Questions About Shipping Kettles - How Much $$$?

[jcnaz]

Hello all,
I am sure that you can all understand my dilemma. As my Weberitis worsens, I find myself wanting more grills! The CL grill ads that I see in the Trading Post from out of state often seem to be better deals than we see here in the Phoenix area. It might just be a case of the grass looking greener, or maybe my wish list consists of grills that are more common in other parts of the country (SS Performer, 26 OTG, 18.5 WSM).
I have been tempted to ask for an agent on occasion, but I need to know what sort of shipping costs to expect to determine the actual cost of an out of state grill. I would also like to help other members that want some of our dusty-not–rusty Arizona Webers. Once again the shipping question comes up.

The questions that I would like to ask all of you who have shipped a grill are,

Who (UPS, FedEx, etc.) to ship with?
Where do you purchase boxes? What size did you use?
How much have you paid to ship the following? How far?
22.5" kettle
26.75" kettle
SS Performer
WSM

Thank you all in advance for answers. 
-JC

[landgraftj]

JC I always use FedEx. Prices range from $25-$50 depending on where in the US I ship. You can get a discount if you have a personal account with them. Bigger boxes and heavier weights = more $$$. I find boxes at uhaul, sized 24x18x24. They work fine to ship 18s or 22s.