Still Good, But Some Design Changes Cause Problems
on June 1, 2025
Posted by: Robert FX
from Houston, TX
Expertise:Intermediate
Verified Purchase:Yes
I owned a previous Spirit grill for about 12 years, but the frame was getting rusty and I had already replaced grates, burners, flavorizer bars, etc. several times, so I decided it was time for a new grill. The new grill is similar to the old one in many ways, but some of the changes are not as good the the old design. 1- The lack of a rear panel allows animals to get in and chew up the grease tray. This happened to me about the 3rd time I used it. I know that you are supposed to take out the grease tray after every use, but I rarely did this with the old model and had no problems. So I now have extra cleanup work or I have to make my own screen to cover the back and keep animals out. 2- The controls on the front get in the way of your arms and your view when changing out the propane tank. The older grill had the controls on the right side shelf which was convenient and still allowed for use of half of that shelf and the shelf on the other side. 3- The new wheels seem rather flimsy and are only on one side, so now I have to spin the grill around every time I pull it out so that the front faces the house window so I can see the temperature without going outside. The old grill had 4 wheels, so turning the grill around wasn't necessary. 4- The new burner arrangement seems like an improvement, with 2 burners and 2 starters. The old grill had a crossover bar between the two burners which was problematic. The crossover bar would get some rust on the holes and then it was sometimes difficult to get the back burner lit. Overall it's still a good grill, but some of the changes have been a step backward.
Weber quality is evident in this new grill. The new ignition system works beautifully. The grill is well constructed and engineered. Assembly was straight forward and not difficult, even for this guy who is far from a handyman. It cooks beautifully with even heat. Everything one wants in a quality gas grill.
This a great little grill. It cook's well and cleans up nicely. I didnt put the two shelves on because I am so short. It fits my balcony much better with out them. Love uit
Easy to assemble, works perfectly. Also, having two burners instead of three doesn't prevent it from hitting 500 degrees easily. Slow, indirect cooking at 300, using a smoking box is easy too. No complaints.