Re: [MBZ] OT BBQ
I get the feeling this is a cult item. On Sat, Mar 28, 2015 at 9:10 PM, Mitch Haley wrote: > Randy Bennell via Mercedes wrote: > >> We have a Vermont Castings BBQ that we have had for a long while and like >> despite the fact that it is showing its age. >> > > This one looks like any other generic BBQ to me, is it too new? > http://lansing.craigslist.org/app/4862921908.html > > ___ > http://www.okiebenz.com > > To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com > > ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
Re: [MBZ] OT BBQ
Randy Bennell via Mercedes wrote: We have a Vermont Castings BBQ that we have had for a long while and like despite the fact that it is showing its age. This one looks like any other generic BBQ to me, is it too new? http://lansing.craigslist.org/app/4862921908.html ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
Re: [MBZ] OT BBQ
Yes, the box is steel. There is a big oval hole in the bottom with a pan that slips into grooves from the back that is aluminum. I guess its job is to catch drippings etc. It is tapered to one end and at the low end there is another smaller metal tray that hangs under a hole in the bigger one to catch the drips. The box was enameled steel for the most part but has started to wear away in spots. The grills are ceramic coated cast iron. The lid is heavy ceramic coated and blue. The end pieces of it may be cast iron as they are solid - also coated but shiny and black - and the lid is very heavy. No cast aluminum anywhere. RB On 23/03/2015 2:21 PM, Curt Raymond via Mercedes wrote: Is the box on yours steel? Mine appears to be heavy cast aluminum. I can't see any degradation on it at all. Side shelves are also aluminum as is the heavy base. I think the uprights are steel but they might be plastic with steel rods through them, hard to tell without ruining the paint. Should last a long long time. The guy I got it from got it used so we have no real idea how old it is. He replaced it with a $600 Weber. Used that for a year and asked for this one back. I just smiled. -Curt From: Randy Bennell To: Curt Raymond ; Mercedes Discussion List Sent: Monday, March 23, 2015 3:15 PM Subject: Re: [MBZ] OT BBQ I think mine must be a newer but not better model. It has 3 stainless steel tubes that run front to back. The venturi is built into the front end of the tube. They each attach to the front wall of the burner box with a small stainless bolt threaded into an insert attached to the wall and protrude through. The brass feeds from the valves just protrude into the hole in the end of each tube. No cast iron in sight and no physical attachment. The inserts were seized and I twisted them out of the metal getting the burner tubes loose. I had to use a steel strap as a repair patch but such is life. The BBQ box is deteriorating somewhat. Should be good for another few years. RB On 23/03/2015 11:02 AM, Curt Raymond via Mercedes wrote: I also have an old Vermont castings grill. I got it from a co-worker who didn't want to rebuild it again. The venturi tubes (which I think is the same as what you call burner tubes) had rotted out. Sadly the screws which held the tubes to the burner broke in the brass burner and I had no luck getting them out. I ended up getting a new cast iron burner and tubes and we've been using it since I think 2009 or 2010. I got the parts from an online supplier. My local Vermont Castings place had no desire to look up parts for me and was notably un-helpful. I need to pull it apart this year and clean since the flame is getting noticeably yellow. Other than that I really see no reason that I'd ever need to replace it. It looks and operates exactly the same today as it did the day I fixed it. If it does someday fail I'll be looking for another used top quality grill to rebuild. We had a cheap "Outback" brand before this grill and it was garbage. At camp we've got a $100 Kmart cheapie which is fine since a more expensive grill would probably get stolen but my grill is a million times better. My dad gets a new cheap grill every 3-5 years. I feel like I'm way ahead of him with mine... -Curt From: Randy Bennell via Mercedes To: Mercedes Discussion List Sent: Monday, March 23, 2015 11:52 AM Subject: [MBZ] OT BBQ We have a Vermont Castings BBQ that we have had for a long while and like despite the fact that it is showing its age. We needed to do some repair on it so a week or so ago, I ordered some parts online. Vermont Castings has changed hands according to their website and they no longer wish to deal with the public. One is supposed to find the local dealer and deal through them. They do have a limited online outlet for some parts but I have checked it a few times and the ones I need are always "out of stock". I ordered parts that were aftermarket replacements in order to keep the thing going. Burner tubes and heat plates. The heat plates are fine but different as the originals were ceramic coated steel and the new ones are stainless steel. Apart from that the fit is ok so they will work. We shall see how long they last. The burner tubes are a different story. At first glance they appear to be pretty much identical. However, I could not get them to fit. I would have had to either modify the BBQ housing or the new burner tubes in order to make them work. As luck would have it, I discovered I did not really need them so I will just return the new tubes. The shutter valve that lets air in has screen and the screen had become plugged up with what looks to be fluff from dandelions etc. I used a little wire brush to clean them up and reinstalled the original tubes and they seem to work fine. I had been concerned that the holes in the tubes had become enlarged over time but it
