New member with some inquiries


 

Brendan

New member
I am looking at older Webers and am a little confused with the differences between models. In the local ads, there is a Weber Platinum series grill for $150, but it was natural gas and it appears that the cost to convert to propane is more than it would be worth rather than to just be patient for a propane model. I've seen other models that say Genesis, Summit etc and the design appears fairly similar other than a few minor differences. Can someone please explain one model may be more desirable than others and why?
 
Brendan, I would suggest you stick with a Genesis Silver/Gold B or C, or Genesis 1000 - 5000 model. They are very common, very well designed and built and there are still a lot of parts available both aftermarket and used. If you go with a Platinum Genesis or one of the Summit grills, it better be in really good shape to start with as parts are much harder to come by. The only platinum I would recommend is the Genesis Platinum in the 2004-2005 model years as it is basically a regular Genesis but with a Stainless frame.

Welcome to the site by the way. Stick around and we will get you into an new/old weber in good style.
 
Welcome Brenden,

I agree with Bruce, well almost completely.

If you can post a picture of the one you are looking at we can likely advise if its a platinum that is like the others, or one that is much different with parts a lot harder to find.

There are some older platinum's that were just painted a little differently, so if it is one like this then it might be a good choice.



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Welcome Brenden,

I agree with Bruce, well almost completely.

If you can post a picture of the one you are looking at we can likely advise if its a platinum that is like the others, or one that is much different with parts a lot harder to find.

There are some older platinum's that were just painted a little differently, so if it is one like this then it might be a good choice.



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To my untrained eye, it appears to be the same as one you posted other than the color.
 
That looks like a 1998 +/- a year Platinum 3000 or 4000. I think the right hand table with the side burner makes it a 4000

Almost the same as the one I posted, with the addition of a side burner.

The "wood" is durawood which is a plastic grained simulated wood.

To convert it to LP you'll need a new manifold, a tank hanger and a piece of frame to mount the tank hanger to.

edit: and an LPG hose with a regulator. If you get a donor x000 that is LP, it should have a hose/regulator and the mount on the frame for the tank hanger.

Those parts are generally available, however finding a donor grill with them for "free"...
 
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That looks like a 1998 +/- a year Platinum 3000 or 4000. I think the right hand table with the side burner makes it a 4000

Almost the same as the one I posted, with the addition of a side burner.

The "wood" is durawood which is a plastic grained simulated wood.

To convert it to LP you'll need a new manifold, a tank hanger and a piece of frame to mount the tank hanger to.

edit: and an LPG hose with a regulator.

Those parts are generally available.
Would $150 be a fair price based on pictures? How much would a new manifold be worth? I'm in Canada if that matters at all. The tank hanger sounds optional. I won't be moving it around. I also plan to be moving to a newer house in the next year or two that could potentially have a NG connection.

I have heard that Weber recently has become a public company which from my experience typically means more concentration on new sales and less on support for older models. Is that a concern I should have about buying an older Weber?
 
Weber won't sell you a manifold to convert NG to LP. buying one used or finding a donor grill is the way to source one.

I forgot about the side burner and it will need to be converted from NG to LP. That might need to be done with a new orifice, or might need a valve with the orifice. I don't know for sure.

As far as what is a fair price? I am really not the right person to ask...

I've been lucky picking up free or nearly free grills over the past year or so. The maroon platinum 2000 I posted above was free, and I combined parts with an older "Free" Genesis 3 resulting in this, working ready to be nicely restored grill.



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Would $150 be a fair price based on pictures?

Here are things I would look at.
1. condition of cookbox is it warped or bowed at the front, likely due to a very hot grease fire
2. condition of the slide out bottom pan. Is it rusted? holes in it? are the slides on the bottom in decent shape
-- these are no longer available so if it is in bad shape it is a concern
3. burner condition ( available, about $40 USD )
4. flavorizer bar condition ( available, not sure current prices )
5. grates condition ( available, lots of choices, varying prices )
6. frame condition: rust, etc.

from the pics it looks to be in pretty good condition. I'd inspect the cookbox and the slide out bottom pan.
 
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I can't really add too much to what Dan has already covered. For me it would come down to condition. If that grill is as nice as it looks in the pictures then it would be worth the hassle of getting a parts grill. As far as price, I don't think $150 is crazy if it's in super nice condition. I would still offer less, explaining to the owner that NG grills aren't as desirable as propane.
 
I forgot you mentioned you are in Canada, so $150 is Canadian is about $116 USD.

