SmokeFire EPX6 vs ELX4

Hi, all. Long-time Weber Genesis user here, looking to move to a pellet grill. I have been watching the SmokeFire line slowly come into its own since the Gen 1 fiasco, and I think it’s finally time to move. I’m not a Weber die-hard, per se, but I’ve been pleased with their products in the past and am generally grill-first (rather than smoker-first), so I think the SmokeFire is a good fit. Worth noting, I don’t plan to keep my Genesis.

I have an interesting quandary, based on timing. I don’t really want to wait for the Searwood line, and I’m also not wild about being a first adopter for their foray into side-hopper format, given the teething pains SmokeFire Gen 1 had. I thought I wanted the ELX6, but I believe I’ve convinced myself I don’t want the added size for the relatively few occasions I’ll need the extra footprint. I \*do\* want the ELX line for the dual side table setup and the included Weber Crafted grating system, and I’d convinced myself I was good with the ELX4’s $1,399 price point.

… BUT THEN…

I found the EPX6 on sale on Amazon for $1,099. Near as I can tell, it’s the ELX Sear+ line sans Crafted bits and with a handle in place of the left-side table. I think the EPX may also not have the built-in rack storage on the front and side as is included on the ELX? Were I to go this way, I’d plan to buy the Crafted retrofits for the EPX and would just go without the second side table (I know they sell an accessory).

So my thoughts/questions/concerns are:

* Size and fuel appetite- do the 36″ grills use appreciably more fuel than the 24″ versions? There will be times that I probably *can* make use of the additional space, but I can absolutely do without if doing so cuts my pellet spend. Longer term, lower pellet spend is probably more desirable than having the 36″ just because it cost less than the 24″.
* Adding Crafted grating- near as I can tell, Weber doesn’t actually sell the Crafted retrofit for the EPX- *at least not with cast iron grates*. I do see the stainless grates, but if I’m going to bother buying, my preference is to have cast iron as I’ve been very pleased with it in my current Genesis. It looks like you can get cast for the 24″ ([https://www.weber.com/US/en/accessories/weber-crafted/spirit-300-series-smokefire-ex4-weber-crafted-peci-starter-kit/spirit-300-series-smokefire-ex4-crafted-peci-starter-kit.html](https://www.weber.com/US/en/accessories/weber-crafted/spirit-300-series-smokefire-ex4-weber-crafted-peci-starter-kit/spirit-300-series-smokefire-ex4-crafted-peci-starter-kit.html)), but I only see stainless for the 36″ ([https://www.weber.com/US/en/accessories/weber-crafted/weber-crafted-stainless-steel-cooking-grates–et–frame-kit-%E2%80%93-smokefire-ex6/smokefire-ex6-crafted-stainless-steel-starter-kit.html](https://www.weber.com/US/en/accessories/weber-crafted/weber-crafted-stainless-steel-cooking-grates–et–frame-kit-%E2%80%93-smokefire-ex6/smokefire-ex6-crafted-stainless-steel-starter-kit.html)). Has that been your experience as well?
* Other EPX-to-ELX revisions- am I missing anything in my assumption of the differences between the EPX and ELX series that would (or should) sway me to overlook the deal for the larger EPX6 and instead go for the smaller ELX4?

Appreciate any insight the community might have. Thanks, all!

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by GRIT-GRIND