EX6 just delivered. Initial impressions


 
D

Don D.

TVWBB Fan
So we had a little delay. I put down a deposit over the phone and I specified EX6. Long story short, an EX4 was ordered. After it came to the warehouse and they told me it came in ,we realized the error. An EX6 was ordered and came two days later. I got a great deal due to the error , so I'm not complaining. It till less than an hour to put together. I think it's a solid piece. Everything assembled nicely. Mine says H and a June 2021 date on it.

Motor is Rev H . Black auger assembly. There is a felt square under the belly, where the grease tray slides in. Is this new ?? Is that meant to stop the blowing ashes ?? Also the Heat diffuser is porcelain coated ? Is that new ?? All the pictures I've seen it looks like regular sheet metal (silver) . Also the Hotpot cover had oil on it , I guess to avoid rusting in transit ?? I was able to update to the correct firmware , but my software only got updated to 04042 , which is not the newest , I'm going to try updating again.
 
Don D. said:
So we had a little delay. I put down a deposit over the phone and I specified EX6. Long story short, an EX4 was ordered. After it came to the warehouse and they told me it came in ,we realized the error. An EX6 was ordered and came two days later. I got a great deal due to the error , so I'm not complaining. It till less than an hour to put together. I think it's a solid piece. Everything assembled nicely. Mine says H and a June 2021 date on it.

Motor is Rev H . Black auger assembly. There is a felt square under the belly, where the grease tray slides in. Is this new ?? Is that meant to stop the blowing ashes ?? Also the Heat diffuser is porcelain coated ? Is that new ?? All the pictures I've seen it looks like regular sheet metal (silver) . Also the Hotpot cover had oil on it , I guess to avoid rusting in transit ?? I was able to update to the correct firmware , but my software only got updated to 04042 , which is not the newest , I'm going to try updating again.
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Picture of the felt please.
Good luck looking forward to your cooks.
 
Have fun. All of those things are standard Smokefire stuff since the beginning. The Gen 2 changes wer the welded auger chute assembly (black chute) and the insert in the hopper that increases the slope of the long ramp. I installed the updated auger assembly and the hopper insert but removed the insert after 2 months. I want the extra 2 lbs. of pellets in the hopper and with UHMW tape on it my pellets feed fine. A lot of internet "experts" will tell you to only use Weber pellets. Pit Boss and B&B are much cheaper, feed fine in my grill, and cost almost hallf what Weber costs. Use drip pans under fatty cooks and make clean up much easier. Enjoy.
 
How do I know if my grill was a Gen 1 or 2 to begin with ??? The long hopper ramp has a white silicone adhesive around the top of it ? It is Rev H so that should be fairly new and the date on the box is 6/8/2021. If it was newer Gen 2 why wouldn't ithace had the up to date software in controller , rather it was two versions behind ??? Couldn't use it today. EMS duty crew weekend. Hopefully initial burn in and use tomorrow afternoon.... Can't wait
 
Lew Newby said:
Have fun. All of those things are standard Smokefire stuff since the beginning. The Gen 2 changes wer the welded auger chute assembly (black chute) and the insert in the hopper that increases the slope of the long ramp. I installed the updated auger assembly and the hopper insert but removed the insert after 2 months. I want the extra 2 lbs. of pellets in the hopper and with UHMW tape on it my pellets feed fine. A lot of internet "experts" will tell you to only use Weber pellets. Pit Boss and B&B are much cheaper, feed fine in my grill, and cost almost hallf what Weber costs. Use drip pans under fatty cooks and make clean up much easier. Enjoy.
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All great points Lew, I agree completely. I have used many different brands of pellets in mine, and they all have worked well. (y) on the drip pans, makes cleanup a lot easier on the Smokefire, or any grill.

Charlie
 
Don D. said:
If it was newer Gen 2 why wouldn't ithace had the up to date software in controller , rather it was two versions behind ???
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The printed circuit board assemblies would be produced separate from other assembly operations. I'd say your controller (and mine) was produced prior to a firmware update. But heck, it could be other things including them having their microcontroller supplier program the micro and not having the latest code, or just wanting updates to happen over the air. I received my SF in June and it required an update too.

Good luck!
 
Thanks for your reply. Called Weber this morning to register. It was made in 6/2021, so you're probably right about the updates.... Initial burn in will be later. Gotta wait for the rain to stop.
 
Thanks for the pic, I can’t tell where that is.
good luck on the EX6, I love mine.
 
Don D. said:
Was this seal on the Gen 1 as well ??
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Yes, the only things that changed was the welded auger chute assembly and the hopper insert. Honest. The controller and software are the same. All the Gen 2 hoopla is just that. It's PR talk designed to make it sound like a big deal. Only one thing changed that improved the grill performance and that is the welded auger chute assembly. Software improvements always go to all owners and we're all running the same stuff.
 
Gotcha Lew. I guess I just wanted a "fresh one" and got it because it was built in June...
DId the initial burn in , my thoughts :

Exterior , the handle gets hot like hell !!! I went to Home Depot to try one of those round foam insulation pipes. But it didn't say fire resistant on it, so I didn't get it. I think if I find one that is FR , I will try a 1& 1/2 ft section on the handle. I know there were complaints why the hopper opens "backward" , I believe the reason is due to the three vents in the back, is the hopper opened toward the back to make it easier to pour in pellets, if mistakenly left up would cover 2 of the 3 vents and probably cause a fire inside.
I'm not an engineer, I actually am better at destroying things than I am putting them together, I guess that made me the perfect choice to lead my Rescue Squad's Extrication Team. Give me a Jaws of life and I'll give you a convertible in about 20 min.. BUT , there should be absolutely NO SCREWS or any raised edges in the hopper. Enclosed pic shows pellets getting caught on the pellet level window, it needs to be FLUSH with the rest of the hopper, not sticking up. Just my thoughts.
 

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Don D. said:
DId the initial burn in , my thoughts :

Exterior , the handle gets hot like hell !!!
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Don, check to see if you have the plastic, or whatever material between the door and the handle. I've not noticed any heat on my handle. I remembered your post above, and just did pizza at 475F, and the handle was barely warm to the touch. Wondering if that piece that I'm referring to is an insulator.

Charlie
 
Hi Charlie , yes it has the plastic piece that goes between the handle and grill. That's where the screw comes in for the inside to hold the handle. I'm going to keep an eye on it, of it continues, I will call Weber and see if I missed something on the handle install.....
 
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