Pellet Fan
Pit Talk -- Comments and Questions Regarding These Pellet Pits => All Other Pellet Manufactures. => Topic started by: GatorDave on June 21, 2018, 08:31:33 AM
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What do you guys think of this thing?
http://www.sears.com/kenmore-wood-pellet-smoker-grill-with-stainless-steel/p-A017254338?plpSellerId=Sears&prdNo=4&blockNo=4&blockType=G4#
It's $360 with the 10% discount they are offering.
It is an almost exact clone of the Silverbac minus the upgraded controller, storage cabinet, moved chimney, and some of the stainless. I'm just wondering if the extras are worth the extra $350 to get the Silverbac.
Zgrills has one that is an exact copy of the Silverbac, except for the stainless and upgraded controller.
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Give it a try if funds are tight for you knowing that you will get zero support from Sears. I think worst case scenario, you may need to retrofit with a secondary market controller. If you find that you like the flavor of cooking on a pellet grill, you can always upgrade to something more expensive later. Doesn't look much different than a Traeger.
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I'm more of a get it right the first time kind of shopper, although I'm also a don't spend money I don't need to kind of shopper...lol. I'm just curious if the upgrades on the Silverbac are worth twice the cost. That being said, I'm leaning towards the original Grilla at this point anyhow. I just can't seem to stop finding new pellet grills to consider though.
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I don't know if the new controller, stainless steel, storage cabinet and chimney relocation are worth the extra investment. Grilla's market research must indicate that the majority of their prospective customers will think they are.
That's a lot of pit for $360. If you decide to sell it you can probably get at least half of your money back, so you're risking, maybe, $180. You may get support from Grilla, but you can always count on the Pellet Fan community.
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That's a lot of pit for $360.
+1
This is priced like a cheap gasser. This could get a lot of regular folks into Pellets. I honestly don't think it's for us pelletfans, but this will most certainly raise our membership.
DK
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So who makes this for Kenmore? Louisiana Grills? Camp Chef?
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https://www.zgrills.com/
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So who makes this for Kenmore? Louisiana Grills? Camp Chef?
I think it is whoever makes the Grilla Silverbac. It is almost identical. The Zgrills must also be made by the same place. I'm curious whether that was Grilla's design or not. Having your intellectual property stolen is one of the dangers of doing business over there.
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https://www.zgrills.com/
Just saw a Business Insider story online about their grills today. Saw another one yesterday about a new Traeger tailgate grill too. Lotsa press about pellet grills lately. I liked being part of a smaller underground type community. Not going to be a big fan if pellet grills go mainstream.
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So who makes this for Kenmore? Louisiana Grills? Camp Chef?
I think it is whoever makes the Grilla Silverbac. It is almost identical. The Zgrills must also be made by the same place. I'm curious whether that was Grilla's design or not. Having your intellectual property stolen is one of the dangers of doing business over there.
Over there?
Click on the link I posted and the click on 'freegrill'. They're made 'here' and they've made pits for several different brands.
Pick one of their upper end units and they'll give you your money back after a few years. THAT'S impressive...
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Who would buy ANYTHING from Sears??? ???
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Who would buy ANYTHING from Sears??? ???
I've bought a ton of stuff from Sears. Craftsman tools are guaranteed for life. Break a tool? Take it back and get a new one. No questions asked. My Dad bought each of us a Winchester model 70 single shot .22 rifle. While my friends are giddy shooting pop cans at 30 yards with their 10/22's, I'm picking twigs off of branches.
Sears is like any other retailer. They sell lottsa other peoples stuff.
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So who makes this for Kenmore? Louisiana Grills? Camp Chef?
I think it is whoever makes the Grilla Silverbac. It is almost identical. The Zgrills must also be made by the same place. I'm curious whether that was Grilla's design or not. Having your intellectual property stolen is one of the dangers of doing business over there.
Over there?
Click on the link I posted and the click on 'freegrill'. They're made 'here' and they've made pits for several different brands.
Pick one of their upper end units and they'll give you your money back after a few years. THAT'S impressive...
