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[okie smokie]

I may have misinformed everyone.  The 590 has 302 stainless for the grates and firepot.  The rest is described as SS and I magnet tested it.  The rest is probably 430 SS as it is strongly magnetic.  No big deal but just fyi. 
Both units are performing flawlessly to date.  Thanks for all the input.
 

[okie smokie]

I may have misinformed everyone.  The 590 has 302 stainless for the grates and firepot.  The rest is described as SS and I magnet tested it.  The rest is probably 430 SS as it is strongly magnetic.  No big deal but just fyi. 
Both units are performing flawlessly to date.  Thanks for all the input.
 

Isn't the body porcelain coated steel?

No, Only the lid is.  The body is SS.  One thing about even 430 SS, it does not rust easily, but boy does it get stained at every air leak. My son-in-law and I just finished putting romex seal around the lid not so much because it leaks smoke, but because it stains the SS all around the lid. My son has the other unit, and is not concerned with such things.  He loves the great function and precise temps, and especially the WiFi. If I were to be asked for input, I would advise them to put internal arch braces on the lid, as I think it is a bit flimsy.  Otherwise, I am pleased.

[DaisyCutter]

No, Only the lid is.  The body is SS.  One thing about even 430 SS, it does not rust easily, but boy does it get stained at every air leak. My son-in-law and I just finished putting romex seal around the lid not so much because it leaks smoke, but because it stains the SS all around the lid. My son has the other unit, and is not concerned with such things.  He loves the great function and precise temps, and especially the WiFi. If I were to be asked for input, I would advise them to put internal arch braces on the lid, as I think it is a bit flimsy.  Otherwise, I am pleased.

I'm with him. It's a BBQ pit, not a Lamborghini 

[Bar-B-Lew]

One thing about even 430 SS, it does not rust easily, but boy does it get stained at every air leak. My son-in-law and I just finished putting romex seal around the lid not so much because it leaks smoke, but because it stains the SS all around the lid. My son has the other unit, and is not concerned with such things.  He loves the great function and precise temps, and especially the WiFi. If I were to be asked for input, I would advise them to put internal arch braces on the lid, as I think it is a bit flimsy.  Otherwise, I am pleased.

Just got my Stampede in, have not finished assembly but one thing I notice while unpacking it yesterday is the gap around the lid, between the body and the lid.  One side is a bit more than the other, like 1/4".  The lid is recessed too far back on the body so my plan is to loosen up the screws and try to move it forward a bit.  Does a leaky lid screw up the temps?  I wouldn't think so since the rear vents are quite large.

Thanks!

It is quite possible it could mess with the circulation of the air throughout the grill which could swing temps from controller set temp depending on how large of a gap it may be.  Best bet is to call Rec Tec and ask them what they would recommend.  They may send you a replacement part.  Next best would be to use a remote thermometer to test out the temps versus controller temps to understand what you may be dealing with from a temp variance.

[okie smokie]

One thing about even 430 SS, it does not rust easily, but boy does it get stained at every air leak. My son-in-law and I just finished putting romex seal around the lid not so much because it leaks smoke, but because it stains the SS all around the lid. My son has the other unit, and is not concerned with such things.  He loves the great function and precise temps, and especially the WiFi. If I were to be asked for input, I would advise them to put internal arch braces on the lid, as I think it is a bit flimsy.  Otherwise, I am pleased.

Just got my Stampede in, have not finished assembly but one thing I notice while unpacking it yesterday is the gap around the lid, between the body and the lid.  One side is a bit more than the other, like 1/4".  The lid is recessed too far back on the body so my plan is to loosen up the screws and try to move it forward a bit.  Does a leaky lid screw up the temps?  I wouldn't think so since the rear vents are quite large.

Thanks!

It is quite possible it could mess with the circulation of the air throughout the grill which could swing temps from controller set temp depending on how large of a gap it may be.  Best bet is to call Rec Tec and ask them what they would recommend.  They may send you a replacement part.  Next best would be to use a remote thermometer to test out the temps versus controller temps to understand what you may be dealing with from a temp variance.