As Steve said it's not a crazy high price.

You may find someone here has an LP manifold and possibly trade your NG setup with someone that has LP and wants to convert to NG.
 
Would $150 be a fair price based on pictures? How much would a new manifold be worth? I'm in Canada if that matters at all. The tank hanger sounds optional. I won't be moving it around. I also plan to be moving to a newer house in the next year or two that could potentially have a NG connection.

I have heard that Weber recently has become a public company which from my experience typically means more concentration on new sales and less on support for older models. Is that a concern I should have about buying an older Weber?
Hi Brendan , I bought a brand new manifold for a Genesis 1000 about a year ago directly from Weber Canada and shipped from USA for $130.00 CDN delivered to ON. and there was also another fitting on the manifold I believe for side burner, double check with Weber before purchasing . Your cheapest way out is to find and older donor grill for $50.00 or so and switch manifolds . I don't know if side burner orifices need to be changed from NG to propane someone on this site will know for sure . As for the $ 150.00 for the price of the grill it is about the going price here in ON for a grill in that shape , people are realizing the quality and durability of these vintage Weber grills because they are built like Sherman tanks . As for any parts you may need hopefully not for your grill at this time , but down the road Amazon.ca has the best prices on flavorizer bars , grates etc. for these grills just check reviews and double check the sizing for all parts , I stock piled my Genesis 1000 parts because they are becoming more scarce. Also check Amazon.com for pricing , sometimes it is cheaper to buy grill parts on Amazon .com site vs. .ca site even with the shipping cost and money exchange factored .
Good Luck
 
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Brendan, I would suggest you stick with a Genesis Silver/Gold B or C, or Genesis 1000 - 5000 model. They are very common, very well designed and built and there are still a lot of parts available both aftermarket and used. If you go with a Platinum Genesis or one of the Summit grills, it better be in really good shape to start with as parts are much harder to come by. The only platinum I would recommend is the Genesis Platinum in the 2004-2005 model years as it is basically a regular Genesis but with a Stainless frame.

Welcome to the site by the way. Stick around and we will get you into an new/old weber in good style.
I also agree with this completely about the old A/B/C/1000/5000 models. I would also encourage you to stick with propane 100%. Changing over the fuel supply can be challenging, and according to Weber, impossible. Even you have natural gas at some future house, it might not be where you want to grill. Even if it was, the propane would still work and still have certain advantages (more portable, one less hose, etc.). Think long and hard before throwing away any old parts. As far as price, the fair price is what the buyer and seller agree to in your area. If you try to negotiate and the seller won't play ball because somebody else will buy it, then that is a fair price regardless of the number.

Good luck on your adventure and welcome.
 
This one has almost everything you need.

LPG manifold, tank support piece, tank gauge and a hose with a regulator though it looks older.

And it's free, but unfortunately it is a ways away.

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Can't add much to the advice you've gotten. But, that one you showed photos of for $150 is a nice looking piece and IMO seems to be worth it's ask. Maybe set a budget for what you want to accomplish and justify it against the exorbitant cost of a new one (especially considering the cheapening of the product now and being made in China). I.E. Maybe budget a total of $350 for your finished project. At that you will have a far better grill than the new ones and at much lower cost
 
I found a semi-local ad for a free Weber Genesis Silver listed as model #228/622XX09. It is a propane model, but looks quite rough. Would it have the appropriate parts I need to convert the natural gas model in my original post?
 
I found a semi-local ad for a free Weber Genesis Silver listed as model #228/622XX09. It is a propane model, but looks quite rough. Would it have the appropriate parts I need to convert the natural gas model in my original post?
Unfortunately no.

The cookbox on the x000 series is different than the silver B, even though they look similar.

The valve spacing is different and a Silver manifold will not fit.
 
Can't add much to the advice you've gotten. But, that one you showed photos of for $150 is a nice looking piece and IMO seems to be worth it's ask. Maybe set a budget for what you want to accomplish and justify it against the exorbitant cost of a new one (especially considering the cheapening of the product now and being made in China). I.E. Maybe budget a total of $350 for your finished project. At that you will have a far better grill than the new ones and at much lower cost
Solid advice. My same line of thinking when I was looking for a smaller gas grill for quick weekday cooks. The new Weber grills don't look like they will stand the test of time like the older ones. I like the Silver line, a lot of parts readily available for rebuilds, like Bruce stated.
 
You may be better served to find a good used working propane Genesis.
Often you can find them at the curb on the day before or of trash pickup.
 

 

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