It says right on their site that they are made in China. They say they are a proud American brand, but the grills are made in China. I guarantee that the same company that produces the Grilla Silverbac also produces the Zgrill. Whose design was it, I don't know, but they are basically identical grills. As far as that Freegrill thing goes, the company would have to still be in business to get your money in five years. I'm definitely not going to risk buying a grill I'm unsure of in the hopes that I'll get my money back down the road.
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I justly stand corrected. Thank you for pointing out my lack of research beyond the 'headlines'.
Seriously... I do appreciate it.
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Who would buy ANYTHING from Sears??? ???
I just heard on the local news that Sears has filed for bankruptcy. I don't have details but will sleuth around.
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It's been in business news for the last several years and heated up a lot last week. They had a big debt payment due today that they couldn't make so they filed at 3:30 this morning or something like that. They claim they are only shutting an additional 132 Sears/Kmart stores. Toys R Us was generating positive cash flow and couldn't make it through a restructuring. I don't see Sears making it either. I suspect there will be news about them liquidating before or during Spring 2019.
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They were, at one time, the world’s biggest retailer. The next time you hear that the dominance of other companies (i.e., Amazon, Walmart or Facebook) will never end, think about Sears. It can end—and it probably will.
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60 years ago Sears was the "to go" place for almost anything that you needed except food. At that time their products were more than acceptable, quality wise. I still have/use Craftsman tools and Sears vacuum cleaner. I for one will miss them. :2cents:
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They were, at one time, the world’s biggest retailer. The next time you hear that the dominance of other companies (i.e., Amazon, Walmart or Facebook) will never end, think about Sears. It can end—and it probably will.
Well, if you have ever been in the corporate HQ of both Sears and WM, you will realize quickly that Sears put their money in a place other than keeping their business and stores current and WM focuses all of their attention on Operations and not a corporate image.
5+ years ago the individual brands of Sears were worth more than the stock valuation of the company. They should have sold everything off then. Sad day for our country, and will be even sadder when they close for good after failing to come out of CH11 bankruptcy restructuring successfully.
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In 1987 Donald Katz chronicled Sears in his book, The Big Store. He tells of the downward spiral of catalog sales that had historically boosted in-store revenue, of their building the world’s tallest building where corporate buyers conducted their bitter fights with regional and store managers and executives sat dictating lengthy memos that had little or nothing to do with what was happening inside the stores. I’d read it again if someone would update it by adding the last 30 years.
Sears has been in business since 1893, 125 years. Their corporate culture was set long ago. Sears executives have spent their entire careers doing things a certain way. As is so often the case, they can’t change, even as the world changes around them.
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Sears has sold off al of their brands, or the names anyways. You can buy craftsman tools at Ace and kenmore appliances as other places now. I remember the big 3 Sears, JC Penny and Montgomery Wards when it came to catalogs. They sold everything, I know my first 22 rifle came from JC Penny, Sears had a little catalog just for fishing, one for hunting/shooting I would get my parents to order me cases of ammo from sears, because as kid I went through a lot of 22 ammo and 12 gauge shells.
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In 1987 Donald Katz chronicled Sears in his book, The Big Store. He tells of the downward spiral of catalog sales that had historically boosted in-store revenue, of their building the world’s tallest building where corporate buyers conducted their bitter fights with regional and store managers and executives sat dictating lengthy memos that had little or nothing to do with what was happening inside the stores. I’d read it again if someone would update it by adding the last 30 years.
Sears has been in business since 1893, 125 years. Their corporate culture was set long ago. Sears executives have spent their entire careers doing things a certain way. As is so often the case, they can’t change, even as the world changes around them.
The Sears executive team turned over about every 6-12 months during the last 5+ years. And their teams below them almost as fast.
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Sears executives have spent their entire careers doing things a certain way. As is so often the case, they can’t change, even as the world changes around them.
The Sears executive team turned over about every 6-12 months during the last 5+ years. And their teams below them almost as fast.
True about their current, peak, positions but almost all of them have been at Corporate, in decision-making positions, for a few years. Ladley came from Ralph Loren (I think) less than two years ago.
