Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This was shipped by Amazon it its original box only. When it arrived I saw a big gash on the box. Sure enough, when I opened it there was a major dent in the rim of the firebowl. I immediately called the manufacturer, because the instructions say to call them first before returning it to the retailer. Well they told me to go ahead and contact Amazon for a replacement. I did the return online and it came today. This time the box was placed inside another box with some paper stuffing to protect the inner box. When I opened the box there was no damage. Hopefully, they’ll ship them all like this from now on. This firepit works very well and puts out a lot of heat. The key to getting maximum heat is to make sure that you scatter the small rocks at the very bottom of the bowl. When you start laying the large rocks, do not set them too close to the gas ring. You don’t want to obstruct the holes at all. This will allow the flames to cascade around the larger rocks creating a high flame of 4 - 10 inches. If you let the rocks get too close to the holes the flames won’t be as high. The key is to create a circular tunnel of large rocks over the fire ring. Another bonus is the plastic cover that comes with it. The instructions say to keep it out of the rain and to put it away during rainy weather. Well, I’m too lazy to lug it into the garage every time it rains. When I put the cover on it I was surprised that it covered the whole thing, even the flame-shaped holes on the side. You definitely don’t need to move it inside when it’s raining once the cover is protecting it. I wasn’t keen on the aesthetics of a 20 lb. propane tank sitting out in the open so I also got this deck box to store it in. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00013BUW8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I had to cut out a circle in the bottom so that the tank would fit since the tank is too tall. Now I have a nice looking storage box to house the tank and also to serve as a nice side table. There’s enough room inside to store the firepit cover, a cushion or two, or whatever. There’s a small gap between the bottom and the patio for the hose to fit into so that the hose threads up through the bottom, which you have cut out, and into the tank. Overall, an awesome fire pit. I used it on Thanksgiving night for several hours and didn’t see the gauge on my tank move very much. Update 9/2/15: Still loving this fire pit. I replaced the light weight l lava rocks with regular red lava rocks from my local rock/masonry supplier. Very cheap way to go and the rocks will last forever unlike the ones that are supplied. I'm also adding a picture of the Rubbermaid Brute 44 gallon trash can lid which I use to provide a solid rain cover. It costs only $16 right now for the black one. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B005KD0U16/ref=mobile_oh_details_?ie=UTF8&psc=1#