donor kettles

[dgodwin]

What's everyone's take on purchasing a donor kettle for parts vs. buying replacements from weber/ereplacements/brian?  I have a L red 18 that needs a new front leg and handles.  I found a nicer looking economy kettle but I'll still be one handle short and I'll have the leftover parts.  It would be cheaper to buy the kettle than the parts separately though.. 

[crowderjd]

Do it.  I've flipped several donor kettles, and gave one away to a friend, after taking the parts I needed.

[MikeRocksTheRed]

There are so many standard kettles that will just end up in the trash....totally worth buying donor kettles.

[brewtownbeatdown]

Donor kettles are the way to go for building a parts inventory.  Sacrificing an Economy for a redhead is justifiable.

[Shoestringshop]

Donor kettles are the way to go for building a parts inventory.  Sacrificing an Economy for a redhead is justifiable.

What he said!!!

[CharliefromLI]

I am on the edge of doing this as well. I have a desirable kettle I'm rehabbing and have a black beater that I'm thinking of sacrificing but I hate seeing a working cooker disabled. I think I need to just sacrifice and use the beaters other  parts down the road.


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[brewtownbeatdown]

I am on the edge of doing this as well. I have a desirable kettle I'm rehabbing and have a black beater that I'm thinking of sacrificing but I hate seeing a working cooker disabled. I think I need to just sacrifice and use the beaters other  parts down the road.

Sounds like you have an attachment to that beater.  No need to sacrifice it if so, there are plenty of beaters out there that you can get cheap.  Alleviates the guilt when you buy one with the intent to use it for parts.

[CharliefromLI]

I don't except the fact that I bought and didn't realize how beat up it was. Only paid $30 so we're not taking big money but its the pride and principle!

If I clean up and sell for profit I won't consider it a mistake. If I strip for parts it's kind of admitting defeat. Foolish, I know, but so is flipping grills.

The same day I grabbed that beater that was supposed to be ok I grabbed a nice gasser that was supposed to me a beater for free and sold it so I'm already playing with house money but again...pride.


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[pbe gummi bear]

I don't mind stripping down kettles to let its parts give new life to another kettle. I try to salvage everything that could be useable down the road. If not for myself, then another Wkc member.

[addicted-to-smoke]

I once bought a $15 Smokey Joe, 1987 model, off craigslist. Looked very good. Nice wood handle! But had no real use for it. Sometimes it would be a charcoal chimney holder, sometime a CI dutch oven lid holder, one time I learned it sears steaks insanely well.

And so it got left around and one day I saw it laying down the hill. Got knocked off the deck by a kid. The lid got a big dent in it ... I felt bad.

That dented lid is being repurposed into a mini WSM's lid, with thermometer installed where the dent is, so that it looks "embedded" ... you just never know what good might happen later. And I have a decent wood handle and second cook grate for the mini WSM now.

[CharliefromLI]

I don't except the fact that I bought and didn't realize how beat up it was. Only paid $30 so we're not taking big money but its the pride and principle!

If I clean up and sell for profit I won't consider it a mistake. If I strip for parts it's kind of admitting defeat. Foolish, I know, but so is flipping grills.

The same day I grabbed that beater that was supposed to be ok I grabbed a nice gasser that was supposed to me a beater for free and sold it so I'm already playing with house money but again...pride.


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So this beater kettle may have survived the grim reaper. I had two kettles out while I was cleaning them and my neighbor came by asking "where do all these grill come from?" She needs a grill to leave at their beach cabana. I told she can have this one. I was about to steal the one touch system for another project but it was looking a little rough and wasn't budging free with a screw driver anyway.

She lives to cook another day...

[addicted-to-smoke]

Oh man I couldn't do that. To me it sends a message that the sweeps aren't important, and so neither is heat control nor charcoal conservation. All of that works against someone's understanding and appreciating what the machine can do. I'm telling' ya it's a path to the dark side.

"Wait, let me fix it first." Now they also know it's repairable and worth fixing. A quick lesson about the sweeps' use when handing it over completes the cycle.

[swamprb]

Donor kettles for One-Touch ash can assemblies, charcoal grates, handles, triangle axel, wheels.

My Red "P" Performer lid got swapped out for a Master-Touch lid that was in better condition. Pretty much most of the Red Silvers have been upgraded to Golds.

Roached out bowls get the lip cut off for the soon to be patented "swamprb Weber kettle/UDS lid flange".

Gasser frames have been turned into rolling work tables and the "Pellet Poopin' Kettle Mod".

Red gasser lids get swapped out on blackies for total RED Domination!

Ahhh...the old boneyard days! Brings back sweet memories!

[SteveZ]

@dgodwin I've used 1 inch aluminum tube to replace front legs. Last I bought was about $7 or $8 bucks for a 36 inch length from local big box. Cut to fit drill new hole for triangle and shine it up with Mothers Aluminum Polish. You usually end up with a better looking leg than the cheap donors will give you.

[addicted-to-smoke]

@dgodwin I've used 1 inch aluminum tube to replace front legs. Last I bought was about $7 or $8 bucks for a 36 inch length from local big box. Cut to fit drill new hole for triangle and shine it up with Mothers Aluminum Polish. You usually end up with a better looking leg than the cheap donors will give you.

I went to both HD/Lowe's here and they all looked at me like I had 3 eyes when asking for 1" alum tubing. "Want a shower rod?" I have a flat top 26 that needs new legs ... the broomstick trick to round them back out did nothing, and I'm convinced the front leg is just too darn short anyway.