There is something wrong here


 
Daryl S

Daryl S

TVWBB Super Fan
I stopped by a local big box home improvement store to check out the bbq section.

At first I thought the WSM had been redesigned...

B252AE6B-9877-427E-AEFA-947241860E8E.jpeg

Saw the temp probe grommet near the bottom, thinking that is an odd location

Quickly realized someone didn’t know how to assemble it.

2D6938FD-FEAA-4517-B7FC-9CFD4BCE43B5.jpeg

0905FAC0-DFC3-41BD-B386-725187D7E1F4.jpeg

I really wanted to go to the tool department and get the tools to correct this.

It amazed me that it even fit together this way with the middle section upside down.
 
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I never understood the value of pre-assembled grills. It seems like it just makes them more vulnerable to damage in the store and taking up more space and harder for the buyer to get home. Also, anything else would be sold at a discount if it wasn't "new in the box". And you get issues like this.
 
There’s certainly value in preassembled. I bought my Spirit, Summit Charcoal, Smokefire and Deep Ocean Kettle all assembled. I’ll buy my Ranch assembled. All from my local dealer, not a big box store. And of course my Sequoia was as well....

My Red LE, Glen Blue 26, Spring Green, and all four 70th kettles, as well as all three Smokey Joes, I assembled.
 
I got a lawn mower like that once. It was a catalog-order display unit. It took me a few uses to figure out and correct all the assembly mistakes. It ended up being a good mower though... used it for over 20 years.

I prefer unassembled. Yes, the assembly can be a pain, but in the process, I learn a lot about the item, and have a better idea of how to maintain and service it.
 
I saved a fortune of money buying my floor model W2 435. Some counter scratches and things needed tightening but that was it,
 
Scott Smith said:
I never understood the value of pre-assembled grills.
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Pre-assembled as in a floor model? Of course they need those, people want to kick the tires, open the lid, try the controls, get a sense of the cooking area, check the spacing of the grate rods, etc. Can't do any of that when the grill is unassembled in a box. But the rows and rows of pre-assembled grills you see in front of Lowes and Home Depot? That I do not get.

Assembled as in having the store assemble the grill for you? Depends on your need for convenience, the competence of the dealer to put it together correctly, and perhaps their willingness to deliver it to you.
 
I bought a floor model performer for my local hardware store at a discount. At home I found many of the screw heads were torn up , cross threaded or stripped out, along with other damage. No thanks, it went back. Good music, cold beer and a NIB Weber grill in the garage? Sounds like a good day to me.
 
Daryl S said:
I stopped by a local big box home improvement store to check out the bbq section.

At first I thought the WSM had been redesigned...

View attachment 56479

Saw the temp probe grommet near the bottom, thinking that is an odd location

Quickly realized someone didn’t know how to assemble it.

View attachment 56480

View attachment 56481

I really wanted to go to the tool department and get the tools to correct this.

It amazed me that it even fit together this way with the middle section upside down.
Click to expand...
Looks like mine.
 
Chris Allingham said:
But the rows and rows of pre-assembled grills you see in front of Lowes and Home Depot? That I do not get.
Click to expand...
From what I've seen, Home Depot has a special guy with tools (no orange vest) that comes in for the day and assembles grills. They also have a similar guy that moves the orange shelves when they need to be moved. That at least explains how they get the rows and rows of grills.
 
Chris Allingham said:
Pre-assembled as in a floor model? Of course they need those, people want to kick the tires, open the lid, try the controls, get a sense of the cooking area, check the spacing of the grate rods, etc. Can't do any of that when the grill is unassembled in a box. But the rows and rows of pre-assembled grills you see in front of Lowes and Home Depot? That I do not get.

Assembled as in having the store assemble the grill for you? Depends on your need for convenience, the competence of the dealer to put it together correctly, and perhaps their willingness to deliver it to you.
Click to expand...
Chris: right on the money. I always laugh that people need to pick up the lid on each 22" kettle even though they are all the same (except for the warming rack and char baskets in the One-Touch). I also have a hard time convincing people that an LP and NG model are the same except for the gas hook up hose/regulator and of course an NG doesn't have a hole in the floor for the tank and no tank gauge. We don't show NG's on the floor because of demand but we have them!
 
When I bought my Smokefire, I went to the local Ace and asked if they had any unassembled, or just the floor model. Just the floor model, but the manager assured me that it was put together correctly, as "my guys here know what they're doing". I took him over to the grill and showed him that only one side of the handle was attached to the grill, and several other things were loose and had bolts missing.
I ended up ordering direct from Weber.
 
Bob H. said:
Maybe they will use it as a "demo" to grill hot dogs outside the front door of the store.
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I had a free hot dog/hamburger/coke out in from of Home Depot with my kids once. It was part of an educational "call before you dig" event we happened into. We got free lunch, free stuff, and learned the colors of paint and codes for water/sewer/electric.
 
My first Weber was a LP genesis from Home Depot… pre-assembled. That was 10 years ago and she runs like new. However… that was when I was a novice and just wanted to grill chicken legs or hot dogs. My WSM and WSK were NIB and assembled by me. I will only purchase in-box going forward.
 
My last NEW grill is still sitting in its box! Granted it’s a Smokey Joe but, I got the last one touch platinum that the local (now closed) hardware store had at a reasonable price. It has morphed into the over performer but, that was the one I wanted. Brought it home in the back of my Olds Achieva and made dinner that evening.

I completely agree about not understanding the rows of metal crap out in front of Lowes!
 
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