How Many Mes Owners Here?

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Which One Do You Have?

  • 40'

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 40' with window

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 40' 800 watt

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I like it a lot

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Where did you buy it?

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Sams Club

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other please list where in a post

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    2
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If you are handy perhaps a stainless steel patch pop riveted on would work. Stop drill the end of the cracks to stop them from spreading .JB weld has a high temperature tolerance and is very strong as well so it may work. All this of course if you don't get a new door.
 
Thanks Bear and Ted for your responses! 

I'm so annoyed by this and am really regretting buying this smoker. It's been nothing but little (but annoying) problems since I bought it. My dad wants me to give him. He doesn't smoke very often so I think it'll be a good fit and I'm going to move on to a Traeger or a Rec Tec.
 
My wife got me a 30" MES for my birthday and I can finally break it in now that the snow has melted. It is the Sportsman Elite model and seems to get great reviews no matter where I look. I am about to purchase an AMNPS and won't even mess with the chips.
 
 
Thanks Bear and Ted for your responses! 

I'm so annoyed by this and am really regretting buying this smoker. It's been nothing but little (but annoying) problems since I bought it. My dad wants me to give him. He doesn't smoke very often so I think it'll be a good fit and I'm going to move on to a Traeger or a Rec Tec.
As Bear noted earlier, give MasterBuilt CS a call. My experience with their support has been very positive. They've been very helpful and accommodating. I've had issues with temp control and they've sent out multiple control panels and remotes in an attempt to fix it.

Ron
 
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Thanks Bear and Ted for your responses! 

I'm so annoyed by this and am really regretting buying this smoker. It's been nothing but little (but annoying) problems since I bought it. My dad wants me to give him. He doesn't smoke very often so I think it'll be a good fit and I'm going to move on to a Traeger or a Rec Tec.


As Bear noted earlier, give MasterBuilt CS a call. My experience with their support has been very positive. They've been very helpful and accommodating. I've had issues with temp control and they've sent out multiple control panels and remotes in an attempt to fix it.

Ron

I noticed you used the word attempt. Were you finally able to get a perfectly (or at least acceptably) functioning controller?
 
I bought the 30 inch with window and remote in Nov 2013 at Target. The reason I bought from Target, surfing the internet for the best price Target ad keep poping up with 30% discount and free shipping. I went to Target web site and sure enough there it was so I bought it and went to check out and I also got free shipping plus another discount for using the red card. Final price 208.00 with free shipping to my door and was delivered 2 days later. I'v smoked pork chops, ribs, chicken and standing rib roast. I followed Bearcarver directions and photos for the rib roast and  it was perfect. Happy with my MES 30.

Larry
 
I have a 30" with window. My wife gave it to me for Christmas and I have already done on smoke doing a pork tenderloin roast.  When I took the roast off, the internal temp was 161 or so I thought. Anyway, the pork was pretty pink on the inside so I finished it off in the oven because I was hungry
yahoo.gif
. Anyway, that is just a learning curve for me. The one thing that did bothr me a bit was the fact that I thought the light was supposed to light up the interior of the smoker but it only lights up the smoker front. Not a major issue.
 
 
I have a 30" with window. My wife gave it to me for Christmas and I have already done on smoke doing a pork tenderloin roast.  When I took the roast off, the internal temp was 161 or so I thought. Anyway, the pork was pretty pink on the inside so I finished it off in the oven because I was hungry
yahoo.gif
. Anyway, that is just a learning curve for me. The one thing that did bothr me a bit was the fact that I thought the light was supposed to light up the interior of the smoker but it only lights up the smoker front. Not a major issue.
Congrats on the MES 30 present !!!

AS much as I love my MES 40, I would never trust either the smoker temp or the meat probe temp. Think about getting a Maverick ET-732 digital wireless. Then you'll know what the actual temps are.

I keep my door glass perfectly clean, but I rarely bother with that little light.

Bear
 
I noticed you used the word attempt. Were you finally able to get a perfectly (or at least acceptably) functioning controller?
Nice catch. The "issue" isn't completely straightened out and it got too cold in MN to mess too much with this after I got he last pair. But, the original issue was that the control panel and meat probe showed a variation of 30 degrees which also varied from my Maverick. The meat meat probe also differed from the Maverick by 10-15 degrees. Even though I relied on the Maverick to determine food IT, the spread and inconsistency of the controller temp made it hard to reliably produce consistent results. With the latest replacement parts, the controller and the meat probe read within 5 degrees of each other, but they read about 35-40 degrees higher than the Maverick. I have to set the MES to 185 or so to make sure the temps don't get into the 275-290 range. Perhaps the controller is not calibrated for the temp probes in my unit. This could happen if MasterBuilt changed temp probe types/part numbers. To address that would probably require a new box and like was posted in your "Open Letter" thread by another user, I'm more interested in smoking meat than replacing parts on these things.

In the end, I kind of gave up on it for now, purchased a Cookshack SM045 and have been using it. The temps on the SM045 are within +/- 2 degrees of what the Maverick shows and it holds the set point temp to within +/- 1 degree for the entire smoke. It's much easier to produce consistent results now. Even with the ambient temps of -20F it held consistent temps and in a driving snowstorm I wasn't concerned about frying the controller.

I might start tinkering on the MES40 again in the spring.