Re: [MBZ] OT BBQ
Is the box on yours steel? Mine appears to be heavy cast aluminum. I can't see any degradation on it at all. Side shelves are also aluminum as is the heavy base. I think the uprights are steel but they might be plastic with steel rods through them, hard to tell without ruining the paint. Should last a long long time. The guy I got it from got it used so we have no real idea how old it is. He replaced it with a $600 Weber. Used that for a year and asked for this one back. I just smiled. -Curt From: Randy Bennell To: Curt Raymond ; Mercedes Discussion List Sent: Monday, March 23, 2015 3:15 PM Subject: Re: [MBZ] OT BBQ I think mine must be a newer but not better model. It has 3 stainless steel tubes that run front to back. The venturi is built into the front end of the tube. They each attach to the front wall of the burner box with a small stainless bolt threaded into an insert attached to the wall and protrude through. The brass feeds from the valves just protrude into the hole in the end of each tube. No cast iron in sight and no physical attachment. The inserts were seized and I twisted them out of the metal getting the burner tubes loose. I had to use a steel strap as a repair patch but such is life. The BBQ box is deteriorating somewhat. Should be good for another few years. RB On 23/03/2015 11:02 AM, Curt Raymond via Mercedes wrote: > I also have an old Vermont castings grill. I got it from a co-worker who > didn't want to rebuild it again. The venturi tubes (which I think is the same > as what you call burner tubes) had rotted out. Sadly the screws which held > the tubes to the burner broke in the brass burner and I had no luck getting > them out. I ended up getting a new cast iron burner and tubes and we've been > using it since I think 2009 or 2010. I got the parts from an online supplier. > My local Vermont Castings place had no desire to look up parts for me and was > notably un-helpful. > I need to pull it apart this year and clean since the flame is getting > noticeably yellow. Other than that I really see no reason that I'd ever need > to replace it. It looks and operates exactly the same today as it did the day > I fixed it. If it does someday fail I'll be looking for another used top > quality grill to rebuild. We had a cheap "Outback" brand before this grill > and it was garbage. At camp we've got a $100 Kmart cheapie which is fine > since a more expensive grill would probably get stolen but my grill is a > million times better. > My dad gets a new cheap grill every 3-5 years. I feel like I'm way ahead of > him with mine... > -Curt > From: Randy Bennell via Mercedes > To: Mercedes Discussion List > Sent: Monday, March 23, 2015 11:52 AM > Subject: [MBZ] OT BBQ > > We have a Vermont Castings BBQ that we have had for a long while and > like despite the fact that it is showing its age. > We needed to do some repair on it so a week or so ago, I ordered some > parts online. > > Vermont Castings has changed hands according to their website and they > no longer wish to deal with the public. One is supposed to find the > local dealer and deal through them. > They do have a limited online outlet for some parts but I have checked > it a few times and the ones I need are always "out of stock". > > I ordered parts that were aftermarket replacements in order to keep the > thing going. Burner tubes and heat plates. The heat plates are fine but > different as the originals were ceramic coated steel and the new ones > are stainless steel. Apart from that the fit is ok so they will work. We > shall see how long they last. > > The burner tubes are a different story. At first glance they appear to > be pretty much identical. However, I could not get them to fit. I would > have had to either modify the BBQ housing or the new burner tubes in > order to make them work. As luck would have it, I discovered I did not > really need them so I will just return the new tubes. The shutter valve > that lets air in has screen and the screen had become plugged up with > what looks to be fluff from dandelions etc. I used a little wire brush > to clean them up and reinstalled the original tubes and they seem to > work fine. I had been concerned that the holes in the tubes had become > enlarged over time but it does not appear that that is an issue. The > holes in the new tubes appeared to be similar size. The burners are now > showing decent blue flame so my issue with the quality of the flame > before was likely just an issue of the air intakes being plugged up. > > I need to refill some propane tanks before we can give it a good test > and cook something but for now I think I am ok. > > Frustrating when parts do not fit the way
Re: [MBZ] OT BBQ
