Recommend a Charcoal Grill for me...

Hard to beat a Weber kettle. They make a version integrated into a table that makes it easier to move around and stage things, like your grate. It's in your price range. Weber Performer

a good middle ground is a small barrel smoker with offset fire box.
you can use it as a hot grill and as a slow smoker and it provides extra surface space to stick things

cheaper ones like char-griller cook surprisingly well and last a decent time if you cover it. Academy carries Oklahoma Joe which is heavier and more expensive but will last longer

it's really hard to beat a homemade barrel pit.

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I want a long-lasting, sturdy grill that I can keep for years. Budget is $400ish. Will go to $500 or a little more or since I use a charcoal grill almost every week of the year. Thanks.

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Have you looked at Kamado Joe's charcoal kettle grill? It's metal, not ceramic like their other cookers. Looks versatile. LINK

It is at the top end of your price range but should last a while.

Weber Performer.

Not sure which cooking grate you have for your kettle but some grates have handles that allow the grate to be hung from the side of the grill while lighting coals



The lid can be kept in place with a hinge kit.



For stability I have found that the 22.5" grills with the ash bucket to be more sturdy than the smaller ones with the ash plate. I have looked at the Weber Performer and really like it, seems very solid, but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

I also have a PK360. Love the cooker, solid as a rock but ash cleanup is a PITA and finding somewhere to put the racks are still an issue.

Here is my performer. I hang my grate and put the chimney over the gas starter to light the coals, or, i light them on top of the grate.

With a Slow and Sear, it is incredibly versatile. The table makes it very stable, too.

Also, SnS makes a grate with an extra large hinge on on side. That makes it easy to load fuel with the grate in place.

Yeah been there done that. I had to buy a grill mat for deck that thankfully the wife hasn't looked under yet

Check out the Pkgrills.com site and drill down till you find the "All New Original PK" or youtube it. Don't think it is available for a few more weeks. It is basically the "old" original PK, but has some cool extras and the way you handle the vents (top and bottom)look to be much improved as well as the cart. The cooking grate is stainless still now, so no rusting for it either. Also a special port so you can put the temperature wire's through. If I didn't already have 3 grills, I would grab it.
No price listed, but I bet they are going to list it as $500 bucks. Yeah, nothing wrong with the Weber, but PK are LIFETIME grills. I have a PK that my Dad (RIP) gave me. It is older than me (54 years). My sister (no pics) has a picture from Vietnam where she was getting some roadside food and the dude was cooking on one leftover from the war. PK grill HOT and smoke/bbq without having to baby them. Ash cleanup sucks, but I've gotten used to just taking them off the base and hurling them in an empty lot. Yeah, I'm a fanboy.

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Yes it is. Probably the only thing I don't like about it though.

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I don't understand why the cleanout hole is above the bottom of the grill, it would be so easy to brush the ashes out if it were level. I went and bought the cheapest small harbor frieght vacuum and just clean mine with it.