After one week, the good, the bad, and the wobbly

[Surly Viking]

This will be a bit long, but I wanted to update for people considering the new Kamado.
I received it one week ago today, and have cooked on it twice.

The good. I used it once as a grill, and the sear on the burgers was great. Temp of 400. Did not use much fuel.
Cook two was yesterday, and the day started at 23 degrees with snow on the Kamado (cover has been ordered).
9 pound pork butt. 12.5 hours later I pulled it off the kamado and decided to see how much longer the summit would run.
after a total of 16 hours, I was tired, and the Summit was not. still running at 230. I closed the vents and went to bed.
The Summit Kamado holds temps very well, is great as a grill or smoker. I have not tried pizza yet, but that will happen.
I wanted one of these since my OKJ Bronco runs out of fuel in 6 hours in the wintertime, plus does not do well as a grill.
The summit exceeded my expectations in both of those areas, high heat grill and long smoke at low temps.



The bad. Nothing except the unstable stand. that is the bad and the wobbly.
I looked around and I see the AUS version has the legs/triangle stand/wheels of the original

https://www.weber.com/AU/en/barbecues/charcoal-range/summit-charcoal-series/summit-charcoal/18301724.html

The one I bought has the much cheaper assembly

https://www.weber.com/US/en/grills/charcoal-grills/summit-kamado-series/18201001.html?cgid=111188#start=1

I am still waiting to hear from Weber support, and I did request the more stable original set up, or at least do something to fix this.

I do not think this is as bad a launch as the grease fires in the first iteration of the smokefire pellet grills software, but I think they once again missed the mark.

I understand the need to hit a price point, and the Kamado has 24" cooking space, and all the cooking features of a quality ceramic Kamado without the fragility. It compares favorably imo to the larger versions of the Joe or Green Egg.
That said, put it on a quality stand. My 14 year old genesis gasser is still more stable than this.

I would pay a bit more for a stable stand, and maybe I end up ordering parts and doing that myself.

So, after one week. I love the cooker, and still really hate the unstable stand they put it on.

[HawkerXP]

Thanks for the review.

[Alabama Smoke]

Per your link to the Aussie model, it retails for $2499 Australian which is approx. $1855 American. That is within $150 US of being twice as expensive as the American version. I had assumed the smoker was the same build. Apparently it is not, and the price certainly reflects that. I have been looking at the American version and now not sure if I want it. Thanks for your post. Most interesting.

[Surly Viking]

Yeah, I saw the price and was a bit surprised. Maybe they are built here and shipped there? For that amount I would get the table version, even though I do not want a table or propane starter. I will most likely keep my wobbler since I love how it cooks.

[barelfly]

Thanks for the review. I do like these cookers, the cart WSC looks great, but $$$. So looking at the two Models, seems a major difference is at the base of the legs? I wonder if they could send you those brackets so you could tie up the legs? Seems like an easy fix, but I haven’t seen one in person, so perhaps not? Is that the only difference between the two? Or does the Aussie model come with all the BBQ accessories?

Glad the smoker works well for you, hopefully this wobble gets resolved quickly.

[Surly Viking]

The wire triangle and legs are both different. The original triangle is thicker, and the support brackets on it attach directly to the legs, and are therefore much more stable. I would need the triangle base, legs, wheel assembly and braces. I have no idea what that cost is. I think Weber blew it here. If you walk into a retailer and see a Kamado and go lift the lid and it looks like it could collapse, they are going to be a hard sell.

[Uncle Bob]

Aside the support annoyance it's fun to play well with a new toy.

[Alabama Smoke]

Surly Viking, how are the legs attached to the brackets on the kettle base? Can I assume this is the location of the wobble? Or is the wobble where the legs attach to the wheels? If at the base of the kettle, which I assume it must be, are the legs simply inserted into the brackets with a steel pin then inserted to hold them inside the bracket?

I have a Weber 22 Orig. Prem. I acquired used this past weekend which uses pins inserted through the upper legs to hold them there. They work but wobble slightly, most noticeable when lifting the non-wheeled third leg off the ground to move the kettle. I wonder if this is the same setup? If so perhaps a self tapping screw rather than the pin?? That might well void your warranty though....

Edited to add: How are the legs attached to the triangle brace? Are they welded to it or what?