I think mine must be a newer but not better model. It has 3 stainless steel tubes that run front to back. The venturi is built into the front end of the tube. They each attach to the front wall of the burner box with a small stainless bolt threaded into an insert attached to the wall and protrude through. The brass feeds from the valves just protrude into the hole in the end of each tube. No cast iron in sight and no physical attachment. The inserts were seized and I twisted them out of the metal getting the burner tubes loose. I had to use a steel strap as a repair patch but such is life. The BBQ box is deteriorating somewhat. Should be good for another few years. RB On 23/03/2015 11:02 AM, Curt Raymond via Mercedes wrote: I also have an old Vermont castings grill. I got it from a co-worker who didn't want to rebuild it again. The venturi tubes (which I think is the same as what you call burner tubes) had rotted out. Sadly the screws which held the tubes to the burner broke in the brass burner and I had no luck getting them out. I ended up getting a new cast iron burner and tubes and we've been using it since I think 2009 or 2010. I got the parts from an online supplier. My local Vermont Castings place had no desire to look up parts for me and was notably un-helpful. I need to pull it apart this year and clean since the flame is getting noticeably yellow. Other than that I really see no reason that I'd ever need to replace it. It looks and operates exactly the same today as it did the day I fixed it. If it does someday fail I'll be looking for another used top quality grill to rebuild. We had a cheap "Outback" brand before this grill and it was garbage. At camp we've got a $100 Kmart cheapie which is fine since a more expensive grill would probably get stolen but my grill is a million times better. My dad gets a new cheap grill every 3-5 years. I feel like I'm way ahead of him with mine... -Curt From: Randy Bennell via Mercedes To: Mercedes Discussion List Sent: Monday, March 23, 2015 11:52 AM Subject: [MBZ] OT BBQ We have a Vermont Castings BBQ that we have had for a long while and like despite the fact that it is showing its age. We needed to do some repair on it so a week or so ago, I ordered some parts online. Vermont Castings has changed hands according to their website and they no longer wish to deal with the public. One is supposed to find the local dealer and deal through them. They do have a limited online outlet for some parts but I have checked it a few times and the ones I need are always "out of stock". I ordered parts that were aftermarket replacements in order to keep the thing going. Burner tubes and heat plates. The heat plates are fine but different as the originals were ceramic coated steel and the new ones are stainless steel. Apart from that the fit is ok so they will work. We shall see how long they last. The burner tubes are a different story. At first glance they appear to be pretty much identical. However, I could not get them to fit. I would have had to either modify the BBQ housing or the new burner tubes in order to make them work. As luck would have it, I discovered I did not really need them so I will just return the new tubes. The shutter valve that lets air in has screen and the screen had become plugged up with what looks to be fluff from dandelions etc. I used a little wire brush to clean them up and reinstalled the original tubes and they seem to work fine. I had been concerned that the holes in the tubes had become enlarged over time but it does not appear that that is an issue. The holes in the new tubes appeared to be similar size. The burners are now showing decent blue flame so my issue with the quality of the flame before was likely just an issue of the air intakes being plugged up. I need to refill some propane tanks before we can give it a good test and cook something but for now I think I am ok. Frustrating when parts do not fit the way they should. Not sure exactly what the issue is but the tube just would not fit in such a way that the brass feed from the control valve would fit in the end of the tube. The original just slips in like it should. The new ones would have required some modification so if I had to do it I could but I was reluctant to really get into it. I did not want to damage the new tubes so that they could not be returned if they never did work properly. RB ___ ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: https://server.secureplusplusfour.net:2083/cpsess595060604/3rdparty/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
Re: [MBZ] OT BBQ
I also have an old Vermont castings grill. I got it from a co-worker who didn't want to rebuild it again. The venturi tubes (which I think is the same as what you call burner tubes) had rotted out. Sadly the screws which held the tubes to the burner broke in the brass burner and I had no luck getting them out. I ended up getting a new cast iron burner and tubes and we've been using it since I think 2009 or 2010. I got the parts from an online supplier. My local Vermont Castings place had no desire to look up parts for me and was notably un-helpful. I need to pull it apart this year and clean since the flame is getting noticeably yellow. Other than that I really see no reason that I'd ever need to replace it. It looks and operates exactly the same today as it did the day I fixed it. If it does someday fail I'll be looking for another used top quality grill to rebuild. We had a cheap "Outback" brand before this grill and it was garbage. At camp we've got a $100 Kmart cheapie which is fine since a more expensive grill would probably get stolen but my grill is a million times better. My dad gets a new cheap grill every 3-5 years. I feel like I'm way ahead of him with mine... -Curt From: Randy Bennell via Mercedes To: Mercedes Discussion List Sent: Monday, March 23, 2015 11:52 AM Subject: [MBZ] OT BBQ We have a Vermont Castings BBQ that we have had for a long while and like despite the fact that it is showing its age. We needed to do some repair on it so a week or so ago, I ordered some parts online. Vermont Castings has changed hands according to their website and they no longer wish to deal