Great grill - assembly is a two person task, howev

Grill is fine, but I had a really difficult time assembling it. For certain a two person task. Next time I will buy one already assembled in the store. Grill is great, though.

[Rewarded Review]

Meco charcoal gill is the only grill my husband wants. He has owned one for years. I have ordered new grates over the years, but that is all that it has ever needed. When he said his was seeing its last days, I immediately told the kids that this would be a great fathers day gift. They ordered it (on sale) and he was a happy father when it arrived. He is a charcoal fan and we have eaten many good meals he has prepared on this grill.

Great heat control, but Design Flaws frustrating

We chose this product because of the heat control via the knobs to raise and lower the grill surface. Assembly was frustrating: Included bolts don't match those in the instructions. Main usage problem is that the left-side lowest screws in the lid attachment obstruct the grill surface when raising it from medium to warm setting, causing the grill to slant to one side, food slipping to one side. Major design flaw! We'll need to stick with heat settings of "hot" and "medium".

Sending this back. The box was damaged (thin box), the red cover has a dent in it, the bottom is jammed in the red cover you can't take it apart. Very disappointed, I have the same old grill which needs to be replaced. This is a good grill if you can only take it apart and build it. Walmart needs to contact this Company and have this product properly packed and be able to take it apart to build.

Terrible packaging

I know that I love this model grill because this is a replacement for one that wore out. My problem is the packaging. When I picked this up at the PO it was obviously mishandled badly. Parts of the box were smashed and the parts inside were rattling around with no padding between them. It took me a full 20 minutes to separate the lid from the body because it had been jammed so tightly. There is a large dent in the lid which, although it is unsightly, should not affect the function of the grill. I haven't completed the assembly yet so I may have more complaints when I finish VERY POORLY PACKAGED but I'm not going to risk returning it and getting another in even worse condition.

Meco Charcoal Grill

This is a great grill. I've previously had 2 of these in 40 years this is my 3rd. I like this grill because I can adjust the height of the cooking surface to 3 different levels, plus get the smoking needs like other high cost grills not to mention any names . Honestly speaking from my own experience with this grill it's a great tool and a great value.

Assembly need to know

I haven't used it yet but it did arrive in the mail yesterday. I put it all together and 1st the instructions don't explain anything it just shows you pics (which I kinda like) BUT just a tiny explanation would have helped with some of the assembly. I know not to use it in my house as a space heater and they were sure to explain that but not how to put the thing together! 2nd MAKE SURE YOU PUT THE NUTS TO THE OUTSIDE when you assemble the bolts on parts that hook in the pan of the grill. I had to spend an additional 30 to 45 mins turning all those around after the directions showed to put the nuts on the inside of the pan...well when you try and adjust the grate for cooking it catches on the ends of the bolts sticking up SO TURN THOSE BOLTS NUT SIDE OUT instead of what the directions say lol 3rd there was someone else that mentioned in the reviews to assemble the hood last because it would fall trying to finish everything up. I did do this and could see why it was helpful...so save that middle step for last.....I'm going to grill on it hopefully tonight, I would have last night if it weren't for having to spend so much extra time turning bolts around. If that is in need of reviewing I will be back

I have used this style of bbq for years and would buy it again. I buy this brand because it's the...

I have used this style of bbq for years and would buy it again. I buy this brand because it's the only one I can find that allows you to raise and lower the grill height with levers.

I have never had so much trouble putting together a product! I would not recommended this to anyo...

I have never had so much trouble putting together a product! I would not recommended this to anyone that doesn't have someone else to help them, this is a two person job and it took forever. And now that it is built it still is wobbly. I do not recommend buying this unless its already assembled.

This is the best little charcoal grill for the price. It is a great smoker too. Well taken car...

This is the best little charcoal grill for the price. It is a great smoker too. Well taken care of it should last you a good three to four seasons, even longer if well cleaned after each use. This one that I just got is maybe my tenth over 45 years. One thing I do do is add a temperature gauge just under the handle on the lid. It works great !

Description sounds very good, missing parts, bad manual

Instructions are almost useless. Screws and nuts are missing. Pieces that should be tapped for screws are not.

Excellent Grill

This is at least my fourth MECO Swinger grill. I would use them until the fire pan burned out and then buy something fancier and more expensive. However, they just turned out to be more expensive. I bought my first in 1972 for about $20. I paid about $40 for my third one so not too bad inflation on the price. I like the front, rear and top vents plus the adjustable grill height. I can tailor and control the heat for grilling or smoking. Everything fits tightly so there aren't any air leaks. After cooking you can close the vents and save unburned charcoal. I did have a customer service issue but it was resolved promptly. I also got the grill cover which is very well made.

Good basic "old school" charcoal grill. Adjustable charcoal pan makes controlling heat better. ...

Good basic "old school" charcoal grill. Adjustable charcoal pan makes controlling heat better. Grate is somewhat light weight and may eventually burn through, but good deal for the $$$. Would have liked a shelf below for convenience and also it would make this unit more sturdy. No easy clean out of ashes.

