The Used Grill Buyer's Guide
A $1,500 grill for $400 is a steal — unless it's the one with a cracked firebox and seized augers. Here's the inspection checklist, the red flags, and what a fair offer actually looks like.
Pick the grill you're inspecting
Pre-purchase inspection checklist
9 checks for a gas grill. Critical issues = walk away or deduct heavily. Bring a flashlight, a magnet, and a multi-tool.
Critical — deal-breakers
Inspect the firebox / cookbox for rust-through
Surface rust is fine. Flaking, pitted, or holes you can push a screwdriver through = walk away. The firebox is the most expensive part to replace.
Pull out and inspect burner tubes
Look for crusty holes, uneven flame holes, or rust. Burner replacements run $40–$200 per set.
Sniff and inspect the regulator + hose
Cracked rubber, kinks, or rodent chew marks = replace immediately. Never use a questionable LP hose.
Important — negotiate the price down
Shake the cart and check welds
Wobbly carts, cracked welds, or rusted-through legs are common on grills left uncovered. Replacements are rarely available.
Find the model + serial plate
Inside the cart door or on the back. No plate = either very old or a knockoff. Look up parts availability before paying.
Minor — easy fixes, worth noting
Roll it. Do the wheels turn?
Frozen casters and broken locking wheels are cheap to replace but a sign of long-term neglect.
Lift the flame tamers / heat plates
Warped, perforated, or missing plates mean flare-ups and uneven heat. Cheap fix but factor it in.
Test the ignitor with the tank connected
Click each burner. Dead ignitors are common on older grills — usually a $20 module + battery.
Check the lid thermometer with a known good probe
Off by 25°F+ is normal for cheap lid gauges. Off by 75°F+ means the lid seal is shot or thermometer is dead.
Universal red flags — walk away signals
Seller won't let you plug it in or fire it up
For pellet, gas, and electric: if they refuse a 5-minute power test, assume the worst. Cold-start it on a folding table in their driveway if needed.
Cash-only meetup in a parking lot, missing parts
Stolen grills move through Marketplace fast. If the seller can't tell you how old it is, where it lived, or won't show it at the address, walk away.
Freshly painted firebox
High-temp paint hides rust-through. Run a magnet over suspect areas — body filler and paint won't hold magnetism the same as steel.
"Just needs new burners" gas grill
Translation: I tried and gave up. Price it like the burners, igniter, flame tamers, AND grates are all dead — because usually they are.
Pellet grill stored outside without a cover
Moisture in the hopper kills augers and rusts the firepot. Open the hopper before you commit. Sawdust = no.
Kamado with hairline cracks in the firebox
Manufacturers void lifetime warranties on used units. A cracked firebox propagates with every cook and eventually splits the base.
No manufacturer label or knockoff branding
"Looks like a Traeger" usually means generic Chinese-market unit. Parts don't exist. Treat as disposable and price accordingly.
Recall history they didn't disclose
Check SaferProducts.gov and the manufacturer's recall page by model number. Some recalled units have been buy-back eligible for years.
What's a fair price?
20–40% of MSRP if 3+ years old and well-used
A $1,400 Weber Genesis from 2019 in good cosmetic shape, working ignitor: ~$350–$500.
20–40% of MSRP if 3+ years old and well-used
A $1,400 Weber Genesis from 2019 in good cosmetic shape, working ignitor: ~$350–$500.
30–50% of MSRP if it runs and the controller is recent
A $900 Traeger Pro 575 with WiFire and clean firepot: ~$300–$450.
50–70% of MSRP — they hold value if the ceramic is sound
A $1,500 Big Green Egg Large with nest + plate setter: ~$750–$1,050.
$50–$120 for a 22" Weber Performer / Premium
Original Kettle (no cart) clean and rust-free: $40–$75.
Offsets: 25–40% of MSRP, minus rebuild cost
An Oklahoma Joe Highland used hard: $80–$140 (and plan to mod it).
40–60% of MSRP if seasoning is intact
A 36" Blackstone with hood, used one season: $180–$240.
Rules of thumb only. Adjust for region (kamados sell for more in the South, pellets more in the Mountain West), season (winter buys = best leverage), and condition documented above.
Where to actually find them
Facebook Marketplace
Pro: Largest selection, local pickup, easy to negotiate
Con: No buyer protection. Bring a friend. Meet at their house, not yours.
Craigslist
Pro: Older listings linger — moving sales and estate clearouts are gold
Con: Spam-heavy. Filter by 'has image' and recent posts.
OfferUp / Nextdoor
Pro: Local, often well-maintained neighborhood units with full history
Con: Smaller inventory; expect to wait or set alerts.
Estate / moving sales
Pro: Best deals on premium kamados and Webers — sellers want them gone
Con: Show up early or call ahead. Bring cash and a truck.
Manufacturer refurb programs
Pro: Weber, Traeger, and Blackstone occasionally sell certified refurbs with warranty
Con: Limited stock; only available in certain regions.
The 60-second negotiation playbook
- 1.Open with: "What's the lowest you'd take today, cash?" Most sellers pre-discount 10–15% just to avoid the back-and-forth.
- 2.Itemize every defect you find on the spot. "Replacement burners are $80, new grates $120, that's $200 in parts before I even cook on it." Then offer accordingly.
- 3.Never offer a round number. $240 sounds researched. $250 sounds like an opening bid.
- 4.Be willing to walk. The next listing is 48 hours away. Sellers who say no today often message you back in a week.
- 5.Buy in November–February. Demand collapses, garages need clearing, and prices drop 30–50% from peak season.