Edward Lampert, Chairman & CEO ............................................. 2004
Robert A. Riecker, Chief Financial Officer...................................... 2011
Greg Ladley, President of Apparel and Footwear............................ 2017
Dean Schwartz, President, Hardlines (Svc. Date 1993), CHQ.......... 2009
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But Sears was broken before Lampert bought them. Things spiraled from there. The company was built by identifying the needs of people and providing them with a quality product or service at a fair price. They just didn't keep up with a changing world. I remember being in a presentation of their's at the corporate HQ about 10 years ago. They were talking about wanting to create online orders for people to pick up product at store. That was going to be their only online option. They were not looking at delivery to your home. They also had very little if any grocery products. If people are going to leave their house to make purchases, they want to buy everything on one trip if they can. I could provide countless examples of where other companies filled the needs of people and Sears/Kmart missed the boat but I'm through with the discussion. No value in beating this dead horse anymore as they most likely will not see 2019 and almost certainly won't see the end of 2019 IMO.
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Yeah it is tough, but for whatever the reason, it is always hard to see an Icon of any industry disappear.
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It’s sad. I worked at my local sears for 5 years in the mid to late 90’s as a high schooler and young college student. The store was busy year round. The whole month of December we used to have to park across the street behind a toys r us in their overflow parking lot and get bus’d to the store for your shift because they wanted to reserve every last mall parking lot for shoppers......and they were full....every single spot. Today, the toys r us is closed and there are never more than a hand full of cars in the expansive mall parking lot. Two of the 3 “anchor stores†are gone and you have Sears barely hanging on by a thread. Amazing how quickly things change.
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I maybe way off on this, but I thought I saw it when I toured it....the childhood home of President Nixon was bought as a kit from Sears and sits on his Library grounds in Yorba Linda!
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Interesting to see how in many ways, Sears and Amazon made their mark by making it easy to shop at home.
Sears with the Catalog, and Amazon with the internet.
Technology changed, and Sears didn't.
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I maybe way off on this, but I thought I saw it when I toured it....the childhood home of President Nixon was bought as a kit from Sears and sits on his Library grounds in Yorba Linda!
It's possible. Sears sold kit homes from their catalog. You could buy a Volkswagen engine from the catalog when I was a kid.
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Take a quick gander at the catalog prices on the online auction sites, some of them are getting some pretty decent money.
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I loved Sears for years. I bought tools, appliances, clothes, TV's, etc. all from them. However, it seems to me when they first hit a couple bumps in the road, they did change, but it wasn't for the better. They started carrying cheaper clothing from off brands, sourced out Craftsman tools to cheaper contracts and lesser specs, and carried lesser brands in other departments. When it was good I bought my Weber gas grill from them, all sorts of Dockers clothes, Panasonic and Sony TVs, etc. I quit shopping there much after it became Sansui, Sanyo, Charbroil, etc. After Ryobi took over the power tool contract, you could actually buy a much cheaper Ryobi at Home Depot that was built as good or better than the Craftsman at Sears. However, neither was half the tool of a Makita, Milwaukee, Dewalt unless you were after a gimmick feature that Sears patented
I really miss the good Sears of even 15-20 years ago. What was the last good decision they made?
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What was the last good decision they made?
A great question! I'm somehow angered when watching their slide. It reminds me of those cases where children inherit a thriving business and drive it into the ground. I'd be angrier if I were a stockholder but I sold mine years ago.
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Fond memory's growing up with Sears. Most of my parents major purchases came from them. The catalog stores were often used to provide things not offered in stores. Things like Motor Scooters, Mopeds, Firearms not in stores. My brother had a Moped from Sears, an Italian Puch. All of our appliances growing up were Kenmore. Every tool in Dad's garage was Craftsman. I'm no business expert, but it seems like a ton of bad decisions have been made. Looks like the current CEO will probably make out on real estate, who knows.
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An interesting option, but what about these models (https://grillguru.org/best-tailgate-grill/)? I liked the first one, I think to install it just in my jeep.