I get that. My cousin has two of them on his deck. He wound up replacing the hinge on his XL with the newer hinge as it was hard to open. They both work great. Don't get me wrong, they cook fantastic, but they should. They are kamado grills which means they are based on a design that has been around for more than 3,000 years.
I'm just saying there are other grills out there that have more bells and whistles for the same or less money. Heck, 10 years ago, there was BGE and nobody else, almost. The biggest problem these other brands have is not making a great product. All of them are great, even the BGE. It's letting consumers know that they are an option along with the BGE. Most people just haven't heard of Kamado Joe, Vision Grills, and Primo. Or that the $340 Akorn from Char-Griller is a sweet grill. BGE did such a phenomenal job of marketing they are almost synonymous with the kamado grill type. Sort of like people asking for a kleenex when they really just want a tissue, but kleenex is almost synonymous with the tissue that people often confuse the two names.
What I tell people is this. BGE is sort of like Harley. Harley makes a great bike, but is by no means best in breed. A Big Dog or Iron Horse will get you way more attention and admiration than a Harley for the same or less money. But Harley is a mastermind of branding and marketing. So is BGE. If you saw the vitriol of the BGE heads when their grill brand is questioned on social media and grilling forums you would cringe. It makes the Political Forum here look like a day care center.
@CletiusMaximus I will say, you are one of the, if not the most level headed BGE owner I have ever met. Even more than my cousin. You should've seen the pout pants he put on when I lifted the lid on my XL Kamado (the brand shall remain nameless) with 2 fingers due to the over engineered hinge and then you would've thought I shot his dog when I showed mine was 50% thicker and still easier to open. I'm pretty sure this prompted the new hinge on his XL.