Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I've owned one of these in the past (bought it about 6 or 7 years ago) and it was fantastic. Inexpensive - NOT cheap - sturdy, well built... I mean this thing was like a TANK. Practically indestructible. I live in michigan and I used it all year long - sometimes twice a day. I LOVED that grill! Well, after about 5 years of constant use it finally wore out. No problem, I thought - I'll get another one. After all it was very affordable and I certainly felt like I got my money's worth out of it. So I bought another one. Well, like they say, "Things ain't what they used to be." The "New and Improved" version is a toy. My original one was heavy and solid. The sidewalls were thick and sturdy. I think you could shoot the thing with a .38 and it would bounce right off. Well, the new one was flimsy and thin. I think you could practically poke through it with a screwdriver or a pocket knife. The cooking grate on the old one was thick, solid and heavy. It had a great finish on it and was easy to clean. Needless to say the new one was light weight and super thin. Everything I cooked on it stuck to it as well. Well, just three days ago I lit the thing and went into the house to wait for it to warm up. When I came back out, to my horror and surprise, flames were rolling out of the front of it right up and over the flame control knobs and front panel. My knobs were melting and oozing down the front of it. (I should have taken a picture of it, but next day was trash day and I put that thing right out for the garbage.) I thought for sure it was going to explode or something!! I don't know who the corporate clown was that decided to "upgrade and improve" upon a perfectly good thing. I know - "let's make it a little cheaper and increase our profit margins." Short-sighted suits who can't see past their wallets and their bottom line. I WILL NEVER buy another grill from these clowns and I will continue to try and educate others about their inferior, flimsy, cheap construction! I think some of the positive reviews of this grill are probably for people who bought the older version. Or possibly from people who bought the newer one and didn't have the old one to compare it to. I'm telling you this grill is a piece of garbage... and that's exactly where it will wind up. If you use your grill 5 or 6 times during the summer, this might be an OK grill for you. If you are a grillmaster who thinks everything tastes better grilled... Please look elsewhere!! If I could give this thing a ZERO star rating, I would.