Broil King Baron 440 vs Weber Spirit 310

[ravindave]

My old Weber 3-burner has finally gone to the great pit in the sky. It's over 20 years old and served well after several transplants. Now I must replace it. Amazing Ribs says the Baron 440 from Broil King is a worthy product. I saw it at Lowe's, the only place in my area that sells it. It seemed alright, not quite as solid as the Weber Spirit 310, but has an extra burner and some sort of power zone feature. I was wondering if anyone has used this over the long term and found it durable, and if the flavor bars held up, since they seem rather thin. I own several Webers and feel inclined to get another but thought to give a serious look at Broil King based on the reviews I've read. Prices are comparable but quality is most important. Does anyone have any advice/experience to share regarding the BK vs the WS? Appreciate any comments.

[ravindave]

BTW, looking at the natural gas version of both.

[Jerod Broussard]

Hey Dave, I sent this to Max to see if he can give some insight.

[Max Good]

Both are good quality, both can be used with natural gas. The Broil King is a little bigger, has more firepower and a side burner. Sounds like Weber has been good to you. Do want to stick with a known winner, or are you hankering to try something new?

[aarontbell]

Some sort of power zone feature. If u don't know what it is or does it sounds kind of gimmicky. if it's a great sear burner then cool, but watch out for stupid gimmick features. My smoker has probe holes that are useless cause many probes are crimped at end. Doh!!!

[ravindave]

Max, I was hankering. But I'm a low risk guy when it comes to a $500 grill purchase. I can't find anyone here or in social media that has anything to say about Broil King. Thinking I will give up the space and features for the known quantity, i.e. Weber. I also can not find someone who has had to deal with customer service for replacement parts, while I know Weber excels in this area. I had a Charbroil Commercial series that lasted only about 6 years and replaced parts at 3 years and 5 years until the warranty ran out. For anyone following this thread - don't go there.

[JeffJ]

I am a Weber guy, Dave. Although I am not familiar with the Broil King I know firsthand that Weber gas grills are excellent cookers that are built to last.