I am newbie to the wsm and presently working on my 2nd smoke as i am typing this and from what i saw so far, i wish the wsm had the following features and if you would like to add the features you think would be good also to the list, please go ahead.

Hopefully Weber can see this and add some of these to the future new WSM version.

- Eyelets or a way to pass a temp probe from inside to outside of smoker.

- Cover holder like that found on performer

- rubber around the vent control like that found on the performer so you can control the vents of WSM without burning your hands.

- i know this one has been mentioned many times before but some handles on side of the main central unit would help. Having to fill water pan while central unit is on top of charcoal holder and having to adjust your meat before closing lid while smoke and heat is in your face is unpleasant. This would be much more pleasant to do first then to grap the central unit with handles and putting it on top of the charcoal holder and put cover.

- wheels at bottom of WSM so you can move it easily. The performer has wheels and you can lock them to stop it from moving.

elmo

Seeing as how it took Weber nearly 20 years to decide to add a lid thermometer, a bigger water pan, and an improved door latch, I wouldn't hold my breath for any other new features in the near future. There are as many who consider the modifications you've listed as necessary as there are those who don't. Sometimes, it's a safety issue. Consider, for example, trying to lift say 60 pounds of cooker, water, meat, and lid, and gingerly place it atop a bowlful of lit charcoal. If it doesn't go just right, at the very least, you dump water and extinguish charcoal; at the worst, you end up with steam burns on your legs, arms, face, and a bunch of raw meat dumped on the ground. In Weber's eyes, none of that is a risk they want to be a part of. Check out the Operating Tips & Mods link at the top of the page to see how other members have dealt with these issues over the years.

yea, those are mods done as needed and not wanted by many.

the rubber handle on the vent of my Performer is killer, that would be nice on all vents, as it is, I use a glove or tongs on the top and my foot on the lower ones.

as for the lid I am thinking of hooking up a block and tackle and just grab the rope and PULL

pictures to follow

Elmo..
Folks have been using they're WSM right out of the box for years with out any problems.
Relax and learn your smoker, mods are nice for convenience, but it's all about the final product.

Tim

quote:

Originally posted by Dan {dutch oven Dan}:
the rubber handle on the vent of my Performer is killer, that would be nice on all vents, as it is, I use a glove or tongs on the top and my foot on the lower ones.

as for the lid I am thinking of hooking up a block and tackle and just grab the rope and PULL

pictures to follow

Hey, i like that rope idea

It will look weird but when i have some free time, i will look into that. Cool


elmo

alton brown made a setup for deep frying. he used a "a frame" ladder and attached some pulleys and rope, go for it. i plan to cuz that would be great as i'm in a wheelchair.

I think Webers main reason is that the WSM is a very, very small part of there business compared to there charcoal and gas grill lineup. So why put all this effort into tooling up for a small production run.

on the 18" model handles would be nice as the door really is small. the 22" handles are not needed as the door is really big and you can refuel if needed through the door fairly easily.

just fold up the cover and set it to the side. wouldnt want to ruin the cover by keeping near the heat.

i use a small stick to adjust the vents you could probably use a bit of high heat silicon to cover the vent handles.

wheels are cheap to put on if you want em. they sell self locking rollers at most home depot type stores and would be a lot cheaper to install yourself than pay weber a larger price for a cheap item.

i beleive there is a easy mod for eyelets if you want em. but msot folks dont use remote temp probes thats why they are not there.

anyway try the mod forum you may find the posts there that explain all these mods you can do yourself for easy and cheaper than weber would.

elmo this is what I use to pass the probe through a kettle or WSM. It's called an aluminum cable clamp available at electrcal supply house.

Here's an all-purpose bbq tool: http://www.farmerd.com/images/...er_Product_Image.jpg

commonly known as a dandelion weeder. I use one for opening and closing vents, poking around in the burning coals, and scraping gunk off the cooking grates.