Having a fire pit to warm you up during cold nights will make any outdoor party or gathering much better. It would be fun to stay close, huddled up together in front of the blazing warmth with your friends and loved ones while chatting and reminiscing. It also puts everybody in a great ambiance and mood, not to mention, it makes everyone feel comfortable.

Having all these is easily achievable through a fire pit that definitely improves the surroundings not only because of the warmth but also because of the glowing beauty it could create. For this do check out Landmann USA Ball of Fire Outdoor Fireplace.

PROS: The Landmann Ball of Fire is such a beauty when lighted up at night. As its name suggests, it really looks like a big ball of floating fire, which makes the ambiance much more fun and exciting to your guests. With this, cold nights are no longer a problem, and you’d wish time would slow down so you can have more time to take it all in. Because the entire ball is made of metal mesh, everyone around it can get his or her share of warmth.

CONS: This ball of steel requires high maintenance as most customers have put it because the metal isn’t stainless steel, meaning it will rust as soon as it can if you don’t take good proper care with it.

Although it is intended for outdoor use, don’t leave it there all day and night, all year round. The harsh weathers will suck the youth out of your fireplace, causing the metal to turn into brittle rust. Another con is the difficulty of putting this together. It is heavy and you need more hands to prop it.

What are the important aspects of the Landmann USA Ball of Fire Outdoor Fireplace?

Fuel: This fire pit is fueled by cheapest and most natural fuel there is – wood or charcoal. This is great because it can really fire up as big as you want to warm up more people if needed. Just add a few more blocks of wood into the fire and you’ll surely have a big one. Be careful not to overfeed the fire, you don’t want it to go beyond the round fire pit for safety reasons.

With the large round size of the Landmann Ball of Fire, you won’t have to worry if you’ll be able to produce sufficient fire and heat. It is recommended to place sand on the fire bowl provided at the bottom of this round fireplace to reduce the beating it takes from the fire.

Size: This fire pit is surprisingly big. Although it looks smaller in the pictures, it’s definitely chunkier in person. It can warm up a dozen of your guests without problem because of its 360-degree unobstructed view of the fire.

It has a large pivoting door with large handle for easy refueling. It is recommended to set up the logs in teepee style with a bit of gap between the logs to let the coal feel the oxygen so that the logs light up faster. Be careful in refueling, even if it features a large handle, it can easily heat up.

Portability: This product is quite large so portability is a concern especially if it’s lighted. Unlike other fire pits that can be moved from one place to another without risks of getting burns, this one should not be moved when the fire’s going. This is because there’s no provision for handles on the side for lifting it up safely. The metal is made of mesh so the heat radiates quite freely.

If you wish to move it, you’ll need the help of another person. Although you can bear-hug the round fire pit, it’s difficult. Unless you have Hulk Hogan’s body screaming of muscles, don’t try.

Material: This fire bowl has sturdy mesh steel construction measured at 30-inch-diameter. It’s an all-metal construction and has sturdy and thick metal feet. As previously mentioned, this isn’t made of stainless still; instead it is of coated black metal that is prone to get rusty if left exposed to the changing weathers outdoors.

To protect it, you can store it indoors when not in use or cover it with a weatherproof fire pit cover. The pan located inside the bowl used to place the firewood is also made of metal so make sure to clean it after every use to prolong its life.

What other things should you know about the Landmann USA Ball of Fire Outdoor Fireplace?

Despite all the nice things about this fireplace, some unlucky customers experienced a number of cons that doesn’t have anything to do with the fireplace’s performance. One major complaint is the poor quality control of the company.

Many customers received packages that lack important parts of the fireplace such as missing hex nuts and bolts, poker, and even the assembly instructions (it’s quite difficult to assemble so you would definitely need the manual).

Some also received broken packaging, damaged parts, and misaligned components. Customer service varies; some owners talked to helpful agents while some weren’t very helpful and are passive. Once you get all the parts and components complete, you need to find another person to help you with the assembly because the parts are heavy and big.

You also need to always clean it after every use. You may want to dump the ash with water first and then dry the pan before putting it back inside the fireplace.

The Verdict

This product is definitely a must-have if you live in a relatively cold area and want to have occasional evening parties/gatherings. With proper care and maintenance your Landmann USA Ball of Fire Outdoor Fireplace will last you years of good use.

Although some people complained about how the materials rusted so fast, you can avoid this by not neglecting your fire pit, leaving it outside under the changing weathers all the time.  Although intended for outdoors, you should consider storing it in your garage or at least covering it with a waterproof material. At the price you’ll have to shed for this, you’ll want it to last for as long as it takes.
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