SmokeFire EPX6 Stealth Addition - On Sale


 
WB Zipf

WB Zipf

TVWBB Pro
All,

I just saw that the Weber store on Amazon has discounted the SmokeFire EPX6 "Stealth" to $1109, which would be about $100 below the Searwood of the same size.

So is this a good deal for someone (me) who loves Weber and looking at getting a pellet smoker? Or should I wait for the new Searwood? I am kind of on the fence about this one, since it seems the only regrettable design flaw that remains with the Stealth is the rear pellet hopper.

What do you all think?

Stealth For Sale
 
I was a huge fan of the Smoke Fire until it reached 33 months. The electrics are going bad and fortunately they are before month 36, when the warranty expires. I’m thinking that the Searwood is nothing more than a redesign SmokeFire, I suspect the electrics are probably the same and in my opinion, it’s the electrics that are the problem. As always, when asking for opinions, YMMV
 
So in the SF, you have a unit that Weber has worked on and fine tuned to the best performance they can. It will not see any more development. They also have stopped production so the replacement parts countdown has begun. And if they do to it how they handled my Summit warranty, it's not a position I would want to be in (at least not at $1k+)
With the SW, you have something they are just now putting out, it's current and if issues show up you can be more sure they will see to addressing them. Honestly for the $100 I would wait. Though I still personally hate the no casters. To me that was a really low shot of cheapness that makes me wonder about other things
 
That decision will be somewhat a matter of personal preference. I'm not familiar with the Stealth but I have the Gen 2 EX6. I enjoy cooking on it and I love the flavor it delivers but if I were one who did overnight cooks I'd be sleeping with one eye open because I do have occasional issues with a pellet void attributed to them not funneling properly from the hopper to the auger opening.

It's easy for me to say I would rather wait for the Searwood because I already own the EX6 but someone else might be much more interested in acquiring a unit that comes in under the Searwood price point. If keeping $100 of your money is quite tempting then you might also consider that a recent lowest price was $989. Whether pricing would continue to drop before inventory runs out might be a gamble, though.

Good luck in your decision!

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I would wait also in case anyone missed it Steve from the UK posted a Weber promo for the Searwood:

tvwbb.com

New Searwood pic.

I totally enjoy his stuff and feel his “Oh man!” folksy way just shows that he is a down to earth, genuine decent guy. I would love to meet him and maybe someday do a few YouTube videos myself😎! Yeah considering how personable he was when folks approached him I was sorry I didn't at least say...
tvwbb.com tvwbb.com
 
Thanks for all your feedback! I was leaning towards waiting before I asked, and will likely wait.

The thing that raises questions in my mind is the fact that the cost of the SearWood's MSRP is $400 less than the Stealth. In this age of relatively high inflation, things aren't getting cheaper. To me, this indicates that they may be cutting corners, cheaper parts etc. If they are cutting corners, then we may look back at the Smokefire is the better built smoker. The reduction in cost could also be because of a more elegant design leads to lower production cost.

The one thing that I noticed is the material of the SearWood is cast aluminum versus double walled carbon steel. I wonder if cast aluminum is a sacrifice of insulation properties (I live in Minnesota, so better insulation will extend its seasonal use). I also wonder what else might have done that lowered the cost.

Anyway, thanks for the comments!
 
Jury is out on the Searwood until we get real world usage feedback. However, I tend to think Weber has aggressively priced the Searwood to attempt a comeback in retail outlets. It is going to be an uphill struggle for Weber, but I think for them to have any real market penetration they have to get Searwoods in stores where people can see and touch them.
 
WB Zipf said:
Thanks for all your feedback! I was leaning towards waiting before I asked, and will likely wait.

The thing that raises questions in my mind is the fact that the cost of the SearWood's MSRP is $400 less than the Stealth. In this age of relatively high inflation, things aren't getting cheaper. To me, this indicates that they may be cutting corners, cheaper parts etc. If they are cutting corners, then we may look back at the Smokefire is the better built smoker. The reduction in cost could also be because of a more elegant design leads to lower production cost.

The one thing that I noticed is the material of the SearWood is cast aluminum versus double walled carbon steel. I wonder if cast aluminum is a sacrifice of insulation properties (I live in Minnesota, so better insulation will extend its seasonal use). I also wonder what else might have done that lowered the cost.

Anyway, thanks for the comments!
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I don't recall the SmokeFire being double walled. Unless I missed it looking at them they're single panel porcelain steel
 
When I think of double wall construction I am assuming like my MM or Z. Fully double wall. Top, bottom, sides and lid
 
Brian B Atlanta said:
Both the Weber SmokeFire EX4 and larger EX6 feature double sidewall construction. However, the lid is not insulated, and neither is it insulated underneath the combustion zone.
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Thanks again for the clarification.

It still is interesting that the cook box of the SearWood is made of cast aluminum.

Also, I can’ ignore the lower priced MSRP in this period of relatively high inflation. Where are they saving cost?
 
WB Zipf said:
Also, I can’ ignore the lower priced MSRP in this period of relatively high inflation. Where are they saving cost?
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One does wonder if corners are being cut. I think that Weber is not planning on a profit for the first 1,000 units or so, to gain interest in their products again. They have shot themselves in the foot over the last couple years, and they're likely reestablishing their footing
 
Likely less work and material cost than using stamped, porcelain enamel steel with cast aluminum. Also, perhaps better performance and stability due to more mass
 
WB Zipf said:
It still is interesting that the cook box of the SearWood is made of cast aluminum.
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Lots of us who have rehabbed old Genesis grills with cast aluminum cook boxes and I have a Silver C from 2005 would consider the cook box made with cast aluminum to be a plus. PK charcoal grills very respected brand are made out of cast aluminum also.
 
ChuckO said:
One does wonder if corners are being cut. I think that Weber is not planning on a profit for the first 1,000 units or so, to gain interest in their products again. They have shot themselves in the foot over the last couple years, and they're likely reestablishing their footing
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I suppose that’s possible, have you read somewhere that they are doing this?
 
WB Zipf said:
I suppose that’s possible, have you read somewhere that they are doing this?
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You said it yourself; "lowering MSRP during inflationary times." You can't do that and remain profitable and you can't get market share back by churning out inferior product. It is clearly evident that Weber is turning over a new leaf, which started when they were bought by BDT Capital. A perfect example of this was Mastercraft Boats. They were tanking and Coleman Company took controlling interest in Mastercraft boats. I myself experienced it, I bought a 1988 Prostar 190 on a tandem axel for $18K OTD, which was an exceptionally good price for a high-end ski boat. Now they're $100K+. Coleman got Mastercraft back to making quality boats, and they hit the market under cost. The rest is history. Recently Weber filed a couple trademarks; "SmartControl" and "Rapid React" and they previously filed "Q+" so you can expect some new features in their clamshells and the SmartControl could run everything from BBQ to Smokers to Griddles and the Rapid React will be some sort of Proportional-integral-derivative. (PID) You get a bunch of guys writing algorithms, that ain't cheap. Sounds like they're buying the market back, with profits to come in the future.
 
Yes that is the beauty of being private nobody can see your numbers. You can buy market share give up profits for the short term and as Chucko said if it sells well raise the price and make more money. Hard to do that when your public cause even not breaking out pellet grills for example which they never did you can see a hit to the bottom line.
 
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