Stainless Steel Grate Throwdown Challenge Results


 
I got overwhelmed with Dictirdy FOMO! ordered a set as so cheap, adds to the ever growing list of weber parts i dont really need lol! What makes me curious is that the "budget" SS grate manufacturers insist on the middle rod when you'd think they would save money and exclude. Do they see it as a benefit? Has anyone tried removing?
 
Paul Warner said:
I got overwhelmed with Dictirdy FOMO! ordered a set as so cheap, adds to the ever growing list of weber parts i dont really need lol! What makes me curious is that the "budget" SS grate manufacturers insist on the middle rod when you'd think they would save money and exclude. Do they see it as a benefit? Has anyone tried removing?
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Caveat: I have not seen these grates in person.

A 3d (reinforcing) bar across the middle will keep the other rods spaced evenly, as well as preventing flex up & down. I have a 22" span on 3/8" rod with very little deflection. What I would not do is try to remove it. If nothing else, you'll have scarred rod, as well as the possibly of spatter if you're using something like a plasma torch. The only possible reason I'd contemplate removing it would be a physical interference. I did think about adding a 3rd crossmember on mine.
 
I really don't think you would get much if any warping on 9mm rod grates over a 17.5" span. Certainly, you would wind up with a "scar" if you tried to cut the middle support out. I am not sure how strong the welds are so trying to break the welds could result in overall damage to the rods. I don't think they type of weld is what we normally think of as a weld. I believe the process used is to put the rods in place and then send high current through each connection. Then where the two pieces meet, the current is restricted causing high resistance developing the heat necessary to slightly melt each bar and fuse them together. How strong that is probably depends on the current and length of time it is applied.

I think most outfits make them with three supports just because that is how almost everyone else does it...7mm and 9mm. But, I agree, it would be nice to see one of these discount sets of 9mm remove that middle bar.
 
It's just my opinion but I believe the center reinforcement bar saves these Chinese company a lot of bad reviews. You really have to beef up your packaging to protect these grates if they don't have a center reinforcement bar and even still if they get banged around super hard they will easily get out of square and need to be straightened by checking with a square and tapping the appropriate corner on the concrete. I've had to do this with old 9930s and I have had a shipment from Dave that was one box of about 70 lb of SS that got a tossed around by shippers I had to tap my grates back to square because of shipping had beat them around enough that they were not square. After they were tapped back they were perfect but most consumers are not going to know this and are going to give a bad review and a return. This center support bar saves this from happening and that is my opinion on the center support bar.
 
I think the only reason to do away with the middle bar is cleaning them. Even if you don't use a chargon tool to clean your grates, it is a good idea to clean the underside every so often. And having that middle bar does hinder that process for any type of cleaning tool. But, if you never plan to use a Chargon tool on your grates, then having the middle bar indeed is no issue.
 
Bruce said:
I really don't think you would get much if any warping on 9mm rod grates over a 17.5" span. Certainly, you would wind up with a "scar" if you tried to cut the middle support out. I am not sure how strong the welds are so trying to break the welds could result in overall damage to the rods. I don't think they type of weld is what we normally think of as a weld. I believe the process used is to put the rods in place and then send high current through each connection. Then where the two pieces meet, the current is restricted causing high resistance developing the heat necessary to slightly melt each bar and fuse them together. How strong that is probably depends on the current and length of time it is applied.

I think most outfits make them with three supports just because that is how almost everyone else does it...7mm and 9mm. But, I agree, it would be nice to see one of these discount sets of 9mm remove that middle bar.
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Agreed. Its more of a fusing than a weld. I haven't ever had any RCP grates, but I am assuming his cross-supports are notched and then tig welded. Which I would think is far more substantial and durable than the china made grates. I would also think that may be why they have the center support?

Again, all just my theory
 
Josh Dekubber said:
When tapped back there perfectly fine and perfectly straight as they were when they were built but 99% of people aren't going to understand that
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Josh, I have had to do that with a set of Qlimetal 9mm grates for a 300 series grill. I think you are correct that the Asian manufacturers figure it is cheaper to add another support than to have to field that many more returns. It is probably also true that because it is done so commonly, there may be some copycatting going on as well.

This incredible bargain price is pretty hard to complain about. I myself DO use a Chargon, so all things being equal, I would rather have grates without a center support, but at this price - and otherwise very high quality - it is worth the inconvenience.
 
I am kind of surprised that they are still for sale at this price. My first thought was that they would be one of those discontinued products that go on super sale to clear the inventory before becoming "UNAVAILBLE" indefinitely. But they seem to still be pushing them out. And interestingly, they are not removing the huge markdown from the pricing as often times happens when a big increase in demand occurs on Amazon.
 
Josh Dekubber said:
How do you think a customer would react if they received these grates that shipped out perfectly square from the manufacturer?View attachment 123281View attachment 123282
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That kind of surprises me they would be that far out of square, since they nest together so well. But would explain why they shifted opposite ways. The boxes mine came in were pulverized but the grates were fine. Amazon has some fairly questionable boxing practices.

I had a couple sets of the 7mm I have sent back for the corner rods being bent in. Those were on two sets that they had shipped but the N/S rods weren't nested inside of each other.
 
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