Not thrilled

I built this grill by myself and to start, some of the screws did not even match the ones in the instructions. The handle to the grill was completely different from the one showed on the box and had a whole new set of screws to use with it. These things are quite minor compared to the real problem with building this grill. The instructions that came with it were in CHINESE. All of it. I had to go by the pictures and sometimes the pictures did not even match up. The only thing in English was the instruction manual for the side tables. It took about 3 hours to put it together. So, be careful if you are thinking about buying this.

Grill is great -- dents are not

Got the grill, and found midway through assembly (some assembly required) that something had gone through the side of the packing and dented the top. Choice: disassemble what I'd assembled, put it back in the box, and send it back, or put it together, ignore the cosmetic dent, and use it. I used it, and am not unhappy. I own the same model grill which I purchased 30 years ago, and I'm still using it. I bought this one because I really understand how the original Meco cooks and I wanted similar behavior. So, in comparison: This one has screws where the old one has rivets. That's OK. The sheet metal on the new one is thinner than the old; that doesn't bode well for longevity, and I'm convinced that had the sheet metal been as substantial as the older model, there would have been no dent during shipping. The old one has a small spacer between the top vent and the top cover; the new one does not. The new grill runs hotter than the old one, due to a better designed ash pan. Both are painted, and hot coals on the paint will burn off the paint. Both let you damp the coals immediately after grilling (by closing all three vents), saving money because you can preserve and reuse the portion of the briquettes you didn't use for cooking. This is a really big plus, because without it I would be using 100% more briquettes than I do (I do one load, and normally don't use more than half the volume of charcoal with that load).

Nice replacement

Great replacement for the old square one my brother gave me years ago. Definitely not the easiest thing to put together, and one of the screws did not have screw slots, but I took care of that with some pliers. After seasoning the grill Friday night I fired it up Saturday afternoon and put a few pounds of sausage on it. Some hickory chips and they are out of this world! Then on went a couple pounds of chicken and again great results. I just need to figure out the flue settings as I did have to finish cooking everything. The chicken went in the oven for a half hour to come up to temp, and the sausage went in some sauce for similar time. My quibbles would be that the actual grill slides all around, it's not attached at all. I understand why this is but it generally means pushing the grill against one of the walls of the bowl and pushing the tongs or spatula under the food in that direction. The folding tables on this one are a great improvement over my old one. I'll probably buy another one in 20 years if they are still being made.

Missing Parts! Retuning- NOT HAPPY

I just unpacked this, laid everything out and checked it against the part list. Missing 13 Acorn Lock nuts, not certain if I am missing part # 25, because the picture is missing, so no idea what I looks like. I do have 2 baggies, with 2 screws and bolts each that are not accounted for on the part list. In addition the hood handle image on the parts list is completely different from the one on the actual grill image on the box. I have the parts that look like the box image, but not sure which screws I'm supposed to use to attaché them. Needless to say, I am displeased. I am very handy and can put anything together, given the right tools. This goes back to Home Depot tomorrow. So much for tomorrow's planned BBQ.

Good Basic Grill

I had one of these 10 years ago, and it was great. The grill doesn't have a great fit when assembled now (hinges are cheaper and top doesn't mate smoothly with base as you close it). Also, you have bolt ends and plain nuts exposed on the exterior when you're finished putting it together. If aesthetics matter to you, buy the Weber. But overall, this is a good grill. The feature I like most is the adjustable grill level. The knobs allow you to move the grill among 3 set positions above the coals. You can't do that with a Weber. The removable fire pan makes cleanup very easy. I recommend this grill, and I'd tell the manufacturer that I would pay a little more for better engineering.

The best grill out there

I bought this grill because it has been a proven performer in my family now through two generations. Once put together, this particular model more than met my expectations. Its design with a deep bottom, vented hood, side vents, and an adjustable grill is the best buy our there for the money. The fact that it is a charcoal grill is another big plus since gas grills do not give a barbecue flavor no matter what you do. I also found an especially great feature and accessory with this model are the two swing tables that come with it. The directions for putting the grill together, however, can be a little unclear for someone who is not mechanically inclined and needs things spelled out for them. I read someone's comment that this grill was "a piece of junk." NOT TRUE...my guess is that they got frustrated with the directions and couldn't figure out the proper fitting of the screws and nuts and some of the hardware. I discovered when it is put together correctly, this grill is indeed solid, steady and sure and is a top performer as well.

Great Charcoal Grill

I love this Meco grill. I bought this one to replace another one at another location. This grill's adjustable height rack that allows me to move the food closer or further away from the charcoals is absolutely necessary to good grilling. The vents in front, in back, and on the top allow me to control my heat. They also allow me to save my charcoal - just close them all up as soon as I'm done cooking and the charcoal smothers itself and is saved for next time. It's a good sized grill, fitting 12-16 good-sized hamburger patties. My only wish? I wish it was 1 foot taller at stove height. Great grill. Made in the USA!