Assembly of a Large

Tom,[p]First, you should go over to the new, beta forum by scrolling up and clicking on the link. There's a lot of conversation regarding internet purchases...I believe everything you want to know has been discussed as early as last night and this morning.[p]Regarding the two forums...They can see your posts but you can't see their responses from here.[p]Find a good BGE dealer to make your purchase from. You won't be sorry you paid a few bucks more. You will void your factory warranty if you purchase over the internet.

If you are fairly strong and fairly handy, then you can assemble a large egg by yourself. Getting everything together in the proper order, adjusted and aligned properly, and all situated really isn't that difficult. But the egg is heavy.

Even if you buy from a local dealer, many of them still sell them unassembled unless you opt to purchase a delivery option. Others assemble them for you at the showroom, but loading, transporting, and unloading an assembled large egg (or getting one up a flight of steps to a deck for example) is a tough undertaking by yourself. It can be done, but you will feel it.

The bands come with the hinge assembly together. All you have to do it tighten the band around the base, then around the dome - don't forget the handle - and then insert the firebox, grate, and ring. Pretty simple process really.

Go to the BGE website and play the assembly video. That'll convince you of just how easy assembly really is for the large. On the XL you have to put the spring assembly together before install so theres a little more to it. Good luck!!

Tom,

As DaynaGreaseball said this topic of buying online has been beaten to death in the last few days and in the last two weeks.

As for you specific question, here is my experience.

On my first purchase from a local dealer I did a High Temp on my first cook and fried my gasket. My dealer drove out to the house here and replaced the gasket for me, no charge. He didn’t need any help uninstalling or reinstalling the bands.

About 40 cooks later I again burned my gasket. My dealer brought out a new set of gaskets. No charge to me.

A month or so ago I got a new medium from the same dealer. I noticed a problem with the gasket and called my dealer. He came out and said the upper band must have slipped and installed a new gasket set. No charge to me.

I kept seeing smoke leaking from the rear of the gasket. We discovered it was a problem with the dome. BGE replaced the dome on my medium, a new gasket set and also I got a new Nomex gasket set for my large. Again, no charge to me.

Sure glad I didn’t buy on line or I would have become an expert on bands and such. So far no firsthand experience. From what I watched, one can do it by themselves. Be careful not to tip the egg or drop the dome - ouch!

Grandpas Grub

Hopefully someone will post the picture of a person trying to get their egg up the patio stairs.

The egg was strapped to a hand truck, evidently the strap loosened or slipped and the egg is at the bottom of the stairs in pieces.

Very sad picture.

GG

I consider myself pretty handy, so when the local dealer said he would rather assemble it himself, I asked why. He said that it was not really that hard but some would-be handy men have done it themselves and several did not get the top sealed to the bottom evenly and the egg had trouble maintaining constant heat.

The dealer had to make a trip out to their house to make the adjustments. They only charged $25 to assemble so I figured it was worth it.

Moving it is another issue all in itself. My wife and son are not as strong as they should have been to do that job.

I'm thinking of trying to fabricate some sort of lift for the Lg and XL to aid in transport.

Good Luck
JoJo

Simple. Go to a dealer. Have him assemble, deliver and place for you. You eliminate more risk, headache, trouble, and satisfaction than a hundred bux is worth.