Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Has Coleman betrayed it's heritage?

I was unsuccessfully searching for a replacement grease pan (p/n 9990-4651) for my Coleman 5300 grill, when I ran across this blog entry.
No Spare Parts; No More Coleman Grills: " I’ve purchased my last Coleman grill. The grease pan—a 19”x32” pan (p/n 9990-4651)that catches all the stuff that doesn’t stick to the other parts—is not usable and can’t be replaced. There is no replacement item. ..."
Oddly, they warrant the burners for life ($50/set) and the electronics for 7 years ($34/set), but a $10 tin pan that you can't live without is "Temporarily Unavailable".  That is, unless you call in which case you find that "temporary" actually means "permanent" Like the previous author, I too am unlikely to purchase another Coleman grill. Why pay premium for products with replaceable parts if the parts aren't in fact replaceable?

Anyway, I think that Coleman has lost it's way.  And I find that a bit sad given that my father and I have been depending on (and enjoying) Coleman products for well over over half a decade.