New Band Design - 1 finger open

Those are about a year old and yes you can open them with one finger if you really want to.  They just moved the springs and hinges on the medium and large so they're in the same spots as the XL and XXL.  

KJ airlift is a totally different contraption.  They really needed some new for the big joe as that thing was miserable to open.  It had the same center mounted hinge as the large, plus it's a lot heavier dome to begin with.

I have forgotten a lot of my engineering speak for back in college, but the way it works is this.  The old hinge was a single point mounted hinge so as you lifted it, the CG moved backwards over the point of rotation and thus it got "lighter" the higher you went (since you're moving it more of a perpendicular direction as you reach the apex.  On the new hinge, the dome immediately pivots backwards as you lift, shifting the CG over the hinge point, thus it's a constant force needed to lift the dome to full open.  The only trade off is that it doesn't open as much as it used to......it's 15 inches on a large now (maybe 3-4" less before ), but the bottom lip of the dome is also sitting about 2-3" further back from you than before.  I like it better.

palmer2613 said:

stlcharcoal - Do you know if the Joetisserie still fits properly with the new large BGE bands?

Good question, but I don't know the answer,  KJ-classic is still hinged from the center, so it might not be a tight fit.

RRP said:

stlcharcoal said:

I have forgotten a lot of my engineering speak for back in college, but the way it works is this.  The old hinge was a single point mounted hinge so as you lifted it, the CG moved backwards over the point of rotation and thus it got "lighter" the higher you went (since you're moving it more of a perpendicular direction as you reach the apex.  On the new hinge, the dome immediately pivots backwards as you lift, shifting the CG over the hinge point, thus it's a constant force needed to lift the dome to full open.  The only trade off is that it doesn't open as much as it used to......it's 15 inches on a large now (maybe 3-4" less before ), but the bottom lip of the dome is also sitting about 2-3" further back from you than before.  I like it better.

WOWSER! Apparently you dodged that recent "BGE bullet" of eliminating dealers! Personally I am very happy for you! 

Not sure how you would have inferred that.......still axed.  Had all the eggessories picked up last week, and have about 10 eggs packages left to sell.  KJ rep is coming by next week to chat.

GoooDawgs said:

I was at my local dealer this week and was told a new BGE band system for L & XL is out that allows you to lift the the dome with one finger.   This is a newer design update since the tabs that were added last year. 

Is this similar to the KJ  airlift system?  Anyone have pics or insights here?   I'm looking forward to upgrading when I can get my hands on one. 

The new band assembly has been out for over a year now but BGE recently upgraded the springs on the Large size. It was easier to open with the new hinge upgrade but the new springs enhance this even more. If you have the new hinge assembly all you will have to do is swap out the springs which is a very inexpensive fix and should be available as a part at your local dealer.

palmer2613 said:

stlcharcoal - Do you know if the Joetisserie still fits properly with the new large BGE bands?

Yes, Joetisserie still fits perfectly, at least on my Large.

i saw the KJ with its fancy hinge this weekend.  i was pretty amazed at how easy it is to open and close, and i liked the gasket.  i don't care much about how heavy the BGE lid is to open, but someone who doesn't know the weight (like a kid) can let the thing crash down.