Master Forge BBQ Grills [View all]

I bought a Master Forge grill from Lowes two years ago. When it started warming up in Boston this year, I went off to get a refill on my propane tank. I get home, hook the tank up and fire up the grill. Since I haven't fired this thing up since last year I was looking forward to a baked potatoe with some bratwurst.

I had trouble lighting up the burner on the left side so I turn off the gas and take a look. Gas grills have a shield over the burners to prevent fat and 'stuff' from leaking on the burners. It turns out that the shield covering my burner was laying on the burner.
Hmmmm. The shield on this model of grill is held up by small brackets tack welded to the inside of the grill. (The material used is chintzy at best.) The tack welds failed on both brackets on the left side on one of the brackets on the right side.

It's off to the internets to find the Master Forge home page. Not so fast.

A quick google search of "master forge"+home turned up:

Master Forge at Lowe's: Gas Grills, Charcoal Grills, Smokers

About halfway down page 1, I saw this: Lowes - Lowe's Master Forge Grill - Pissed Consumer

Then this: Master Forge Gas Grills Sold at Lowe's Stores Recalled Due to Fire and Burn Hazards; Made by Guangdong Vanward Electric

Oh well, let's google "Guangdong Vanward Electric "

http://vanward.en.made-in-china.com/product-group/dbeJGNUvCaVP/Gas-Grill-catalog-1.html

So the bottom line is this: Lowes contracted their grills out to China. Master Forge is a Lowes in-store brand name. The Chinese-made grills rust out with all the abandon of a 196os Toyota.

I'm headed down to Lowes this morning with a rusted bracket (that fell off), a rusted burner shield and pics I took of my Master Forge rust bucket.

Let's see how Lowes responds.