[barelfly]

I’ve noticed the same type of wobble with my kettle, but just haven’t really looked to see what I could do to tighten it up. I found it at the Depot for $60 new and put together. But, next time I clean it, i may see about what I could add to tighten it up. If you come up with something please let me know.

[Surly Viking]

So, the legs attaching to the triangle base is a really wonky setup. the wire grate triangle has hooks on the end, the hooks go into one of two holes in the legs, then you rotate. You then add plastic cap pieces that also hold in the casters. after attaching the three legs to the triangle, and adding wheels, you then attach to the ring that holds the Kamado using bolts. Original has bolts attaching the triangle base to the legs. there is the weakness. New design is bad.

[jfmorris]

Unfortunate that they would cut corners like this on the legs for this expensive cooker. That said, everything is more cheaply made now, my 2002 USA made Genesis Is much sturdier than my 2019 China made Genesis II. Assembly was different too. In 2002 Weber touted 10 minute assembly - most of the frame was welded, and solid. You just dropped the grill box onto the base and put in very few bolts, and were done. Now The cart is a mess of flimsy sheet metal and a 2 hour assembly process.

[surfdog]

Yep, my 2005 Summit Platinum is a beast and built like a tank... I saw a newer one recently and was kinda disappointed. It didn’t seem nearly as robust or durable.

It LOOKED really nice, but the materials were not the same...lower grade stainless etc. Not sure that I would replace mine with another if I had to. And that’s a shame because I think mine is super.

[jfmorris]

surfdog I definitely can just tap my knuckles on the top of the old versus new Genesis and hear a difference in the thickness of metal. Much like my old 1996 Chevy pickup is made out of thicker metal than my 2006 Silerado.

The thing that I think makes the new ones flimsy is that they went from tubular steel frame construction for the cart, to assembly from various flat or angled pieces of sheet metal with a zillion bolts. Its kinda sturdy, once assembled, but not like a welded frame was.

[surfdog]

jfmorris The crazy thing is that the Summit Platinum D6 cost $1999 back in 2005. A straight CPI calculation makes it $2620 today, slightly LESS than the current price of the latest S-670. And the new ones use cheaper materials & don’t seem to have the same frame either.

Using the GDP as a basis, the income value of that is $2,960.00 and the economic share is $3,290.00. So clearly, people were/are willing to pay more for quality. I love both my Weber’s...but my WSCGC may be my last.

[Troutman]

Seems like Weber has growing pains. This is the second launch that has me scratching my head. Either their QC department needs some stepping up or the design team needs to get their pee-pees wacked. The kettles have always been a little wobbly but not enough to be dangerous, but you sit that big brute kamado on a pair of tooth picks and you're asking for trouble.

So my understanding is this is really just a downgraded version of the WSCG without gas assist. Why didn't they keep the original design for the undercarriage? Why cheapin' that up? Strange.

Hope Weber makes right with you. Every one I've own (2 kettle, 2 WSM and a Summit gasser) have performed well and with stood the test of time.

[Uncle Bob]

A small point Surly Viking, you may want to review your assumptions on the Aus version. Following your link I don't see the word "Kamado" in the title like the US ads. Along with the CG leg setup it also shows the flapper door version of the deflector that the Kamado version changed. Then below they do the referral to the Grill Center version for upgrade that looks like the US $2k model with the solid shelf, etc.

[jfmorris]

Yeah - I agree Uncle Bob - that AUS page appears to be for the original Summit Charcoal Grill, not the new "Kamado".

[Surly Viking]

Uncle Bob - so the Aussie version is just the same as the WSG with no propane? Interesting. does not change my view that the stand from both of those would be a much better and more stable option for the Kamado. They either did not test it (doubtful) or feel that the wobble is not a big deal. Customers will decide, and I think weber goofed again.

[Alabama Smoke]

Surly Viking Considering the $700 price differential between the Kamado and the table model, perhaps you might want to consider building your own table. Should not be terribly difficult if you are handy with tools.

BTW, what does the Kamado weigh? I did not see that on the specifications page.

[kenrobin]

My Weber Kamado arrives in 2 days & I'm seriously thinking about leaving it in the box until I can have a table made. I don't have the skills to make a good table myself & buying one will probably cost more than it would cost to get the cart version but at least I could get one to my own desired specs. I probably wouldn't have ordered mine if I had known about the wobble issues first.

