What is this? Need some help on an ID!

[SixZeroFour]

So I saw a mediocre photo of a black wood handled kettle on CL and it was dirt cheap so I called and said I would take it thinking the wooden handles alone were worth the price. But as I pulled up and saw it sitting in the driveway I noticed something wasn't quite right...

The metal components like the handle and leg sockets look IDENTICAL to a weber kettle and is the exact proportions as well as my other authentic lids fit on very nicely. The things that catch my eye are 1) clearly the lid damper is unstamped other than the letter "K" and the lower bowl vents are stamped "M". The lower bowl dampers also appear to have been replaced as they are held in with bolts not rivets... But these lower dampers seem to match my MBH exactly. 2) No white "weber" ring on the wheels. 3) If you look closely at the lower bowl damper holes, they are perfect circles where as my old MBH has a tiny notch to stop the damper. (These dampers have the notch but not the bowl)

Is this a weber kettle with old replacement parts, or a happy cooker with some weber replacement parts? I'm stumped!

[Peaspurple]

With the ring around the bowl like that I say it may be a Sears economy kettle.

[SixZeroFour]

Doh! Completely forgot to mention the lip. It looks just like the lip on a smokey Joe. Thanks for the info.

[Duke]

K-Mart

[SixZeroFour]

K-Mart

... so in other words... GRAIL!

To keep my PM Box from being flooded with trade requests I will only consider the following:

Westerner
Red Ranch
NIB Avocado

 

In all seriousness though was weber involved in producing these? Like I said the lower daisy wheels are a perfect match to my MBH... maybe just weber replacement parts?

[Idahawk]

After Weber forced Happy Cooker out of business. Weber bought Happy cookers equipment and moved it , nobody knows where exactly. Happy cooker had the original deal with Sears which is one of the reasons  Weber wanted them gone , if I had to guess I'd say Weber used Happy Cookers equipment to make those grills and that way they could give Sears a discounted price without cutting their own throats , basically they made a cheap line to satisfy Sears,  all on the down low . That's my theory anyway .

[addicted-to-smoke]

Help a noob out here? So, Weber made a series of cheaper grills for Sears (or possibly K-Mart?) not branded as Weber. Gotcha. Using some aspects of the Happy Cooker carcass? And the ring ... just a cheaper/different way of supporting the grill grate?

[Peaspurple]

You can always ask him to part with the weber gas fire pit in the background.

[addicted-to-smoke]

I was wondering what that was. Still am, actually.

[Heyjude]

Definitely an economy kettle.. They had the cheapest of every part possible. I have an un-stamped vent.   

[SixZeroFour]

You can always ask him to part with the weber gas fire pit in the background.

Good eye! This however is my messy garage you see before your eyes so the previous owner has already parted with the gas fireplace! 

Info and pics on the way...