# Weber EX4 pellet grill



## chopsaw (Jan 6, 2022)

I bought this back in July . Really didn't need one . Really never thought I would ever buy a pellet grill  . Since I've been cutting my own hair for the last 2 years ( covid )  , and saving 20 bucks every couple weeks I had some extra money . I like my Weber stuff . I liked the looks of the EX4 . Aesthetics is everything in Carpentry , and when you do that for a living , the slightest deterrent from balance or proportion can be maddening to look at for me . I got to the point where I was gonna buy something . Had dismissed the Weber and was looking at the Camp Chef 24 WiFi . Then Weber dropped the price and added  some goodies . So That persuaded me to buy one .
It had a 100 day money back deal , so I thought I'd just cook everything I could in those 100 days . If it didn't work out they could come get it .
So anyway here's how it went .











It was 95 degrees that day . In the garage with no air
flow . Had some fans going . Right out of the box ,
2 of the wheels didn't fit . Bad threads on the shaft .










Look at the inside , open design .





Went ahead and fired it up . The software was the easiest
user interface I've ever used . Completely automated .
I followed the directions , and it did the rest . Synced and did all the updates .
I drank a beer .





Got on a SmokeFire forum page , and seems the wheels not fitting
was a common problem . They had a link posted for an upgraded wheel
This was the morning after the day I received the grill . I ordered the wheels and
they showed up 4 hours later . No lie .
Great upgrade . Dual locking , and easy release .





Puts out some nice blue smoke .
Normal cook temps .





Runs 180 in smoke boost .





Lid open for shut down .





This is what it looks like inside after a long cook .
Drip pan was used . The burn pot is open to a pull out tray ,
and the 2 slots in the bottom for grease drainage .
This is before cleaning .





First cook was pizza . They were good .
Wasn't happy with the color of the crust , and
the convection effect surprised me . Taste was great .


















Next up was a spatched chicken . Not a fan of spatchcocking myself , I like my birds
cooked whole .






Not real sure about this .





So I cut into the joint between the leg quarter and the breast .
OK , I like that .





It was pretty good .





Whole teriyaki chicken . Pop's brine overnight .









Does really good chicken parts and wings .














Brisket









Ribs . The ribs were great . Cooked way faster than expected .















Awesome turkey breast . One boned out and rolled .
one whole .





Boned and rolled sliced . This was fantastic .









Pork loin .










Eye round .









I've got more , but that's enough . I have some full plated cooks I might post up .
Bottom line is I really like this grill . I really like the pellet platform .


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## Brokenhandle (Jan 6, 2022)

Looks like a heck of a unit! That puts out some great looking food! Hhhhmmmmm.....now that's something to think about!

Ryan


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## DougE (Jan 6, 2022)

Glad you really like the Weber. I remember you being interested in the Camp Chef as you were asking me how I was liking mine shortly after I got it.


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## chopsaw (Jan 6, 2022)

Brokenhandle said:


> Looks like a heck of a unit! That puts out some great looking food!


It does , as do a lot of them . It's really nice to cook on . I had it going the other day , was down in the shop at the table saw , and took it out of smoke boost and set a higher temp . 



DougE said:


> Glad you really like the Weber. I remember you being interested in the Camp Chef as you were asking me how I was liking mine shortly after I got it.


Yup . I was leaning towards the Camp Chef . Had looked at Rec tec and some others . This is just where I landed . A lot of really nice pellet grills out there .


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## Fueling Around (Jan 6, 2022)

Nice unit
Never got close and personal with one and wasn't sure how the pellet feed works
Thanks for the review


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## BrianGSDTexoma (Jan 6, 2022)

I like that it has top rack.  Food looks fantastic!


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## Buckeye02 (Jan 6, 2022)

I liked the look of these a lot better than the Recteq that I bought. With the open design like that I would think it'd be easier for the smoke to hit the meat? But I'm no scientist/engineer. I like the ease of the pellet grill when the weather is nasty. But when it's nice there's nothing better than sitting out back with the smell of charcoal going in the 26" or WSM while drinking and beer.


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## Cabo (Jan 6, 2022)

Thanks for posting.  My Masterbuilt propane unit is rusting out and I'm looking for something to replace it.


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## xray (Jan 6, 2022)

Great write up Rich and the food coming off it looks fantastic! But that’s more of a testament to the cook and not the cooker.

It seems like the Weber is a well designed unit. I have a 560 gravity feed instead of pellets but both platforms are very convenient to use. I wouldn’t mind either or.


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## schlotz (Jan 6, 2022)

Too bad these weren't available 8 years ago. I would have picked up the larger one. Judging by the output there's little doubt, as to why you like it.


