Not looking good for Weber at my Lowe’s store


 
Scott Smith said:
Interesting that a grilling forum can't even agree on what constitutes an identical part vs. a thinner part.

One possible explanation:

I apologize in advance if you are Chinese or take offense, but this is based on my experience working at a USA-based plant that paid us American wages to re-machine made-in-China parts (not grills - amusement park rides) that didn't always meet the specs.

Companies move operations overseas to cut costs. To realize any cost savings, however, this has to be done skillfully, because the Chinese are crafty in all kinds of ways and will do their best to get over on you if you are merely checking quality in a different language from many time zones away. I'm not saying this happened to Weber, but the Chinese could make proper parts when they know they are being checked and inferior parts when they know they aren't.
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Say it isn’t so.;) I don’t mean you, but I think it’s funny when Weber blowhards automatically get defensive if you point out that quality is going down. In manufacturing, it is the ultimate goal to pare down quality to the bleeding edge of minimum consumer acceptability. I don’t like it any more than then next guy, but to deny it is just being a fanboy.
 
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I'm pretty new to this scene but a trip to any store that sells new Weber products makes obvious the fact that quality has declined. At least on their gas grills. I've not been looking at kettles. The new ones have more features, a handful of which might be useful to some -- though for me personally, there are just one or two that appeal in the slightest. The output on the burners is rated higher on the newer grills. But my vintage models get north of 500 degrees in five minutes. I wouldn't trade my old refurbished grills for brand new models even up.
 
We have kicked this around a lot and a couple things seem to stand out to me:

Weber is no longer aiming for the demographic that saw quality in rugged construction with quality materials designed to last a good long time (though even then not forever!). Today's target market sees quality in technology adaptation, clean minimalist styling, and is not particularly concerned about materials or even a long life for that matter. (By then they will want something with even newer technology.) So, you could say that Weber is giving their target consumers what they are asking for.

A second point we parents of millennials here tend to downplay is that the new Webers DO COOK WELL. I have seen some tests that seem to confirm that the improved burners, etc. do, in fact, deliver a more even cooking experience. I would expect a new 3 burner "Tech" Genesis with the 4th sear burner to be a great grill for most grilling other than rotisserie. I would NOT expect it to perform that way 6 years from now unless babied beyond a normal level of care. So, a new Weber has its merits. They are just not in the areas many of us here consider extremely important.
 
I have no doubt that these new Weber grills are great cookers, even better than the old ones we all love so much. I wouldn't even care if I had a new one and had to replace the burners, grates, and flavorizer bars every 5 years. Those things take a beating, they are consumable parts. Just don't charge me $1,000 for something that has to sit outside by design, only to have it turn to dust In a few short years because at that point you're probably better off just buying a $300 grill and throwing the whole thing away every three years.
 
I‘m not in manufacturing nor a metal expert, but to me it sure seems like smelting metals, possible chemical treatments, and/or paints have come a long way since the old E-W Webers were new on shelves. I look at it in cars. Where I live they salt roads 4-6 months of the year anytime moisture is possible at below freezing temps. 20-25 years ago, I saw rusty cars every day. These days I rarely see a rusty car. I know I still see plenty of 10-20 year old cars though. Many times if I do see a noticeably rusty one, it’s also dented where it’s rusting. Edit: It also seems like new cars have much thinner body panels than they did 25 years ago too.

I also think plastics have improved even more than metals over the same period. Todays plastics don’t yellow as much, get near as brittle, etc.

To me, it’s very possible that the new Webers could last just as long as the old. Only time will tell. However, they might lack the excess thickness that would allow them to be sanded down heavily or media blasted and refurbished repeatedly like many members here do so amazingly well. Even if they don’t last as long, my 2021 has a 10 year warranty and I prefer the way it cooks over the Silver A I sold 2-3 years ago.
 