with the public. One is supposed to find the local dealer and deal through them. They do have a limited online outlet for some parts but I have checked it a few times and the ones I need are always "out of stock". I ordered parts that were aftermarket replacements in order to keep the thing going. Burner tubes and heat plates. The heat plates are fine but different as the originals were ceramic coated steel and the new ones are stainless steel. Apart from that the fit is ok so they will work. We shall see how long they last. The burner tubes are a different story. At first glance they appear to be pretty much identical. However, I could not get them to fit. I would have had to either modify the BBQ housing or the new burner tubes in order to make them work. As luck would have it, I discovered I did not really need them so I will just return the new tubes. The shutter valve that lets air in has screen and the screen had become plugged up with what looks to be fluff from dandelions etc. I used a little wire brush to clean them up and reinstalled the original tubes and they seem to work fine. I had been concerned that the holes in the tubes had become enlarged over time but it does not appear that that is an issue. The holes in the new tubes appeared to be similar size. The burners are now showing decent blue flame so my issue with the quality of the flame before was likely just an issue of the air intakes being plugged up. I need to refill some propane tanks before we can give it a good test and cook something but for now I think I am ok. Frustrating when parts do not fit the way they should. Not sure exactly what the issue is but the tube just would not fit in such a way that the brass feed from the control valve would fit in the end of the tube. The original just slips in like it should. The new ones would have required some modification so if I had to do it I could but I was reluctant to really get into it. I did not want to damage the new tubes so that they could not be returned if they never did work properly. RB ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: https://server.secureplusplusfour.net:2083/cpsess595060604/3rdparty/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: https://server.secureplusplusfour.net:2083/cpsess595060604/3rdparty/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
[MBZ] OT BBQ
We have a Vermont Castings BBQ that we have had for a long while and like despite the fact that it is showing its age. We needed to do some repair on it so a week or so ago, I ordered some parts online. Vermont Castings has changed hands according to their website and they no longer wish to deal with the public. One is supposed to find the local dealer and deal through them. They do have a limited online outlet for some parts but I have checked it a few times and the ones I need are always "out of stock". I ordered parts that were aftermarket replacements in order to keep the thing going. Burner tubes and heat plates. The heat plates are fine but different as the originals were ceramic coated steel and the new ones are stainless steel. Apart from that the fit is ok so they will work. We shall see how long they last. The burner tubes are a different story. At first glance they appear to be pretty much identical. However, I could not get them to fit. I would have had to either modify the BBQ housing or the new burner tubes in order to make them work. As luck would have it, I discovered I did not really need them so I will just return the new tubes. The shutter valve that lets air in has screen and the screen had become plugged up with what looks to be fluff from dandelions etc. I used a little wire brush to clean them up and reinstalled the original tubes and they seem to work fine. I had been concerned that the holes in the tubes had become enlarged over time but it does not appear that that is an issue. The holes in the new tubes appeared to be similar size. The burners are now showing decent blue flame so my issue with the quality of the flame before was likely just an issue of the air intakes being plugged up. I need to refill some propane tanks before we can give it a good test and cook something but for now I think I am ok. Frustrating when parts do not fit the way they should. Not sure exactly what the issue is but the tube just would not fit in such a way that the brass feed from the control valve would fit in the end of the tube. The original just slips in like it should. The new ones would have required some modification so if I had to do it I could but I was reluctant to really get into it. I did not want to damage the new tubes so that they could not be returned if they never did work properly. RB ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: https://server.secureplusplusfour.net:2083/cpsess595060604/3rdparty/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
Re: [MBZ] OT BBQ
I will have a look but I think the issue is that the burner tubes are wearing out. RB On 12/09/2014 11:20 AM, Curt Raymond via Mercedes wrote: The burner I put in mine is aftermarket, its been great. Remember that you're not going to be able to buy much of a grill for $200. Have you tried cleaning yours? Again if its mostly yellow flames maybe theres something clogging an air intake? -Curt ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com All posts are the result of individual contributors and as such, those individuals are responsible for the content of the post. The list owner has no control over the content of the messages of each contributor.
