I hope Weber means what they are saying...
- Thread starter Jon Tofte
- Start date
Bruce
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
I am skeptical. On the Spirit II three burner, it looked to me like they used basically the same steel material with the same paint as they have been using since the later Silver B's and E3xx grills which, is a problem, especially cabinet style grills. So, I am skeptical. What warranty coverage do they have on the frame and cabinets?
Rich Dahl
R.I.P. 7/21/2024
Is Weber maybe in the panic mode. I think they might be losing market share with all the grills that got dumped at the end of last year and many are still for sale on places like CL.
I know that they moved all but one of the Weber gassers outside in the back of the garden dept. at Home Depot and replaced them in the store with Traegers.
With their new pellet grill soon to be introduced I would think they would like to get whatever they can sold so people if they see the quality in a Weber then they might consider upgrading or adding a new pellet grill to the fleet. Also even though the economy is doing okay everything I've read is people are now getting a lot more selective with their discretionary spending. And Weber's aren't cheap.
I know that they moved all but one of the Weber gassers outside in the back of the garden dept. at Home Depot and replaced them in the store with Traegers.
With their new pellet grill soon to be introduced I would think they would like to get whatever they can sold so people if they see the quality in a Weber then they might consider upgrading or adding a new pellet grill to the fleet. Also even though the economy is doing okay everything I've read is people are now getting a lot more selective with their discretionary spending. And Weber's aren't cheap.
Jon Tofte
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
I guess, sadly, my reaction was along the lines of, "Well that sounds good. But not one objective piece of evidence to show that Weber is using better materials that would lead to a longer life and more rust resistance. No mention of stainless hardware. No evidence of rust prevention treatment to regular steel. So is there really a basis for Weber to say their grills will still be going strong when the 'other brand' grills are already rusting out?"
I have also noticed that our Walmart is carrying much fewer Weber items, although maybe a bit more than what some of you have seen. Our Lowes also has fewer Weber items, although they still have the Genesis II and Spirit II grills on display. Our Home Depot carries more Weber stuff as does our Ace Hardware stores. In fact, the nicest Ace near me - about 12 miles away - has the most impressive collection of Weber grills anywhere around me.
I have also noticed that our Walmart is carrying much fewer Weber items, although maybe a bit more than what some of you have seen. Our Lowes also has fewer Weber items, although they still have the Genesis II and Spirit II grills on display. Our Home Depot carries more Weber stuff as does our Ace Hardware stores. In fact, the nicest Ace near me - about 12 miles away - has the most impressive collection of Weber grills anywhere around me.
Greg M
TVWBB All-Star
As we've said before only time will tell us how well the new weber genesis II and spirit II grills hold up. Of course if you are comparing them from a durability standpoint to the standard big box grills the bar is set very very low. The webers do sell for two and three times as much (or more) as those cheapos so they had better last years longer. If they don't then I would think weber is in serious trouble.
I see this type of advertising as smart. Most of the cheapo brands grill fairly well. Durability is or should be what sets Weber apart. Time will tell us the truth.
I've also noticed weber pulling out of walmart. I attributed that to the product being a poor seller due to the typical Wal-Mart shopper being unable to afford the higher prices compared to the typical char broil type grill? Weber grills are still very present at our local Lowe's, home depot, ace hardware, and specialized grilling center. That's still a lot of availability.
I see this type of advertising as smart. Most of the cheapo brands grill fairly well. Durability is or should be what sets Weber apart. Time will tell us the truth.
I've also noticed weber pulling out of walmart. I attributed that to the product being a poor seller due to the typical Wal-Mart shopper being unable to afford the higher prices compared to the typical char broil type grill? Weber grills are still very present at our local Lowe's, home depot, ace hardware, and specialized grilling center. That's still a lot of availability.
Chris in GA
TVWBB Pro
Im thinking that it was written by a recent marketing graduate that knows a lot about smartphones and redbull/starbucks and read quickly on google search about older Weber grill lasting a long time or their dad had a Weber at some point...
Dan Leighton
TVWBB Pro
Our Lowes and Home Depots still have Webers on the floor plus accessories. Target had little this year and never saw any at Walmart. I think the marketing ploy is aimed to combat all those chrome/ss looking grills which sell at a much lower price point than the Webers. They look great when virign before any cooks, but probably are unsupported once out the door. At least Costco which had a SS Weber this year added some extras plus their guarantee. The Webers are being discounted now roughly $100 per grill to get down to the year round levels. I always wanted a color even back in the 70's when confined to a charcoal driven kettle and smokey joe. Just wanted something other than black. My first gaser was a grey sunbeam which was good until the frame around the glass rusted out. I went then for a green Coleman which was built like a tank, but struggled to generate enough heat to cook a hot dog. We gave that one away when we moved west. As others have stated, it will be interesting to see how these II series grill stand the test of time.
LMichaels
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
I think they may stand up OK what worries me is Weber is doing the typical Chinese brand marketing thing. Constant yearly changes which means they will have many obsoleted grills under warranty they will not support like they did with me and then people who paid big bucks for supposed Weber quality were left in the lurch with a very expensive turd. I think I would rather buy a cheap turd and throw it away
Bruce
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
Yah, I agree. Weber won't keep a lot of those parts in production if they were only used for a year or two or three on grills. After a few years, they will cease producing and stocking them and then just push you off to the aftermarket to find your own replacement parts which you will have to pay for even if they are under warranty.
Rich Dahl
R.I.P. 7/21/2024
For most people a grill isn't their daily driver so most may figure a $200 grill will last a long time because they don't use it that much so why spend big $$$ for a Weber or other high end grill.
A lot of the younger generation folks we know cooking is to be avoided at all costs, they eat out or a meal in a box microwaved is all they do.
Somewhat sad but in their high tech fast paced world it's what works for them.
A lot of the younger generation folks we know cooking is to be avoided at all costs, they eat out or a meal in a box microwaved is all they do.
Somewhat sad but in their high tech fast paced world it's what works for them.
LMichaels
TVWBB 2-Star Olympian
You missed the point...............there are some things Weber sticks you for warranty or not that cannot be had by ANY means. So they get you to pay huge $$$ for what you hope will be a great investment, even giving you a 10, 20, 25 year or lifetime in some cases warranty only to leave you holding the bag on your $2k pile of rust. For instance, I didn't care if my fire box was warranty or not. When my contact was made to Weber I was trying to BUY the fire box. They were the ones who told me it was warranty. Only to then tell me even though under warranty I was left holding the bag on a $2k rust bucket. So yeah IMO that sign is BS.