I need to buy a new barbecue, what do you experts recomend I should get?
I figure a good one should probably go for about $600.00

Cut an old 55-gallon drum in half lengthwise, attach some hinges between the two halves and put a grate in it.  Fill the bottom portion with charcoal!

-Nick Viejo!

Edit to add: I almost forgot, be sure to use a steel drum and not a plastic drum.  And you probably want to attach some sort of wooden handle to prevent you from burning your hand when you go to lift the lid and it's hot.

600.00?

Don't listen to Viejo (isn't that Spanish for Old Fart?)

Take a 1974-82 Pickup bed.  Convert it into a trailer.  Weld some galvanized chain link onto the bed.  You might want to add a little supporting angle iron.

Open the tailgate to add wood.  

Make a nice hot fire to burn off any paint that is still on the  bed and to remove the galvanized metal.

Poof!  Instant, portable grill.  Feeds 250+

Want a cover for it?  Aluminum camper shell.

TRG

This one looks really nice and is just under $600.

[url]http://www.samsclub.com/eclub/main_shopping.jsp?mt=a&n=0&BV_SessionID=_SC_1097457517.1055987204_CS_&BV_EngineID=ccdfadciigefedjcfkfcfkjdgoodflf.0&coe=0&oidPath=0%3a-23542%3a-28281%3a-28291%3a690820[/url]

[img]http://graphics.samsclub.com/images/products/0084026700003_L2.jpg[/img]

A hundred dollar BBQ will do the same cooking chores.
500 bucks= ammo/ lowers / uppers/ optics........

Living in TX caused me to sell a gas grill very fast & go back to wood and charcoal.

If you get a gas grill, look for burners with a rating of 25000 btu each...you need at least that much to correctly sear meat to keep in the juices.  The majority of gas grills are underpowered (in spite of what the sales monkey tells you) for serious grilling.  They are incapable of [b]real[/b] BBQ.

-hanko, pretty damn opinionated about BBQ

WalMart has a smoker/BBQ pit for around $200. I have one and it will cook enough food for about 15-20 people. The attached firebox makes it an excelent slow cooker for the most tender chicken you could want. If you just got to spend $600 I'm sure there are folks out there that will sell you something to cook on. I can't imagine $400 more dollars would make the food taste better though.

My BBQ is like a sore dick. It's Hard To Beat![:D]

Great point, I will keep that in mind. Thanks

Hanko, I beg to differ. If you let the rocks heat up (just like letting natural coals get hot) the BBQ will be WAY hotter than the burners rating.
Trus me, I BBQ almost every day.

Weber and kingsford.
Forget that gas grill housewife sissy shit.

WEBER is the one I am considering right now.

Use propane!  Taste the meat not the heat.

If I were to buy another one I'd splurge and get an expensive model.  My $150 Coleman is in pretty ratty shape after just 5 years of service.

GunLvr

Captain, difference noted.  I still use wood in the big BBQ or charcoal & wood chips in the Weber.

Speaking of which, there's beginning to be a backlash about high dollar gas grills.  Good ol' Webber kettles are making a comeback.  Mine is over 20 years old, no rust, no burn-through, still works like a champ.  I recommend them, but for some people the lack the high-tech/yuppie appeal of a mega-buck gasser.  

To each his own.

-hanko

Personally I can't stand the taste of propane. Before anyone says propane is tastes, I CAN taste it. I don't use charcoal very often either.

Are you looking for a Barbecue/smoker (as in BBQ pit, to slow cook or smoke meat) or a grill? There is a difference, I have a smoker that my parents bought me a couple of years ago at Home Depot for about $320. Its a New Branfel Bandera.

[img]http://www.nbsmoker.com/images/products/99205600.jpg[/img]


The Bandera works so good I decided to buy a Luckenbach from the same company to replace my rusted Weber that was kind of small anyway.

[img]http://www.nbsmoker.com/images/products/99301800.jpg[/img]

I can cook quite a feast with the pair and I do several times a week! I used to compete on the local level several times a year on a much larger and much more expensive pit. The Bandera is much easier to use than the $3500 custom built pit we used to own. Now two Bandera's and we can cook using two different woods! Cherry for the ribs and a Hickory/Mesquite mix for the Pork butt and Brisket! For grilling I usually use Hickory, since I pretty much have an endless supply.

I didn't mean to knock the Weber, its a great grill at any price. It was too small for the parties I cater and it rusted because I left it out in the rain all the time. Water and wood ashes make lime if I remember correctly... Cover your grills and pits boys!

Bandera????? I never heard of them, I will check them out.

Weber's Genesis series is pretty much top rated by Consumer Reports.  I have a Genesis Silver A, a smallish grill, but it works REAL well for parties of up to 20 or 30 people.  I can't grill that many burgers at once, but then, I can't really do a quality grilling job on that many burgers at once.

Heat is excellent.  It generates 500-600 degrees of heat under the cover without much problem at all. I pre-heat until the thermometer pegs then throw the meat on to sear.  Turn down the heat after searing both sides and grill.

The bigger models (Silver B and Silver C) are much larger and have side burners for lobster, vegetables, etc.  These grills fall within your price range.

Ducane is over-rated.

Jenn Air  now offers a high end grill that looks exceptional.

One thing to look for in top end grills are solid grilling grates.  The average cheapy uses chromed wire, the Webers use stamped, heavy gauge steel covered with porcelain, the best grills use massive cast iron grates that look like the Weber grates, but are solid and very heavy.  They hold the heat very well helping to keep the temperature more constant when you open the lid.

Nice thing about the Webers is the dripping catch trays underneath.  The cheap grills have sold bottoms with a drain hole for letting out excess water, the Weber has a large opening with a dripping funnel and a catch tray beneath that.  The drippings drain off rather than building up in the bottom of the grill speeding corrosion.  

Whatever sort of grill you buy, clean it well every fall before putting it away for the season. Getting rid of all the crud build up will dramatically increase the service life of your grill.  Also, using grill paint to cover areas of corrosion (after cleaning and degreasing them, will also keep the grill working longer.

dont but that shiny garbage from sams club-just junk covered with stainless.

Get the Weber with the gas AND charcoal.
[img]http://www.webergrills.com/products/images/performer-05.gif[/img]
$399

Gas helps it start.
But any knowledgable grill-man will tell you:

Charcoal makes a tastier BBQ.

You have better control of the "heat", too.
Slow cook, or sear.
Go charcoal.

If you have the cash....
[img]http://www.webergrills.com/products/images/smoker-2-3560002.gif[/img]
$899

I love my Webber charcoal grill.  I wouldn't trade her in on any propane grill!

[img]http://www.westlandhvac.com/images/grill2.jpg[/img]
I'd go with a Holland. I've got a friend who sells for them and you won't beat the construction.

I BBQ almost every day, and use gas when I do that.  I paid $188 at Wally world about 2 months ago for one of the new Char-Broil gas/charcoal combos.  I use the gas daily and the Charcoal for special occasions.

Last Weeks Good Eats had an interesting $50.00 smoker that looked like it could do all my smoking.  Large, insulated, and cheap.  Lemme know if you wanna know about it.

pat

DAMN RIGHT WOOD/CHARCOAL GRILL  ALL THE WAY. No stinkin gas [:O]

Holland, is the way to go.  Wont rust, once its on its on no heat adjustment.  I'v had mine for about 5 years, I'd get another.