Son-in-laws lid was not well fitted and we loosened the bolts on both sides and there was enough play to get a much better fit.  However, there was still a significant leak, so we put the romex on and re-positioned again, tightened it up and got a great result.  Almost no leak now all around.  My son has the other unit and did not use romex seal.  He just finished a 24 lb brisket (wow!!) at 225, for 12 hrs, and got perfect result.  In 12 hrs he thinks he used about 8 lbs of pellets at 225*. 
Both units work well for them.  Conclusion: Leaks if not large, do not effect the cook.  However, they do cause staining of the SS. If you consider that staining is no big deal, then don't worry about it. In the end I suspect that the SS on all the units will be discolored, unless you are OCD and use SS cleaner after every cook. Ugh! what a painful thought. Remember, the pit is to cook with, not to display at yard parties. 

[okie smokie]

I've used the seal material on my Blaz'n as well, and still have small leakage mostly at startup.  I agree that a tight seal is not nec, and perhaps not a good thing.  But considering that the chimney is big and also, the drip spout is always open, I am going to follow the advice of Dr. Strangelove "stop worrying and learn to love the Bomb".  (forgot the exact quote).
However!!! 1/4 inch is too much in my opinion.  Both of our lid leaks were on the right lower side but not near that big. A new lid sounds better than lots of tape. If this is a common problem, then they should be able to get their manufacturer to do a better job of bending. Also I would have designed a metal arch supports for each side which could have been welded inside at the precise angle needed for a better fit. I notice that many of the steel pits have this i.e. Blaz'n, LG.  Costs more but reduces the problem and the wobbly lid as well. Got the seal on eBay.  Will send Mark the source.   

[Ralphie]

I may have gotten lucky.  My Stampede lid has always fit flush straight out of the box.  The only smoke leaks come from the vents, grease spout, and the hole where the probe wires go. 

[okie smokie]

Wow! Glad you are sending for a new lid.  I suspect they are already working on a solution to prevent this problem. Keep us informed. Also, might be a good idea to see if the holes in the top where the hinges go are in the right place?  I did not consider that before, but if the holes for the hinges are not correct, it might account for the whole problem. One way to check is to remove the bolts for the hinges entirely, and then see if the lid will fit flush all around.  If you get a good fit, then when you look at the hinges, you will see that the holes in the body are not in line with the hinge holes.  ? If so, problem easily solved with a rat tailed file or by drilling new holes. I'm very interested in your findings. 

[LowSlowJoe]

FYI - The internal components of the Stampede are not 304SS, they are magnetic stainless of some sort.  This includes the grates, firepot, drip tray, and heat deflector.

[okie smokie]

FYI - The internal components of the Stampede are not 304SS, they are magnetic stainless of some sort.  This includes the grates, firepot, drip tray, and heat deflector.

They advertised that the grates and the fire pot are 304 SS and I have checked both and they are not magnetic. The rest is advertised as just SS and I have found them magnetic. At first I misread and thought all was 304, but not so.
see below: Interior specs
 https://www.rectecgrills.com/rec-tec-grills-stampede/

[LowSlowJoe]

FYI - The internal components of the Stampede are not 304SS, they are magnetic stainless of some sort.  This includes the grates, firepot, drip tray, and heat deflector.

They advertised that the grates and the fire pot are 304 SS and I have checked both and they are not magnetic. The rest is advertised as just SS and I have found them magnetic. At first I misread and thought all was 304, but not so.
see below: Interior specs
 https://www.rectecgrills.com/rec-tec-grills-stampede/

Mine has magnetic stainless steel internal parts, I've seen at least two people on Faceook groups that have also said that magnets stick to the grates, drip tray, heat shield, heat deflector, and firepot.  I have also had conversation with Ray Carnes, and he's indicated the internals of the Stampede were 430SS ( after he looked into it , when I told him magnets stuck to mine ).

[okie smokie]

FYI - The internal components of the Stampede are not 304SS, they are magnetic stainless of some sort.  This includes the grates, firepot, drip tray, and heat deflector.

