A new Weber pellet grill - The Searwood


 
I think Weber had a tough run with their rear hopper. It is actually a better location, shortening the length of the auger to theoretically reduce jams. Recteq does tge same in their RT-700 and 1250 - and now the “Flagship.” Smokin Brothers also uses this design but reverses it with the hopper in the front.

Unfortunately, Weber went for a very narrow rear hopper that looks stylish but seems to be prone to bridging. It looks to me like Weber is addressing this and the grease/ash management with this new Searwood.
 
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Jon Tofte said:
I think Weber had a tough run with their rear hopper. It is actually a better location, shortening the length of the auger to theoretically reduce jams. Recteq does tge same in their RT-700 and 1250 - and now the “Flagship.” Smokin Brothers also uses this design but reverses it with the hopper in the front.

Unfortunately, Weber went for a very narrow rear hopper that looks stylish but seems to be prone to bridging. It looks to me like Weber is addressing this and the grease/ash management with this new Searwood.
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I see a lot of flameouts with the EX model Smokefire but the hopper design changed with the Stealth version. I haven’t seen any flameout reports on the Stealth and Sear+ so I don’t know if the redesign fixed the problem. I have no clue where Weber is going with their pellet grill line. I’m in wait and see mode and enjoying the reliability and consistency I get from my much maligned Gen 1 EX6.
 
Spoiler!! Don’t read any further if you won’t want to know any details.

Saw photos of the actual searwood at my local shop today. I wasn’t allowed to snap any photos for obvious reasons but here’s what I can share:

Casters are gone. 2 large wheels on one side only. (Hopper side.)

Pellet hopper is on the side with what looks like an updated PID system. The bottom of the pellet hopper appears rounded. Think kind of like an offset? Not sure if that’s designed to help feed the pellets along. It looks very sleek and clean.

It appears that the flavourizer bars are gone and possibly a large slanted pan on the inside. (Slanted from the back down towards the front.) It was hard to tell with the angle.

No drain bucket, but rather a catch tray similar to the genesis and spirit grease management. There’s still a small aluminum tray/ pan insert for what I assume is the grease trap.

The grates look like either steel or steel plated.

Dimensions are the same.

No chimney

Not a lot of chrome overall, and the stand looks overbuilt and strong. Very robust.

Overall I’d say it looks really good. I guess we’ll see when the photos are released.
 
Sounds like they're abandoning the revolutionary design of the SF more in favor of an "evolutionary" if not quite more conventional. According to the other posting the grids are supposed to be plated steel. And abandoing caster in favor of going back to a VERY early Genesis cart design seems like it might be counter intuitive to some folks. That would make it harder not easier to mauever
 
Greg Ross-MN said:
Why call it the Searwood if they are using a large drip pan across the entire cook area? Huh. They are either abandoning the Smokefire or this is another variation with the traditional pellet grill style.
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Great question. Only Weber knows the answer so we can only watch them and wait.
 
Greg Ross-MN said:
Why call it the Searwood if they are using a large drip pan across the entire cook area? Huh. They are either abandoning the Smokefire or this is another variation with the traditional pellet grill style.
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According to our local shop, the Smokefire as you know it right now is being discontinued. That’s per their SKU and ordering system I’m told. They said it’s unlikely there will be higher end models vs. lower end models. Just the regular size and larger version Searwoods.
 
It doesn’t sound like anything I’d be interested in buying. And frankly an awful move by Weber.

I’ll have to buy an EX4 then before they’re gone.
 
Greg Ross-MN said:
Why call it the Searwood if they are using a large drip pan across the entire cook area? Huh. They are either abandoning the Smokefire or this is another variation with the traditional pellet grill style.
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TimA said:
It doesn’t sound like anything I’d be interested in buying. And frankly an awful move by Weber.

I’ll have to buy an EX4 then before they’re gone.
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I’d say take it all with a grain of salt. This is just my observation and I’m not suggesting what I saw for the ash and grease management is 100% accurate. There was no description of the internals provided when I saw the photos and I’m simply describing what it “may“ have looked like.

The majority of the pellet grill maintains a very similar appearance to the existing smokefire. It’s subjective, but I think it’s going to be well received when the information and photos become available.
 
