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If the grill market has yet to leave you empty-handed in your shopping ad hunt for a shiny outdoor grill, well, your timing could have been a little better (yes, Labor Day is still more than a month and a half away). Heck, a new Weber grill sounds good right about now.
Whether you’re a full-blown grill enthusiast or just a guy who won’t back out from hosting a BBQ backyard get-together, here’s how to spend less of your dough for a new, factory sealed grill.
Take a nose dive into this year’s prime time for new grills you can snatch at ridiculous prices. Having said that, here’s some wisdom to keep you savvy as you navigate the marketplace.
Is there a Wrong Time to Buy?
Labor Day is still a ways on the calendar, and that means you’re going to see less retailers of outdoor grills putting out deals. Why? In dumb-downed terms, their inventory from the summer are priced to be cleared out, which of course works in the favor of the customer.
Almost anywhere in the US through August (starting in later July), is the perfect window of opportunity to save on a grill. Come the weekend of Labor Day, some retailers might even be seen marking down their grills by as much as 80%, and 60 or 70% just the same.
Can’t Wait till Labor Day?
Amazon.com almost always has some kind of promotion running when you sign up for one of their Rewards Visa cards and are approved, you should get a $50 Amazon credit (as of April 2019). If you decide not to use it, that’s up to you, but if you pay for that grill with your Amazon rewards card, you’d get 3% back additionally. Not a bad deal.
That’s one of your best bets any time in the year to get a brand new Weber for cheaper.
More so, as of May 2019, you may be able to get a $70 Amazon sign up bonus after getting approved for their Amazon Prime Rewards Visa card. For sure you’ll get 5% back on Amazon purchases (note: you do need a Prime membership to qualify). So, you could get an 18-inch Original Kettle for close to nothing, a Jumbo Joe for free (with cash to spare), or an inexpensive Weber Spirit E-310.
Take almost any grill that’s popular and plug it through a price tracker and towards the summer’s end there’s a drop in prices.
For instance, look at the Char Broil 3-Burner 36,000 BTU Gas Grill. It fluctuated between $175 up to almost $200 on Amazon in early 2015. Shortly before August, that price lowered near $140. For most of the month of April 2017 it was around $199, then around May 1st it dropped to near $155 and has held fairly steady since. (This grill, however, has been phased out for the newer Char-Broil Classic 360 3 burner grill, found here).
Here’s the gist– if you’re not quite as patient to buy a factory-sealed grill, the more your wallet will take a hit.
The deals on gas grills, as noted by Consumer Reports, are the best in September.
There’s more routes than gas grills if you’re looking to save. Almost no retailer wants dust collecting on their charcoal grills 12 months through the year. Britt Beamer, CEO and Founder of America’s Research Group, mentions how much of the charcoals grills are “toast” come the weekend of Labor Day. And, the majority of retailers want each of those grills sold.
While there’s still really good deals on electric-powered grills at hand, Beemer pointed out that charcoal and gas will be likely discounted significantly more as they’re more so a seasonal product.
Grill Deals- Finding the Best Ones
Retailers like Lowe’s and Home Depot have built up a niche to be reckoned with in the market of outdoor grills. Remember this, though- chances are they’ll save some of their inventory, about a fifth of it, so they have some kind of assortment through the year. Beemer thinks it’s a sure bet that deep discounts will be promoted by these players as Labor Day gets closer. By now, Sears and other major retailers have been touting the grills they’ve reduced.
See Also: Are Weber Grills Worth the Money? [2024 Update]
Also added by Beemer, retailers with close-out prices (think Tuesday Morning) are also worthy to be considered. Kohl’s even, may have 75-80% off on grills that are being closed out (or more).
If you have a membership to Sam’s Club, word has gotten around that their prices usually drop on Kamado Vision Grills to just a hair under $300 toward summer’s end. Buzz with similarity is making its way at BJ’s Wholesale Club.
Good luck finding a Weber grill at a warehouse club. It doesn’t happen.
Other Factors no Less Important
What can you first do to save more cash? Be aware of your grilling requirements. People seem to be appealed to gas who are oriented more to convenience. Ignition; push button. Heat control; a dial that’s no more complicated than a simple turn.
I’d say the people who have more of an appeal to charcoal grills are driven by the process side of things.
If getting a fire lit and food smoked are things you enjoy (other than grilling), then you may get the most from your dollar with a charcoal grill. At any rate, its performance and longevity will reciprocate the price paid for it.
A grill you invest in priced originally between 5-$600 should yield a product that sees many seasons (amounting to years) if it’s properly cared for. However, if you go with a $50 grill that was marked down from $100, that’s okay, just expect it to last for a few years at most.
The possibility is still there to give up a few less dollars while still reaching a compromise that’s reasonable. Here’s one: the cheaper Char-Griller 16620 Charcoal Grill Akorn Kamado Kooker (mentioned earlier) compares well to the Big Green Egg. Actually, prices can end up being a fourth less. What’s sacrificed? The Akorn isn’t as sturdy, while the Big Green Egg boasts a longer lifespan.
Ask yourself this: What are your requirements for a grill? The messier of the options is definitely charcoal if we’re talking storage, but many will say the flavor it gives off is richer.
-Charcoal and propane aside, it’s not easy to pass up a Weber- few of which don’t see a deep discount by the tail of summer. Also, a built-in-table should be considered. Its convenience can be a tremendous difference.
So, Do Weber Grills Ever go on Sale?
You kind of have to be in the right place at the right time. As I’ve mentioned in several other articles, Weber puts a price control on their grills for retailers to abide by. That doesn’t mean you can’t score a deal on a spankin new Genesis II or Spirit.
If Weber is in the process of redesigning one of their models, for instance the Spirit line, there’ll probably be some of the older models on clearance. Case in point, the 2016 and earlier Genesis models went on sale last August 1st ($100 cheaper) while retailers like Ace Hardware phased out the 2016 inventory to make room for the 2017 Weber Genesis II grills. A rare online sale by Weber to say the least.
There’s more discounts typical near the end-of-season, Father’s day, and Memorial day. Though it doesn’t happen too often, Target has had the Weber Q1200 portable grills on clearance for $99- half off- back in August 2015. Wal Mart has been known to clearance these units as well.
Some select locations have had deep discounts on Weber grills in January or December as they’re getting inventory cleared out, but don’t count on it.
There’s always the go-to Amazon.com for grill affair if you’re feeling ancy. You might want to look at their deal on the base Spirit E-210 model, though I believe only third party sellers are offering it right now (probably the best valued gas grill in terms of price, performance, and longevity). That and the Weber Genesis E-310 are their two most popular gas grill lines, which you can find my reviews on if you take a look through my site.
→Lets keep this discussion going in the field below- Any word on where to look for the best BBQ deals? Did you happen to get a cheap Weber Genesis? How about coupons?
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