They advertised that the grates and the fire pot are 304 SS and I have checked both and they are not magnetic. The rest is advertised as just SS and I have found them magnetic. At first I misread and thought all was 304, but not so.
see below: Interior specs
 https://www.rectecgrills.com/rec-tec-grills-stampede/

Mine has magnetic stainless steel internal parts, I've seen at least two people on Faceook groups that have also said that magnets stick to the grates, drip tray, heat shield, heat deflector, and firepot.  I have also had conversation with Ray Carnes, and he's indicated the internals of the Stampede were 430SS ( after he looked into it , when I told him magnets stuck to mine ).

I will recheck.  I am almost certain that I checked the grates and firepot.   

[okie smokie]

I knew that I had seen this info before but wanted to make sure.  It appears that the magnet test is not accurate for separating the austenitic from martensitic SS.  It appears that the 300 series SS can become magnetic after welding, cutting, extruding etc. I'm not an expert so here is a good explanation that I found. I do know that the 304 SS that my custom made grates were made from, became mildly magnetic after cutting and welding. Nonetheless, they are less likely to develop rust than if we had used 430 SS.  I would not be surprised that if the fire pot and grates are truly 304 as advertised, that they might now be mildly magnetic after the manipulation of manufacture. Now, if you are as confused as I am, then read the article below and I hope it helps.   
 
http://auskogroup.com/the-magnet-test-for-stainless-steel-is-not-accurate/

Here is part of the above article that confirms the above  comments:
The process of stamping and surface polishing can change the non-magnetic property of S304. The pressure used in stamping and forming changes the distribution of chemicals in the alloy. The stamping die used can also chemically leave iron ions on the surface of the stainless steel. Both factors can cause change to the non-magnetic property of the stainless and thus create magnetism! Foreign residue can also be corrosive.

[LowSlowJoe]

Here's what I don't understand...   supposedly, the internal components other two new Rec Tec grills are not magnetic at all.   Yet, for some reason the Stampede seems to be.

 I will say that amount of magnatism does seem to possibly be lower then some other stainless that is magnetic.  It seemed that the grates themselves were possibly less magnetic then the drip tray though..  I really can't explain why any of this is as it is.

 I will also say , that for me, it's not a big issue.  I've never been one to believe that 304 stainless is that much better than 430 stainless.  Now, as I understand it, it may very well be more important for things that are at extremely hot , such as the main deflector, and like the cooking grates on my PG500 ( it can see temperatures of 1000F+)   But anyway, this whole issue isn't that big of a deal to me personally, it's more a curiosity than anything at this point.

[okie smokie]

I knew that I had seen this info before but wanted to make sure.  It appears that the magnet test is not accurate for separating the austenitic from martensitic SS.  It appears that the 300 series SS can become magnetic after welding, cutting, extruding etc. I'm not an expert so here is a good explanation that I found. I do know that the 304 SS that my custom made grates were made from, became mildly magnetic after cutting and welding. Nonetheless, they are less likely to develop rust than if we had used 430 SS.  I would not be surprised that if the fire pot and grates are truly 304 as advertised, that they might now be mildly magnetic after the manipulation of manufacture. Now, if you are as confused as I am, then read the article below and I hope it helps.   
 
http://auskogroup.com/the-magnet-test-for-stainless-steel-is-not-accurate/

Here is part of the above article that confirms the above  comments:
The process of stamping and surface polishing can change the non-magnetic property of S304. The pressure used in stamping and forming changes the distribution of chemicals in the alloy. The stamping die used can also chemically leave iron ions on the surface of the stainless steel. Both factors can cause change to the non-magnetic property of the stainless and thus create magnetism! Foreign residue can also be corrosive.

Rec Tec web site clearly describes only the grates and the firepot as 302 SS.  I am not surprised that those items will be mildly magnetic.  The article I listed explains this. I'm like you and really don't care that much.  Even with the explanatory articles, it is still a complex issue and is important in special cases (but probably not ours). i.e. in surgical prosthetics, and cookware, etc.  I'm satisfied with the units as they are. Sorry if I caused unnecessary concern.