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## motocrash (Jan 6, 2022)

Good review and great looking eats!


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## normanaj (Jan 6, 2022)

chopsaw
 I wish I had done the same thing when they were on sale.With my circumstances being different now I'm kicking myself in the back side for not doing it when I could.

And I agree with your thoughts on aesthetics,this also important in the world of painting.Bad cut lines drive me nuts.


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## SmokinVOLfan (Jan 6, 2022)

Good looking eats there Rich! Hard to argue with the results! Excellent write up.


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## Bearcarver (Jan 6, 2022)

Wow!!
That's a lot of Mighty Tasty looking Vittles right there!!!
Nice Jobs!!
Like.

Bear


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## chopsaw (Jan 6, 2022)

Fueling Around said:


> Nice unit
> Never got close and personal with one and wasn't sure how the pellet feed works
> Thanks for the review


Lowes had both sizes set up on the floor . I went and looked at them no less than a dozen times . It's nice to check the fit of the parts and function of the lid .
Height of the handle . 




BrianGSDTexoma said:


> I like that it has top rack. Food looks fantastic!


Yup . I've saw a guy making a full depth upper rack for them , but I can do that if needed . 
I added the front tray . A Weber acc. and it has 2 hooks on the bottom to hang and store the upper rack .


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## chopsaw (Jan 6, 2022)

TGRIMMOSU#1 said:


> the open design like that I would think it'd be easier for the smoke to hit the meat?


Has to be part of it . It also trickles pellets pretty steady . I don't know if all pellet grills do that or not , but I would think fresh pellets lighting play into it too . 


TGRIMMOSU#1 said:


> smell of charcoal going in the 26"


Yup . The 26 is a smoking machine . I love mine . Key to using the 26 for a long smoke , is to set it up the night before . So in the morning you light it and go .


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## sawhorseray (Jan 6, 2022)

Boy howdy Rich, you've produced a slew of Grade A+ cooks off that baby! Almost temps me, tho another smoker wouldn't be overly popular. RAY


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## chopsaw (Jan 6, 2022)

Cabo said:


> Thanks for posting. My Masterbuilt propane unit is rusting out and I'm looking for something to replace it.


Look at some in your price range and decide what you like . I wanted the drop auger system so I looked mainly at the ones that had that . 



xray said:


> Great write up Rich and the food coming off it looks fantastic! But that’s more of a testament to the cook and not the cooker.


That's true . Any of us should be able to put out something good no matter the brand or type .



xray said:


> It seems like the Weber is a well designed unit. I have a 560 gravity feed instead of pellets but both platforms are very convenient to use. I wouldn’t mind either or.


I like the gravity smokers . I'm full up now though .


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## DougE (Jan 6, 2022)

chopsaw said:


> Yup . I've saw a guy making a full depth upper rack for them , but I can do that if needed .


That's one feature I like on my Camp Chef. It has a full depth upper rack, but it is made in two pieces. If you have something taller to cook, you can slide the front half out and still have some upper rack space in the back. Looks like you could fix up the SF in a similar way if you were inclined.


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## rexster314 (Jan 6, 2022)

Love the SF EX6
Here's some of mine





ABTs fresh off the smoker





Brisket from a few months ago





It does pizza right





Treat a pork belly the same as a brisket





The Christmas bird





A prime tri tip





Tomahawk ribeye? Yessir





Ribs? Sure does


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## motocrash (Jan 6, 2022)

I am impressed with the color on those cooks, are you using a tube or tray to augment smoke?


chopsaw said:


> I like the gravity smokers . I'm full up now though .


That patio can be enlarged. I know you can do form work  
In keeping with the Weber theme, you're just waiting for them to come out with a gravity feed


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## civilsmoker (Jan 6, 2022)

Very nice meal and cooker, I think the pics speak for themselves!!!!!!


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## zwiller (Jan 6, 2022)

Working hard for that Weber endorsement Rich!


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## chopsaw (Jan 6, 2022)

motocrash said:


> I am impressed with the color on those cooks, are you using a tube or tray to augment smoke?


Nope . B&B pellets or Weber pellets in the hopper . The Weber pellets are smaller in diameter , and feed better . I think that was something they did to help feed issues , but the other brands work just fine .


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## chopsaw (Jan 6, 2022)

rexster314 said:


> Love the SF EX6


Yup . When I was researching I saw your thread about you getting yours . So I looked up some of your cooks , and that was a deciding factor in getting mine . 
The upgraded larger wheels are really nice . I think they were $70 , but worth every penny .


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## civilsmoker (Jan 6, 2022)

zwiller said:


> Working hard for that Weber endorsement Rich!



