Warped Deflector Shield

I have had the exact same thing happened I called RECTEC and he told me it is fairly common but it seems like it’s getting worse I’m not really satisfied right now with their customer service I would like for them to send me a new one and see if this happens again I spent a lot of hard earned money and did a lot of research before I bought this grillAnd if it is just a thing that happens I can deal with that but it’s to the point where it’s touching and warping so bad that my drip pan is not draining the grease
When you contacted Rec Tec did you tell them that is was causing problems with the drip pan?If so what was their response to that? I cant believe that you are experiencing a problem and they wouldnt take care of it...thats not right!
 
I have had my 680 for quite a few years now. I also admit to not being anything close to an engineer by any stretch. When RT announced the change and improvement to the deflector by raising the two ends (which was also marketed as an improvement so you could put wood chunks on top of the deflector for additional smoke), I did think to myself that by, in a sense, cutting the corners of the deflector and bending the ends up, would weaken the structure of the unit. Making it easier to warp. My old deflector has remained rock solid and like new integrity. I also have to admit, I do not run many "High Heat" cooks on my 680. I hope the warping issue gets figured out for everyone.
 
If Rec Tec is simply going to send another flawed deflector shield as the "fix" then I don't see the point at all. I'll probably get a Heavy D. Talked to the guy and he said it won't warp. $99 aint so bad, especially if it ups my smoking game.
 
HI
just my two cents but I have had a 680 for a number of years and both the deflector and the drip pan are warped. The deflector has made absolutely no difference in my cooks. The sag in the drip pan has caused the fat to settle in the center. I use a 31/2 inch paint scraper at the end of the cook to push the lot into the side tray no foil is needed and again no effect on the opinion of the ones eating my ribs! Just my 2 cents, this is a tempest in a teacup! Quit remaking the wheel and get to cooking! So little time so many ribs to cook!!
 
My first ribs cook had a stable 250F for 6 hours. I think the warped deflector could be affecting the cook now? This cook has not been very stable:

934
 
Pretty much the same. It doesn't rain here in the summer, and no wind. The weather is pretty constant here in sunny California. The temp instability was primarily the last hour or so of the 6 hour 321 cook. I'll look at the deflector later today to see if the warping has worsened. I removed the ribs early and they were fine. And then interestingly, after taking the ribs off, I heated it up to 350 for some veggies and it stabilized there for a half an hour with little fluctuation.
 
Any further update from RT on this? I too have an RT700 that was ordered in April 2019 with a warped deflector. I'd like to have an official response from the RT guys on the issue.
 
My official reply was that they said it shouldn't affect the burn, but it is under warranty if you need a replacement.
That's a pretty fair response. My personal opinion would be if it doesn't affect the cooking it's not a real big deal, but on the other hand , we've seen in this group, where they have warped enough to push the drip tray up. I'd ask for a replacement at that point. Not to mention (again just my opinion) a 1200$+ purchase shouldn't warp to begin with, and the issue should be fixed. In the same breath I would say people shouldn't take advantage of CS by asking for a new one everytime it tweaks a 1/2"....JMO guys.
 
My official reply was that they said it shouldn't affect the burn, but it is under warranty if you need a replacement.
That's a pretty fair response. My personal opinion would be if it doesn't affect the cooking it's not a real big deal, but on the other hand , we've seen in this group, where they have warped enough to push the drip tray up. I'd ask for a replacement at that point. Not to mention (again just my opinion) a 1200$+ purchase shouldn't warp to begin with, and the issue should be fixed. In the same breath I would say people shouldn't take advantage of CS by asking for a new one everytime it tweaks a 1/2"....JMO guys.
Thanks Buckeye. That's my take on CS as well but I agree it *shouldn't* warp. I haven't noticed any problem cooking with it and mine isn't hitting the drip try (yet) so I will just run it as it is.
 
I had this happen with my Stampede as well. I noticed it after about two weeks. I have done high temp cooks over 500 degrees and I suspect they were the culprit.

Doesn't seem to be affecting anything yet. If they redesign it before the warranty is up I'll probably ask for a replacement, but for now I'll just live with it.
 
I went and bought a Heavy D. This seems like a quality issue with the Rec Tec part that isn't going to be resolved by simply having them send out another one of equal quality.

The good news is that I'd like my ribs to be smokier anyhow, so this kills two birds with a single stone.
 
Smokey burgers = great. I made some 1/3 lb patties and used two chunks of oak in the Heavy D chambers; one chunk in each side. In hindsight for this short cook, one side would have been plenty. To keep the temperature from spiraling out of control, I did have to crack the lid about an inch. But I could maintain 500F +-5 F for 13 minutes (6.5 minutes each side), and the flavor was great. A small fire was burning below the drip tray. Now I'm hoping *it* doesn't warp next. :-D

Ribs next for sure.
 
My RT 700 heat deflector is severely warped as well, I heard a loud pop inside the grill on a cook and finally figured out it was the deflector hitting the drip tray. It actually moved the drip tray too. My grill is pretty new, purchased within the last 2 months. I haven't called CS yet, but it really needs to be replaced with a heavier version. Frankly, this is what you get with Chinese products.
 
My RT 700 heat deflector is severely warped as well, I heard a loud pop inside the grill on a cook and finally figured out it was the deflector hitting the drip tray. It actually moved the drip tray too. My grill is pretty new, purchased within the last 2 months. I haven't called CS yet, but it really needs to be replaced with a heavier version. Frankly, this is what you get with Chinese products.
Mine is new also. I ordered it just before July 4th. Mine was warped after two or three cooks and from what I could tell, RecTec would merely send another deflector of the same build quality in replacement. So I figured why bother. Though mine never did move the drip tray. In that case you do need a replacement ASAP. I agree, RecTec does need to redesign the deflector shield, too. The current one is junk.
 
I just went to vacuum out my (less than a month old) Bull for the first time today and my deflector shield is pretty badly warped also. I’m going to forward the pictures to the Rec Tec folks to see if there is anything new on a redesign.

36E54F9C-F8F2-4B7F-9E37-40313A026E64.jpeg
 
I just went to vacuum out my (less than a month old) Bull for the first time today and my deflector shield is pretty badly warped also. I’m going to forward the pictures to the Rec Tec folks to see if there is anything new on a redesign.
Let's us know what you are told. I was offered another but won't waste time or money if it's going to do the same thing. Mine isn't affecting the cook (at the moment).
 
Let's us know what you are told. I was offered another but won't waste time or money if it's going to do the same thing. Mine isn't affecting the cook (at the moment).
Got a quick call back from RT, and nothing has changed. The response was the warped diffuser shouldn’t affect anything so...
 

Create an account or login to comment

You must be a member in order to leave a comment

Create account

Create an account on our community. It's easy!

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Back
Top