For sure. But I question if what you posted is even close to it. I’ll see what they release ultimately, I mean I hole it works out for Weber because the better they do, the better they are as a company. Just reluctant to see possible death of what to me is about the best on the market in terms of food produced.

Certainly appreciate the info
 
TimA said:
For sure. But I question if what you posted is even close to it. I’ll see what they release ultimately, I mean I hole it works out for Weber because the better they do, the better they are as a company. Just reluctant to see possible death of what to me is about the best on the market in terms of food produced.

Certainly appreciate the info
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@Bradley Mack

I meant this to read i question the potential changes, if what you posted really is close to what ultimately comes.

Wasn’t questioning your post or the accuracy of such. Just wanted to clear that, I just read it this morning and went “well that doesn’t read how I wanted it to”🤣
 
TimA said:
@Bradley Mack

I meant this to read i question the potential changes, if what you posted really is close to what ultimately comes.

Wasn’t questioning your post or the accuracy of such. Just wanted to clear that, I just read it this morning and went “well that doesn’t read how I wanted it to”🤣
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Don’t sweat it. I value how all of us just want a decent grill to come from all of this. I wouldn‘t dare show my face around here if what I had seen was fabricated or looked questionable… and then strolled through here preaching how I know this or that.

I truly wish I would have been able to take photos and post them. I think it would have been much more interesting having the entire group trying to determine what’s what.
 
Bradley Mack said:
Don’t sweat it. I value how all of us just want a decent grill to come from all of this. I wouldn‘t dare show my face around here if what I had seen was fabricated or looked questionable… and then strolled through here preaching how I know this or that.

I truly wish I would have been able to take photos and post them. I think it would have been much more interesting having the entire group trying to determine what’s what.
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Go back in your Michael Myers costume and take some dang pics.
 
I think we will see soon enough, orders for delivery 1st qtr next year are probably going to be taken starting next month. Maybe if it is a new design Lowes might consider it, HD is a a Traeger shop so doubt we see it there. My ACE is also and never carried the Smokefire anyway.

Maybe this is a good thing get a new start in the Pellet Grill market I think the Smokefire just carried to much baggage and probably never sold anywhere near what they thought after the botched launch or whatever you want to call it. Not to mention how much money they may have spent on warranty stuff getting to version 2 for people who had 1 and giving the parts away to convert. Its also now almost 3 years since they launched so they probably had a good idea on parts wear and what it was costing them warranty wise.
 
It's an unproductive use of my time but I enjoy pondering the new design. Is it possible they might offer a full size diffuser plate for times when folks want a traditional indirect experience, yet make it removable so we can continue to enjoy the flavorizer bar experience?

Weber hasn't offered me a position as a designer nor as a consultant but wouldn't it seem insane to abandon their revolutionary design in favor of a cook box that nearly every other pellet smoker uses?

There are occasions when, in essence, I set up my SF cooks to simulate a traditional pellet smoker indirect cook by using foil pans either on the flavorizer bars or on the lower grate but on many cooks I love the advantage of the flavorizer cooking experience.
 
BFletcher said:
It's an unproductive use of my time but I enjoy pondering the new design. Is it possible they might offer a full size diffuser plate for times when folks want a traditional indirect experience, yet make it removable so we can continue to enjoy the flavorizer bar experience?

Weber hasn't offered me a position as a designer nor as a consultant but wouldn't it seem insane to abandon their revolutionary design in favor of a cook box that nearly every other pellet smoker uses?

There are occasions when, in essence, I set up my SF cooks to simulate a traditional pellet smoker indirect cook by using foil pans either on the flavorizer bars or on the lower grate but on many cooks I love the advantage of the flavorizer cooking experience.
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"Vented porcelain enameled flavorizer bar optimizes air flow." Searwood description from a TrueValue website. It says bar not bars? Typo or is it one big vented flavorizer bar???
 
Greg Ross-MN said:
"Vented porcelain enameled flavorizer bar optimizes air flow." Searwood description from a TrueValue website. It says bar not bars? Typo or is it one big vented flavorizer bar???
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If it is vented then perhaps it is one piece. This is good G2; thanks.
 
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