Combination grills/smokers. Anybody ever use them?

I purchased a propane Napoleon Phantom Prestige in Sept 2023. I absolutely love it. I've made some of the best-grilled meat on this pit than I have ever did before on charcoal/other cheap gas grills.

I've only had one problem with the rotisserie motor on it, and I called Napoleon's customer service line and explained the to them problem. I had a completely new motor in 5 days, free of charge.

The side searing station is great for searing or using as a burner. The rotisserie motor has different attachments that can be used, a rib rack, basket for veggies or wings, kebab kit, and the traditional rotisserie spikes. I also have a smoking box.

I highly recommend it, but it is pricey.

If your willing to spend $600 on a 3-burner propane grill like that Victory, why not just get a Weber Genesis?

I got 3 in 1 combo about 20 years ago as my first attempt at building experience with grilling and smoking. It was a Char Grille or something like that. The metal was so thin the hotbox door warped and struggled to maintain a temperature.

I also basted bbq sauce above the burners, which accelerated the rust as it dripped on the burners.

The lesson I learned was pay for thicker walls and better temperature control.

Another lesson was to only baste where it can drip on coals or some other disposable surface.

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I'm looking at replacing a gas grill that had an incident make it inoperable and after trying to fix it, the parts/labor it would take to fix it isn't worth the grill.

I see lots of combo gas/charcoal grills that seem great in theory. Hell, they have trios with smokers, too. Other than the spacing issues these grills create (they are quite wide, as you'd imagine, once you get all 3 parts), does anyone have any history with them?

If they're not worth it, is it worth spending money on a high-grade propane grill? I imagine that's something where a moderately priced one that will last a few years is best.

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I think they're gimmicky and I've never seen one made by a quality manufacturer.

Yes, a high quality gas grill is absolutely worth it. Weber is of course a top choice, so is Napoleon and Broil King. Or you can gooble some things and go super high end.

You can do alot with a gas grill, including (with the right accessories) low and slow. A gas grill will hold temps surprisingly well.

I use gas for some things, charcoal for others.