Newbie- large egg assembly question

Sandman

Its cheaper for me to buy the egg over the internet than from a local retailer- ( by almost $200) but the retailer will assemble it for me. Could somebody tell me about the assembly process and how hard it is for anot so handy guy like me? Thanks a bunch.

stike

Sandman,
not hard at all. there should be directions in it too. mine came from the dealer unassembelled.[p]are you buying it from an 'authorized' internet dealer? there may be a warranty issue if your seller isn't authorized. you might want to call the home office and just check with them about your dealer.[p]good luck.

Sandman

Stike-[p]good point- I have no idea if the interent guy is an authorized dealer. Does assembly take long? Or do I need any special tools?

eggor

Sandman,[p]It's been a while since I've assembled a large, but on a scale of 1-10 I'ld give it a '2'. I don't think I'ld want it delivered assembled anyhow. Just too dang heavy. You WILL want help even if you get it unassembled.[p]That being said, if they are going to deliver it AND assemble it, then I'ld say that would be the best option if you don't have a buddy to give you a hand. [p]I'ld buy it from the dealer though, you get to inspect it for damage before you pay for it. Actually, when I went to buy my small last year, the dealer almost sold me a chipped one. They wrote out the invoice, i paid for it, and was going to get my truck... then one of the salespeople said to my salesperson "hey, isn't that the one that got damaged at the home show?"... sure enough. There was 3" chip hidden by the gasket and band, it was minor but definately chipped.[p]They ordered another, kinda wished they would have knocked off a hundred bucks instead.[p]BUY it from the dealer if he takes care of you! MHO[p]Scott

Retired RailRoader

Sandman,
The assembly is very easy and no special tools are required. The hardest part of the whole process is getting the dome to lineup just right so you have a nice seal. Regarding the warrenty issue below is a link explianing BGE's posistion on internet sales.
[ul][li]Internet Sales[/ul]

EddieMac

Pay the $200.00 and you'll be happy you did as long as that's the assembled and delivered price. My wife purchased mine from our local dealer and it was assembled and delivered. I recently purchased a used BGE off ebay and had to drive two hours each way, load and bring it home and that was a royal pain in the ass.[p]It's a GREAT idea to have a relationship with your local dealer IF they're knowledgeable about the BGE. Any good retailer is always going to take good care of regular customer instead of a One Time Charlie and you never know when you're going to need your BGE dealer.[p]We've been fortunate. Our local BGE dealer (Grill One / Jensen Beach, FL) has been a real friend to us. He lets us know when certain goodies arrive and he makes housecalls. He recently came to our home and refurbished the used BGE that we purchased on e-bay with a new back hinge, place setter, grill, sidetables (wings) and a new nest.[p]Ed McLean
Ft. Pierce, FL

SuperDave

Sandman,
Assembly just takes about an hour to complete. First assemble the nest and wheels, then set the base into the eggnest next put the band assemble together following the instructions and don't forget to install the long cinch studs where the hinge bolts on, and the short cinch studs where the Eggmate side shelves will go if you have them. If not go ahead and put the studs in and put he nuts on them and snug up.
Put the band assemble on the egg base and set the dome on top the manipulate the bands to a neutral position and snug up the bolts. It's important to tighten the bolts that squeeze the bands around the dome and base until the bolts bend and the tabs on the bands bend inward. Don't worry about overtightening them, you don't want the dome jumping off when open! Make sure the dome is centered over the base by looking down through the top vent with a small flashlight. You want an equal space if there is one all the way around. Check for a even dome by opening the lid and placing a dollar bill around the circumference and pulling it out gently. There should be equal resistance all the way around for a long gasket life.
You'll need a 7/16" wrench and a 1/2" wrench to do the job. Check the tension frequently during the first month of use, then torque at least monthly during normal usage until the bolts take a "set".
Happy Egging... it sounds like a lot to do, but I always try to give thorough directions which seemingly overcomplicate things! Sorry!
Cheers!

EggRacer

Sandman,[p]We bought our egg from the dealer who sold us our gasser many years ago. They delivered and assembled our egg at no extra cost. Watching the assembly, it didn't appear to be that difficult. The hardest part was attaching the ring to the lid and base so that it aligned properly. [p]They even hauled the gassed out gasser to the gasser graveyard for us. If that wasn't enough they delivered the plate setter later in the day after driving to Dallas to get some from their distributor because they had run out of stock in the store. [p]This is what I call taking care of the customer and why I'll continue to buy from mom and pop dealers rather than any big chain stores. You develop a relationship that benefits the shop owner as well as yourself. Plus if you need any information, parts, extras or have a problem, you have someone there to help you out.

eggor

SuperDave you pretty much covered it, the only thing I'ld add would be to place the firebox and ring before putting the top on. This will keep the egg bottom heavy when the dome is opened. I always get nervous when the 'guts' are removed and the dome open.[p]Scott

Unknown

Sandman,
I put mine together THIS a.m. Piece of cake. I bought mine from a local shop UN-assembled. I needed help getting it into the van, but after getting home the packaging can be taken apart and the pieces are not that heavy to handle. The only help I had was my 4 year old son :-) I just watched the video that came with it on assembly and I was set. I was so anxious to use it I cooked my son's chicken nuggets and french fries and a Bahama Mamma on it for lunch.[p]Happy Grilling, Smoking, Baking......etc it is worth every penny

eggor

Buckeye BBQ Newbie,[p]A Bahamma Momma, Micky D's expanding their menu? :-)[p]Scott

Unknown

eggor,
I was un-prepared to grill so I had to go with what I could find....[p]A Bahama Mama is a German Spicy sausage developed by Schmidt's Sausage Haus in Columbus, Ohio. Mmmmm very tasty....and great off the BGE
[ul][li]Schmidt's in Columbus, Ohio[/ul]