Bradley vs MES

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About a month ago, I got my MES 40 with window at Sam's Club for $300.  I thought it was a great buy.   Oh, and I love it, I am glad I went with the MES.
$300??? I can't find an electric 40" anywhere for less than $399. If I could find it for $300 I'd grab it in a heartbeat.
 
Looks like Sam's Club sells the 40 for $300. The problem for me is that I'm not a member, and the nearest one is probably 100 miles away. I cant seem to find anywhere else that sells it for $300.
 
Looks like Sam's Club sells the 40 for $300. The problem for me is that I'm not a member, and the nearest one is probably 100 miles away. I cant seem to find anywhere else that sells it for $300.
Got any friends that are members? I think they get $100 for membership nowadays!

Or wait until Cabela's has a sale.

They often sell their MES 40 for $349, instead of $399, and theirs is ALL STAINLESS, inside & out, instead of black.

Plus if you get the fliers from Cabela's, you often get $20 to $50 coupons from them, in the mail.

Bear
 
Got any friends that are members? I think they get $100 for membership nowadays!

Or wait until Cabela's has a sale.

They often sell their MES 40 for $349, instead of $399, and theirs is ALL STAINLESS, inside & out, instead of black.

Plus if you get the fliers from Cabela's, you often get $20 to $50 coupons from them, in the mail.

Bear
They are $40 for the standard yearly memberships.
 
Got any friends that are members? I think they get $100 for membership nowadays!

Or wait until Cabela's has a sale.

They often sell their MES 40 for $349, instead of $399, and theirs is ALL STAINLESS, inside & out, instead of black.

Plus if you get the fliers from Cabela's, you often get $20 to $50 coupons from them, in the mail.

Bear
My Sam's Business Card costs $35.00 per year and you will save that on the first purchase if you buy an MES 40.

Plus you can buy it online and have it shipped to your house.
 
Thanks for the corrections on the Sam's membership costs, guys.

I knew we didn't pay that much a few years ago. Then we quit.

I looked it up on their site, and it said $100---I said "Holy Shot!"---Even told Mrs Bear !!!!

Bear
 
My Sam's Business Card costs $35.00 per year and you will save that on the first purchase if you buy an MES 40.

Plus you can buy it online and have it shipped to your house.
Any idea if shipping would be free for members? Shipping something like that would probably cost $50 itself
 
I did a test to see what shipping would be and to me it was $29.00 and Sales Tax was $29.27 (Will Vary By Location)...

I am not sure if that shipping amount is for Everywhere.
 
I decided on choosing my first cheap gasser smoker using price as a primary consideration. Turned out I didn't use it much as it was a pain to use. It needed constant attention to keep the temps correct and the smoke going. I later learned about and bought an MES and find that I use it much more often than my previous smoker because it is so easy to use. My lesson learned was that when it comes to a "beloved hobby", relative price/cost could play a smaller role while the potential for increased happiness (nirvana) could play a much larger role. Plus any pain one initially feels from paying more is soon forgotten while the enjoyment of having a great smoker lasts and lasts. I am  not trying to promote the MES over other great smokers you can choose. I am just pointing out my experince in switching from a cheap gasser to an MES.
 
Yeah, I'm probably just going to buy a Sam's Club membership and get the MES 40. This probably isnt the thread for it, but rather than hijack an existing one, or start a new one, for those of you that you the AMNS to hot smoke, how/where do you place it in the MES? If I'm reading the instructions properly, it should be above the air intake, in a foul pan (to keep direct heat from the element away) and below the water pan? So, maybe bottom rack, with the water pan directly above, to prevent meat drippings from hitting the sawdust?
 
on the mes 40 place the AMNS to the left of the smoke box on the rods that go across, and an answer for your grease drippings, make a tinfoil tent over the AMNS and you wont have any issues.  i use the heavy duty foil and i have had no problems
 
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this is a pic i got off a post the bear carver had.  he is using his MES 30 to smoke some bacon.  same idea in the MES 40
 
on the mes 40 place the AMNS to the left of the smoke box on the rods that go across, and an answer for your grease drippings, make a tinfoil tent over the AMNS and you wont have any issues.  i use the heavy duty foil and i have had no problems
I dont have the MES yet, so I looked up pictures to see what you meant. I can see the rods that go across, but is that the heating element above the rails?
 
That's a great picture! So the top foil pan is for water and the bottom one is to insulate the AMNS?
 
Top pan is for water and/or drippings

Bottom pan is to catch any drippings that get past the water pan or Bear's foil pan.

If you're looking at a 40" MES, the space above the rails and to the left of the chip pan housing is much wider.

Another place for the AMNS is in the water pan.  If you want to use water during your smoke, you can use a small foil pan for water on the 1st shelf.

Keep the foil tent above the AMNS so the heat does not get deflected back dow towards the AMNS.

Todd
 
You're all close on the picture in post #33, by Redneck69:

On this particular smoke (Bacon), the top aluminum foil pan is there to catch anything that might drip on my AMNS, and it is there to hold the jug of Ice to keep the temp from running too high in this "almost" cold smoke.

The "Water Pan" is in there, because you are never supposed to operate an MES 30 or an MES 40 without the water pan in position.

The bottom--bottom foil pan is in there, instead of the regular bottom drip pan, because I didn't get around to putting the stock one back in, since I had to remove it to put my 6" X 6" AMNS under the bars & under the chip drawer.

Bear
 
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You're all close on the picture in post #33, by Redneck69:

On this particular smoke (Bacon), the top aluminum foil pan is there to catch anything that might drip on my AMNS, and it is there to hold the jug of Ice to keep the temp from running too high in this "almost" cold smoke.

The "Water Pan" is in there, because you are never supposed to operate an MES 30 or an MES 40 without the water pan in position.

The bottom--bottom foil pan is in there, instead of the regular bottom drip pan, because I didn't get around to putting the stock one back in, since I had to remove it to put my 6" X 6" AMNS under the bars & under the chip drawer.

Bear
The water pan has to be in place, but you dont need to put water in it, right? If I understood Todd's post correctly, he puts the AMNS in the water pan
 
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