure the spacing on my bbq parts rod grates vs the rcplanebuyer grates. They are spaced exactly the same. However the rcplanebuyer grates are somewhat thicker and heavier.
 
I received those SS grates and flavo bars from BBQParts.com. I am very happy with them. They fit well and while they might not be quite as heavy as RCPlanebuyer parts, they are quality and should last a very long time. They cost $93 shipped to my door which is probably about what I would have paid for the ceramic coated steel Weber ones and these are definitely better than the ceramic coated steel.
 
By the way after lmichaels statement above about grate spacing i decided to measure the spacing on my bbq parts rod grates vs the rcplanebuyer grates. They are spaced exactly the same. However the rcplanebuyer grates are somewhat thicker and heavier.

Greg M.
When you say that they are spaced exactly the same, you mean the center to center distance, correct? If the c-c distance is the same, and the bars are thicker, then there is less space between them, which is what we want. So even though the spacing is the same, the gaps are smaller, with less open area.
 
Yah, I was kind of confused about that as well. If the physical space between them is the same, then the BBQParts grates would have more bars than the RCPlanebuyer grates. If they have the same number of grates but the BBQParts grates have smaller diameter bars, then they would necessarily have bigger physical gaps between them.
 
I measured the actual gap between the bars not center to center. The actual gap is exactly the same. So I guess it stands to reason that the bbq parts gill has more actual rod grates? I didn't count them.

Again From owning both the rcplanebuyer grates are the absolute best. But the bbq parts rod grates are very good at significantly less cost. And the bbq parts stainless half moon grates represent the best low cost value in a grill grate. All just my opinion of course.
 
Yah, and thanks for that recommendation Greg. I put the half moons and flavo bars from BBQParts in my last rehab and just sold it two days ago. They were pretty impressed with the grill itself and the grates.

I wish I could afford some good SS grates. I am using second hand half moon Weber ceramic coated steel ones now. It bothers me that the grills I rehab and sell are better decked out than my personal grill. :p
 
Hello all,

I ended up purchasing a set from RCplanebuyer. I was able to deal with him direct (thanks to Bruce) and he gave me a little discount. Thanks for all of your input. Now to finish my rehab LOL.
 

 

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