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I would not be surprised if they cook really well. I'm dubious of the notion that new metal technology will allow them to last. Are they going for a new demographic or just riding their reputation? I see them masquerading as a high-quality product. Is there a market of folks who would pay a few extra bucks for the real thing? I bet there is. People would need to be educated about it. They would have to truthfully distinguish their grills by touting their longevity and it would have to be real. People pay more for a Toyota or a Honda because they believe the quality is real. If I were leading Weber, I'd want more than anything to maintain and build that reputation.
 
Another thing to take into consideration is what Weber is, a company trying to make money. They have to find a balance on how long something will last and reputation. At their current size and market share, they probably despise the Silver series grills and the number of them still around. How many owners of these old grills buy third party replacement parts off Amazon or eBay and if they have another grill it is likely a equally old kettle? They need to make products that perform the best they can but last just long enough that you replace it with another new Weber when it’s done.
 
I think there is little debate that the new Webers cook as well as better than the old ones. After a year with the new grill, I would not go back to the Silver B for cooking. Rust may be a different matter. My Silver B had no frame rust. My son has a 15 year old Genesis that has a rusted out cabinet. My next door neighbor has a 5 year old Weber grill with no cabinet rust. So far, mine has none. Perhaps Weber is aware of the problem and has worked to correct it. Only time will tell if the newer models hold up better. As with anything, location and care can affect longevity.
 
JSaus: That is just the problem. Weber has been making grills with the carbon steel cabinets for 20 years and the rust problem in them usually begins within 5 years and by 10-15 years, the parts are to the point there are large holes in the bottom.
This is not so bad in some areas, but up north you will find it to be not only common, but pretty much universal. Weber continues to make their Genesis grills with the same materials and basically same designs. The only answer for continuing to do this is intentional. They need people to buy new grills. If every grill they sold lasted 25 years, they would lose a lot of repeat business.

You will notice that Weber's warranty on the new 2022 models is only 5 years on the cabinet....and then it is "Rust through".

2022 GENESIS GAS GRILLS

12 years - Cookbox: no rust-through/burn-through (2 years on paint excluding fading or discoloration)
12 years - Lid assembly: no rust-through/burn-through (2 years on paint excluding fading or discoloration)
10 years - Stainless steel burner tubes: no rust-through/burn-through
10 years - Stainless steel cooking grates: no rust-through/burn-through
10 years - Stainless steel Flavorizer® bars: no rust-through/burn-through
10 years - Porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates: no rust-through/burn-through
3 years - Electrical components (Weber Connect controller)
5 years - All remaining parts
 
Was in my Lowes yesterday they have the Weber aisle or whatever you call it right next to it was the Charbroil aisle endcaps for each not sure I have seen that before. Obviously for what its worth its pretty striking the price differences and I get it Weber vs Charbroil but on some models you are talking double the price.
 
Part of the problem is that stainless steel is in demand globally and prices can fluctuate widely. Most of the stainless steel comes from outside the US, which makes it harder for a US manufacturer to price their products competitively. Typically, stainless steel costs 4 to 5 times as much as plain carbon steel and in some countries governmental subsidies favor their national industries. Weber does what it can to stabilize the cost of their products because nobody...repeat, nobody...likes price increases.
 
Yes, I agree that Weber can't make everything out of stainless, especially for their entry-level grills. But, for their higher-end models, especially the Summit line, I think they could at least do like they did back in 04-05 and offer a "Platinum" version with stainless replacing the painted steel. Charge extra what they must to make it profitable, but at least offer a CHOICE suitable to maritime or other wet climates and conditions.
 
Jon Tofte said:
Yes, I agree that Weber can't make everything out of stainless, especially for their entry-level grills. But, for their higher-end models, especially the Summit line, I think they could at least do like they did back in 04-05 and offer a "Platinum" version with stainless replacing the painted steel. Charge extra what they must to make it profitable, but at least offer a CHOICE suitable to maritime or other wet climates and conditions.
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The new E-435 which is a beast of a grill huge however the price tag was $1,499 what would that be if it was all stainless as it is that is a big number and no stainless grates which down my way will not work at least the maintenance alone for me won't work. Like the warranty but still the price is probably a hard number to swallow for a lot of people.
 
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