Measuring Weber Gas Grill Parts Thickness: A move from anecdotal speculation to factual investigation


 
I was in my friendly Ace today, and they had a Genesis II again. I think Ace is trying to unload some leftover inventory of these. Anyway, I didn't have my caliper, but the Genesis II was next to a new "Tech" Genesis. I don't think it takes a caliper to see the difference:
IMG_0960.jpeg
GENESIS II
IMG_0961.jpeg NEW "TECH" GENESIS
 
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Jon Tofte said:
I was in my friendly Ace today, and they had a Genesis II again. I think Ace is trying to unload some leftover inventory of these. Anyway, I didn't have my caliper, but the Genesis II was next to a new "Tech" Genesis. I don't think it takes a caliper to see the difference:
View attachment 65298
GENESIS II
View attachment 65299 NEW "TECH" GENESIS
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Can you elaborate why it's obvious the older design is thicker? All I see is the flanged edge of the aluminum, which doesn't actually depict the metal thickness.
 
Well I agree that this is likely the primary difference between the models. Not having my caliper, I couldn’t measure the inner parts. I guess I was just taken back that they would make the edge so thin on the new model. I don’t claim to know a lot about metal or design, but it seems to me that a thin edge is a weaker one. It certainly LOOKS cheap in comparison.

Hopefully I can bring my caliper back and get some true measurements.
 
Honestly while an eyeball measurement, I too have looked at the latest round of "Genesis" and by my informal eyeball measurements new stuff is about 20% to 30% thinner than my Genesis 3000 on my deck. Now will this contribute to shorter life? IDK, I doubt it. But it will make them less consistent at holding heat and overall stability.
 
Jon Tofte said:
I don’t claim to know a lot about metal or design, but it seems to me that a thin edge is a weaker one.
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Yesterday, I was speaking with my brother the Ace hardware store owner. He says they've received several late model Genesis grills where the cast aluminum cook box has fractured. Weak construction? Defect in workmanship? Mishandling during shipping that doesn't affect the way the box looks? Not sure, but not a common problem, either.
 
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Chris Allingham said:
Yesterday, I was speaking with my brother the Ace hardware store owner. He says they've received several late model Genesis grills where the cast aluminum cook box has fractured. Weak construction? Defect in workmanship? Mishandling during shipping that doesn't affect the way the box looks? Not sure, but not a common problem, either.
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I would think it’s all manufacturers that are having to scale back on raw materials due to price fluctuations and disruptions in the global supply chain.

The average consumer who doesn’t belong to a forum or isn’t researching probably doesn’t notice any difference and maybe never will.

As the owner of an older style “bulletproof” grill it’s sad to read first hand reports of Weber cook boxes showing up fractured and anecdotal reports of reduced gauge materials.
 
Probably over a thousand cooks and 25 years of service and only one set of cooking grates and one set of flavorizer bars and the ever popular ignitor replaced, on my 1998 gen 2000 and it still cooks like new, tells me all I need to know about the quality of the older Weber's.
 
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