Re: [MBZ] OT BBQ
The burner I put in mine is aftermarket, its been great. Remember that you're not going to be able to buy much of a grill for $200. Have you tried cleaning yours? Again if its mostly yellow flames maybe theres something clogging an air intake? -Curt From: Randy Bennell To: Curt Raymond ; Mercedes Discussion List Sent: Friday, September 12, 2014 12:13 PM Subject: Re: [MBZ] OT BBQ Just took a look online. Appears that Vermont Castings has given up on my model as they show almost all of the parts as "not in stock". Aftermarket parts appear to be available but also appears that it will cost at least $200 to replace the 3 burner tubes at roughly $25 each and about the same for the heat shields. Add on some tax and we will hit $200 pretty quickly. Wish I knew if the aftermarket parts will be OK or if they will be junk that does not last. What are my odds??? RB On 12/09/2014 9:12 AM, Curt Raymond via Mercedes wrote: > That sounds about right. Remember the price of grills hasn't risen > appreciably in the last 15 years. We looked at grills for camp and decided on > a KMart $99 unit which has served us surprisingly well. > At home I have a Vermont Castings unit that a co-worker replaced with a $600 > Webber. The VC I got cost around $600 20 years ago. I would submit that a > "good" grill is in the $500-$800 range and if you're going to spend less you > should get the $100 cheapo. > > I will note that my home grill is due for some love, its burning quite > yellow. I need to take a look in the burner and see if the air tubes are > plugged, at the very least I should clean out the accumulated schmutz. I've > had the thing 5 or 6 years and have maintained it not at all. When I got it I > put a new cast iron (as opposed to the pressed steel the cheapies use) burner > in but thats all. It could use new ceramic radiants (as opposed to lava > rocks) too. > > -Curt > > > ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com All posts are the result of individual contributors and as such, those individuals are responsible for the content of the post. The list owner has no control over the content of the messages of each contributor.
Re: [MBZ] OT BBQ
Just took a look online. Appears that Vermont Castings has given up on my model as they show almost all of the parts as "not in stock". Aftermarket parts appear to be available but also appears that it will cost at least $200 to replace the 3 burner tubes at roughly $25 each and about the same for the heat shields. Add on some tax and we will hit $200 pretty quickly. Wish I knew if the aftermarket parts will be OK or if they will be junk that does not last. What are my odds??? RB On 12/09/2014 9:12 AM, Curt Raymond via Mercedes wrote: That sounds about right. Remember the price of grills hasn't risen appreciably in the last 15 years. We looked at grills for camp and decided on a KMart $99 unit which has served us surprisingly well. At home I have a Vermont Castings unit that a co-worker replaced with a $600 Webber. The VC I got cost around $600 20 years ago. I would submit that a "good" grill is in the $500-$800 range and if you're going to spend less you should get the $100 cheapo. I will note that my home grill is due for some love, its burning quite yellow. I need to take a look in the burner and see if the air tubes are plugged, at the very least I should clean out the accumulated schmutz. I've had the thing 5 or 6 years and have maintained it not at all. When I got it I put a new cast iron (as opposed to the pressed steel the cheapies use) burner in but thats all. It could use new ceramic radiants (as opposed to lava rocks) too. -Curt ___ http://www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com All posts are the result of individual contributors and as such, those individuals are responsible for the content of the post. The list owner has no control over the content of the messages of each contributor.