I think he secretly gets royalties....... He is just holding out on us...


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## chopsaw (Jan 6, 2022)

schlotz said:


> Too bad these weren't available 8 years ago. I would have picked up the larger one. Judging by the output there's little doubt, as to why you like it.


Thanks . Yeah that EX6 is sweet . I was really surprised by the food it cooks . 
Took be a couple cooks to account for the convection effect from the fan . 



motocrash said:


> Good review and great looking eats!


Thanks Bill . 



normanaj said:


> I wish I had done the same thing when they were on sale.With my circumstances being different now I'm kicking myself in the back side for not doing it when I could.


Yeah , the price drop and the extras sold me . At that time I wouldn't have spent 1k for the 4 . I'm into it just over 1K , with the wheels , cover , front shelf , 4 probes and 4 glow plugs . 



normanaj said:


> And I agree with your thoughts on aesthetics,this also important in the world of painting.Bad cut lines drive me nuts.


Exactly . I have a floor register in the kitchen that's not parallel with the wall . 
Gonna put me in the loony bin .


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## tx smoker (Jan 6, 2022)

Wow Rich!! That is an amazing array of food you've turned out. Very well done sir. I can completely relate to your enthusiasm for this thing. I was the exact same way when I got my Rec Tec RT700. Still love all my other cookers but the pellet grills certainly have their place, at least in my arsenal. Great post!!

Robert


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## bauchjw (Jan 6, 2022)

Great post, amazing meals! I fell into the Traeger at a vulnerable moment and when money was a little less tight. It works fine and isn’t a regret, but I would have liked to pay less for a pellet grill and done a bit more research. That being said, a pellet smoker is definitely convenient if life isn’t allowing more time to focus on heat management.


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## chopsaw (Jan 6, 2022)

SmokinVOLfan said:


> Good looking eats there Rich! Hard to argue with the results! Excellent write up.





Bearcarver said:


> That's a lot of Mighty Tasty looking Vittles right there!!!
> Nice Jobs!!


Thanks Fellas . Yup had 100 days to send it back so I cooked on it almost everyday for the next couple months .


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## chopsaw (Jan 6, 2022)

sawhorseray said:


> Boy howdy Rich, you've produced a slew of Grade A+ cooks off that baby! Almost temps me, tho another smoker wouldn't be overly popular.


Lol , yup , but be good for that hot weather . Control from the house .



motocrash said:


> That patio can be enlarged.


It's already 24 x 42 . 24 x 8 covered .


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## SmokinEdge (Jan 6, 2022)

That’s some good looking food there Chop. Glad that grill is working for you. The pellet grills are handy cookers.


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## motocrash (Jan 6, 2022)

chopsaw said:


> It's already 24 x 42 . 24 x 8 covered .


Hell, there's plenty of room for a GF smoker. Come on Weber.....


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## Winterrider (Jan 6, 2022)

I sure looks like it would be a keeper for the grub it/you are putting out.


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## chesterinflorida (Jan 6, 2022)

Good looking cooks on this thread.  Nice to see the Weber in work.  Some day I will add a pellet grill back to the inventory.  An EX4 is right at the top of my list.


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## Fueling Around (Jan 6, 2022)

Forgot to mention great looking cooks on the Weber (all of them).
I don't go to Lowes so not sure if (former) local store had them on display.
I'll make a trip to check them out.


chopsaw said:


> Nope . B&B pellets or Weber pellets in the hopper . The Weber pellets are smaller in diameter , and feed better . I think that was something they did to help feed issues , but the other brands work just fine .


I have a Masterbuilt which is Traeger clone in the heat shield and drip pan design, but has a cheap analog controller. I either need to replace the entire unit with another brand or spend more on a new controller than I paid for the MB pooper.
Anyway
I had a bridge once in the hopper.  Since that time, I started mashing my pellets in a bucket before dumping them in the hopper.  Some of the pellets are very long pieces and that caused my bridging. I have a T handle masher.  A 5 gallon bucket paint mixer should do the same mashing.


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## chopsaw (Jan 7, 2022)

zwiller said:


> Working hard for that Weber endorsement Rich!


No kidding .


tx smoker said:


> pellet grills certainly have their place,


Sure do . 


bauchjw said:


> Great post


Thanks !


civilsmoker said:


> Very nice meal and cooker, I think the pics speak for themselves!!!!!!


I was surprised by the results . Gonna be cold again today , I need to see how it does with temps in the teens .


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## chopsaw (Jan 7, 2022)

SmokinEdge said:


> good looking food


Thanks .



Winterrider said:


> I sure looks like it would be a keeper for the grub it/you are putting out.