[Surly Viking]

kenrobin I would suggest you use it, you will love how it cooks. If you are building your own table or having someone do that, I would draw an outline of the ring assembly while putting the thing together. That is what you need to anchor to the table, since the kamado sits in that. Use it on the wobbly legs until the table is done. It really is a very good cooker. They just went too cheap on the legs/stand/wheels imo

[kenrobin]

Surly Viking That's probably what I'll end up doing. It's supposed to arrive tomorrow & I probably won't be able to resist leaving it in the box. I've been wanting one of these for years, I just didn't want to pay the price of the original version.

[Max Good]

Interesting. I just saw the cart model today. I'll look into the leg issue on the E6.

[Alabama Smoke]

Max Good, I and I expect many others would love to hear from you on this issue! Many of us think $700 is too much to pay for a table from Weber. I for one use a steel folding table which is light, stores easily and can be used with any of my cookers.

[Surly Viking]

Thank you Max! Eagerly looking forward to your review!

[kenrobin]

I agree with Troutman about Weber's growing pains. I got some blowback here on the forum after the SmokeFire release & I remarked that it seems like Weber is becoming more of a marketing company. My comment may have been too harsh but Weber has made some interesting choices with their last few big releases. This issue with the Kamado cart is not nearly as serious as the early issues with the SmokeFire but it seems like this one could have (and should have) been avoided.

[Surly Viking]

That is my feeling. It should have been avoided. If some engineer or executive or salesman stood by the gen1 and gen2 that are on stands and not tables, and just opened and closed the lid, they would see the difference in quality. How are they expecting customers to not notice? Had to be a bean counter that made the decision. If I wanted cheap quality there are less expensive options....

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

I found a video on another forum that actually shows the Summit wobbling at :52. and then to top it off, the grate breaks in the poor guy's hand at the end. It was a little hard to visualize the wobble before I saw the video, but that is a lot of wobbling in that video. I would be ticked.

https://tvwbb.com/threads/weber-summit-kamado-e6-initial-review.84643/

Weber was able to address the SF issues eventually, so I expect some fixes will be coming soon here too.

[Surly Viking]

Mine wobbles about the same as that. So far Weber customer service has sent two emails telling me to make sure the bolts attaching the legs to the ring are tight (they are).
Sigh.....

[Old Glory]

I was 90% ready to pull the trigger on a Smoke Fire. This video made me pull back. Weber QC has gone way down.

[ecowper]

Dang Weber, that isn’t okay

[Mojo0209]

I’ll keep my older Weber’s. I got a new kettle this past summer and noticed a lot of quality issues, they weren’t a deal breaker at the time. Painting problems on the bowl, grates were flimsy and the overall feel to just seem less substantial than the older kettles. The one I replaced was 18 years old. Now I’m wondering if it’s even worth giving them much of a thought. Pretty disheartening for a brand and products I really thought were quality. I’m looking at a Burch Barrel, because the build looks nice. Granted it’s a different setup and size. It’s more important to me to get quality for my dollar. I thought the Kamado looked interesting as well, but like the smoke fire it seems like Weber is trying to rely on their past products success and hype their new products without expecting people to notice that they’re cutting corners on many models that they r putting out.

[Surly Viking]

I have done 4 cooks on the Kamado now, and I can say it delivers. Amazing cooker. Super cheap stand. They are cutting corners. I would probably adjust my rating to 3.5 stars of 5. Because it really does cook well. No reason for Weber to go that cheap on the stand though.

[Surly Viking]

I wanted to add to this post. 4 cooks, amazing cooker. Impervious to nasty weather, and easy to clean.
Stand is wobbly but it is assembled according to the instructions. I was very careful. I have received several emails from different customer service reps at Weber. They are communicating and trying to be helpful. I do appreciate that. The latest communication is that product engineers are reviewing my video and pictures to evaluate, and they will be getting back to me.

All in all, I feel this is a great cooker that could dominate the Kamado market at that price if it had a solid stand. It does not. Yet. Maybe that will change.

I will let you all know what I hear back from them.

[Uncle Bob]

It will be interesting to see if Weber fixes this, or if the aftermarket will have to "come to the rescue".

[BBQPhil]

If the product engineers need to use your video to assess wobble they have bigger issues.