Reviews of Weber 7443 18-1/2-Inch One-Touch Cleaning System Kit for Grills

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If, like me, you hate throwing anything away that might be useful if only certain worn out parts were replaced, then you will appreciate being able to repair the ash sweeper system on your Weber 18 ½ inch kettle grill. Most of the parts on these grills tend to last a long time but the set of blades and an attached rod in the bottom are prone to deteriorate due to exposure to high heat and the elements. Without intact blades, you are left with large openings in the bottom of the kettle that will possibly allow too much air to enter while cooking and allow hot or old charcoal to fall out unchecked. The included instructions look easy to follow but remember that aging-related wear may make the old parts very difficult to remove. On my grill, the old ash sweeper remnants had fused into one piece and the attached thumb screw simply snapped off as I tried to remove it. After a good deal of bending and some twisting using slip-joint pliers, I was finally able to pry the remnants from my kettle without significantly damaging the hole. I may have been lucky that the old blades, attached washers and the large nut holding the sweeper rod were so corroded that they broke apart fairly easily. Your results may vary and would probably be much easier if your grill came with the newer "H-drive system" found in this repair kit. Note that, contrary to the description, there is no need for additional washers or a thumb screw in this kit so they are not included.

Pros: Parts appear reasonably durable and no tools are needed for assembly while following the pictorial instructions.

Cons: Carefully weigh whether you can remove the old parts without damaging the kettle before you buy this kit and find you can't use it. If the rest of your grill is in poor shape, it would be more practical to buy a new one before spending this much. Tools may be necessary to remove old parts.

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Works great! Better than the original, the new style has no bolt that holds the arm in. The new one just snaps together and is very secure. I thought it would be junk when I opened it but after I figured out how it works it really is great. The only drawback for people that don't have tools would be removing the old part. I used an air cutoff tool and ground the bolt head off to remove it. (Yes I really did 2 grills a 22.5 and 18.5.)

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It's a redesign over the original system that has a thumb screw to hold the lever on. The old one was so badly corroded the screw head twisted off and the only way to remove it was to saw the lever off with a hack saw. This new one should be more easily removed when it's life it done.

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I've had my Weber 18.5" grill for about 14 years now, and it sits outside with no cover on it. this is the first thing i've needed to replace for it, which is kind of crazy when you think about it. The old cleaning system's pieces had completely rusted, and eventually snapped so they wouldn't function any more. It was a royal PITA to get the old ones off, had to take a hacksaw to them from underneath, but once i finally got them off, putting in these new ones was a piece of cake. and they operate perfectly. Hopefully, if these rust after 10-15 years, they'll be easier to take off, since you no longer have the bolt there holding them.

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Very simple to install. I wish the original cleaning system had been that easy to remove. The old rusted set screw and old rusted lock nut were very difficult to remove. After denting the bottom of the kettle while taking them off, I had to bend it back into shape in order to fit all the new pieces. Next time changing the system will be a breeze.