Thanks bud . I actually tried a ring of smoked sausage in it ( homemade ) 
Put it on the top rack , ran smoke boost 180 / 200 . Took about 2 1/2 hours . It was good .


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## chopsaw (Jan 7, 2022)

chesterinflorida said:


> Good looking cooks on this thread. Nice to see the Weber in work.


Thanks . I read all the negatives , but being from the " Show me State " I made my own decision . No regrets at all .


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## chopsaw (Jan 8, 2022)

Fueling Around said:


> Forgot to mention great looking cooks on the Weber (all of them).
> I don't go to Lowes so not sure if (former) local store had them on display.
> I'll make a trip to check them out.


Thanks . I think when it was the Gen 1 , Weber recalled them from the retailers . 
Replaced with the Gen 2 , put with all the negative ( uninformed ) opinions , sales were slow . Once they sold what they had , they didn't restock .


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## 2fatpugs (Jan 8, 2022)

I believe people who got the Gen 1 were sent a retro fit kit to upgrade them to Gen 2 as part of their warranty.


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## chopsaw (Jan 8, 2022)

2fatpugs said:


> I believe people who got the Gen 1 were sent a retro fit kit to upgrade them to Gen 2 as part of their warranty.


That's right , but  I was told that Weber took back anything still in the box from retailers .


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## MJB05615 (Jan 10, 2022)

Wow Rich, that's some great cooks!  I'm very late to the party, but great jobs all around.  You've got that dialed in perfectly.  Glad you're enjoying it.


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## pepa80 (Jan 23, 2022)

Hi all. I am new around here. I am hesitating between a Broil king crown 400 and the weber ex4. I have seen videos about the weber and I have seen that many people have had a problem with the dust generated by the pellet. Does your meat come out covered in dust? Even with the 2 gen.
Thanks


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## chopsaw (Jan 23, 2022)

pepa80 said:


> Does your meat come out covered in dust? Even with the 2 gen.


I haven't had a problem with dust . I keep it clean , but a lot of the dust falls into a removable tray .


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## rexster314 (Jan 23, 2022)

A brand new SF will have a little more fine ash floating around. That's why you need to spray the interior with Pam, cooking oil or other like oil. It will catch the fine dust. The more you cook on it, the less you will see that dust and then only at high temps when the fan is running full blast. Nothing to worry about. I've owned an EX6 since November 2020 and still love it.


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## splendorlex (Jan 29, 2022)

How is the size of the EX4? I sadly don't have a local place where I can get a close look, and measurements/dimensions just don't do it for me. Would you prefer the larger EX6 taking price out of the equation? I think I'm sold on picking one of these up, but I need to decide if I want to shell out the extra 200 for the larger EX6. I generally don't do any big cooks, most pork butts, 3 racks of ribs, a bunch  of chicken thighs, stuff like that.


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## chopsaw (Jan 29, 2022)

I like the size of the 4 . Plenty of room for what I do . You could easily do multiple racks of ribs . The upper shelf gives added room . For what you say you cook , I think you'd be safe with a 4 . The 6 is nice too though . 
Couple large pizza stones . Maybe that gives you an idea .


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## TSR6 (Jan 30, 2022)

splendorlex said:


> How is the size of the EX4? I sadly don't have a local place where I can get a close look, and measurements/dimensions just don't do it for me. Would you prefer the larger EX6 taking price out of the equation? I think I'm sold on picking one of these up, but I need to decide if I want to shell out the extra 200 for the larger EX6. I generally don't do any big cooks, most pork butts, 3 racks of ribs, a bunch  of chicken thighs, stuff like that.



I had the same debate - and let me just tell you, I went with the EX6.  Glad I did...

A couple weeks ago, I had 2 pork shoulders on the grill (dinner that night, and we vac-pac shredded pork), a full chicken (for lunch prep for the week), a full pan of Mac & Cheese, and a veggie tray all on the smoker.

I also did a full Ohana Dinner spread (if you're familiar with Walt Disney World) and used the full smoker that night too.

Do I usually use less than the full grill - yes... most of the time, but the occasions I have use the full grill made it worth the upgrade to me.  I love my EX6, and in the summer, use it almost daily.  In the winter, I still use it at least once a week.


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## Kevinbthgrouse (Feb 12, 2022)

How are you guys liking the flavor profile..are you using smoke tubes.. about to pull the trigger on one


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## chopsaw (Feb 12, 2022)

Kevinbthgrouse said:


> How are you guys liking the flavor profile..are you using smoke tubes.. about to pull the trigger on one


For my taste it's great . I don't use a smoke tube in mine . Doesn't need it in my opinion .


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