Ron
 
I am tired of wondering about the true temperature of my meat.

I just ordered a Super fast Thermapen from Thremaworks There is a video on their website comparing other so called fast thermometers. Very interesting. Three second read.

 What sold me on this thermometer was word of mouth and the fact that they are made in England and not a Chinese knock off. I would be just as sure if it were made in USA or Canada.

 I will now be able to enjoy my wine while waiting for the roast or bird..

 Ted.
 
 
I am tired of wondering about the true temperature of my meat.

I just ordered a Super fast Thermapen from Thremaworks There is a video on their website comparing other so called fast thermometers. Very interesting. Three second read.

 What sold me on this thermometer was word of mouth and the fact that they are made in England and not a Chinese knock off. I would be just as sure if it were made in USA or Canada.

 I will now be able to enjoy my wine while waiting for the roast or bird..

 Ted.
That's a great addition to your tool box!!!

However if you want to know the temps while smoking, without opening the smoker & letting things cool down, you should also have a digital wireless, like the Maverick ET-732.

Bear
 
 
Hi Bear.

 Is the probe only in the smoker ? or does a cable have to come out of the door?

Ted
Depends on what smoker you have---It does have two thin cables (Smoker & Meat---Both highly accurate). I drop mine through my Exhaust vent on my MES 40.

Bear
 
 
 I have the MES 30 so could do that. As for the Quick read pen,, I will have to share it with the Head Chef as soon as she discovers that I bought it.

 Ted.
LOL---Me too---After 45 years, she has me trained to share my toys!!

Bear
 
 
I noticed you used the word attempt. Were you finally able to get a perfectly (or at least acceptably) functioning controller?
Nice catch. The "issue" isn't completely straightened out and it got too cold in MN to mess too much with this after I got he last pair. But, the original issue was that the control panel and meat probe showed a variation of 30 degrees which also varied from my Maverick. The meat meat probe also differed from the Maverick by 10-15 degrees. Even though I relied on the Maverick to determine food IT, the spread and inconsistency of the controller temp made it hard to reliably produce consistent results. With the latest replacement parts, the controller and the meat probe read within 5 degrees of each other, but they read about 35-40 degrees higher than the Maverick. I have to set the MES to 185 or so to make sure the temps don't get into the 275-290 range. Perhaps the controller is not calibrated for the temp probes in my unit. This could happen if MasterBuilt changed temp probe types/part numbers. To address that would probably require a new box and like was posted in your "Open Letter" thread by another user, I'm more interested in smoking meat than replacing parts on these things.

In the end, I kind of gave up on it for now, purchased a Cookshack SM045 and have been using it. The temps on the SM045 are within +/- 2 degrees of what the Maverick shows and it holds the set point temp to within +/- 1 degree for the entire smoke. It's much easier to produce consistent results now. Even with the ambient temps of -20F it held consistent temps and in a driving snowstorm I wasn't concerned about frying the controller.

I might start tinkering on the MES40 again in the spring.

Ron
Interesting.  I guess MB is sending me a 'body replacement' which I can assume is basically a 2nd smoker sans the racks & pan & such.  I guess I'll see once it shows up but I sure hope the temps are at least consistent with whatever they're sending me.  I don't even care if they're accurate since I use an external so long as they're consistent.  Sick of this temps all over the place BS because that defeats the purpose of buying an electric to begin with.  What should be the strong suit of this smoker has been one of my biggest problems.
 
Wife is buying a 40" with window for my birthday this weekend. I just ordered a AMNPS and some pellets, hope it gets to me before the weekend. Will season the smoker Saturday, then smoke something on Sunday while watching NFC and AFC Championship games. Couldn't think of a better weekend! Now just have to figure out first thing to smoke.
 
I have a 30" no door model that I got from Amazon.  

Bought it for my brother for Christmas, but ended up going in on a joint present with my other brother (flyfishing weekend).  Figured it would cost me more to ship it back due to its size/weight.  Soooo.... Happy Christmas to me!  

Wife wasn't too happy.  Made fun of me for as I put it together, ordered a few accessories and read up on how to smoke etc. on here.  She made fun of me for the two days before the smoke as I made my rubs and finishing sauce and our fridge was full of meat.  She REALLY made fun of me when I got up at 5am to fire the thing up.  She texted me all day to make fun of me while I was in the smoke.

She stopped making fun of me when she had the first bite.
 
 
I have a 30" no door model that I got from Amazon.  

Bought it for my brother for Christmas, but ended up going in on a joint present with my other brother (flyfishing weekend).  Figured it would cost me more to ship it back due to its size/weight.  Soooo.... Happy Christmas to me!  

Wife wasn't too happy.  Made fun of me for as I put it together, ordered a few accessories and read up on how to smoke etc. on here.  She made fun of me for the two days before the smoke as I made my rubs and finishing sauce and our fridge was full of meat.  She REALLY made fun of me when I got up at 5am to fire the thing up.  She texted me all day to make fun of me while I was in the smoke.

She stopped making fun of me when she had the first bite.
LOL----I love it when a plan comes together!!!

Bear
 
Doesn't that make you feel sooooo good,  Tell her since she gave you such a hard time, the next smoke you'll only be cooking for one !!!   Maybe not a good idea, Anyway glad it all worked out and now you are hooked.

Gary
 
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