Shopping for a used Large egg, is the newer hinge a big deal?

LanceL

I have been shopping Facebook market place for a Large egg, they range from $400-$600+ fairly regularly. But the updated hinge hit me and didn’t know if it was worth trying to find a newer one with the updated hinge design or if it’s not that big of a deal and any egg will do? 

Is the hinge a deal breaker for any of you? I found one post that stated they couldn’t open the lid as far with the new hinge, but that was a 2017 post so not sure if it’s been revised further since.

is the new vs old hinge a deal breaker for any of you? If not I’ll just snag a cheaper one with the most accessories, clean it all up and go from there.

thanks in advance!

RRP

Personally that line about it not opening wider has been blown out of proportion. True the new hinge cuts off about 5" off the opening compared to an old hinge. BUT if you will be placing your egg in a table then so what? Only those planning to leave their egg low to the ground will notice the shorter opening - I know my upgrade this Spring didn't bother me one bit!

What's more important is the condition of the egg itself! Just make sure there are no cracks in the ceramic since you will have no warranty. Ceramic parts are EXPENSIVE to replace. Sure you don't want to save up and buy a new egg?

LanceL

I had a small bge previously that had a small crack, so I know what to look for, as far as condition.

I used to buy new stuff all the time when I was younger and wasted a lot of money lol, since buying used I come out ahead 98% of the time and I may upgrade to an xl, so not really interested in buying new yet. I sold my small egg as my family grew it was too small to use.

but I appreciate the insight, I will keep an eye out for one with the new hinge design!

thanks!!

RRP

I sure wouldn't pass up a clean well cared for egg regardless which band it has!

kl8ton

I just installed new hinge after running old hinge for 13 years.  Yes it doesn't open quite as far but it is a very nice upgrade.  

caliking

No worries about the new hinge.

Had some alignment issues with the old band, but never worried about it too much since it didn't seem to impact cooking in the egg. Then, something warped/broke/whatever, and the lid wouldn't close. 

Installed the new bands a couple of years ago, and no issues since then. I barely noticed that the lid didn't  open as much as it did with the old bands. The new bands are worth it IMO.

lousubcap

RRP said:

I sure wouldn't pass up a clean well cared for egg regardless which band it has!

Totally endorse this comment.  I ended up with the new bands and many more BGE parts as a result of self-induced devastating event around 4 years ago.  No issues with the old bands.  Either way, happy hunting and I'm sure you will find a good deal out there.

BTW- welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Above all, continue to have fun!

stlcharcoal

It might not open as much from an angle standpoint, but it slides back somewhat as it opens......so one could say it's open just as much, but in a different axis or vector.  We have some engineers here that will do the calculation.  The newer hinge is better for a bad shoulder, it's less likely to slam or blow shut, less spring tension needed (so will last longer.)  

Only thing to what our for is that some new BGE accessories might not be compatible with the older hinge......but some NON-BGE accessories will be.  For instance a Do-Joe won't work on a new large BGE, but it will on an old one.

Langner91

The integrated nest/handler only works with the new bands if one of those is on your eventual wish list.

But, the bands wouldn't slow me down if I found a good deal.

OhioEgger

I'm still very happy with my old style hinge/bands, and I would probably be happy with the new style as well, so I wouldn't even consider the issue if I were in your shoes.

Teefus

I switched to the new hinge, and find it somewhat limiting. It doesn't open as much as the height of my chimney lighter so pouring the coals our risks some of them hitting the deck. It also seems to limit the use of some rigs from the CGS. Other than that it's fine.