"Life span about a year"? Are you kidding? I can't imagine paying approx. $300 for a 40" Sam MES with the expectation it would last only a year. Even a 30" at approx $175 should give good service for 10 years. When I say service that doesn't mean parts won't fail, I have owned my Weber Genesis Silver B BBQ grill, 11 years, and I have replaced almost everything in that Weber and some things twice.
(grates = twice, flavorizer bars = twice, regulator = once, thermometer = once, burner tubes = twice, ignitor = once) I still love my Weber grill and use it a couple times a week. Why is that better than other grills, because I can go to at least 3 locations near me and get any part the same day and grill, other makes of grills that isn't true. My sister went through 2 grills before they finally purchased a weber, in the same 11 years.
I have already pointed out in another post today that when I purchased my 40" Stainless Steel Sam's MES 2 years ago, I did it with the knowledge that the wiring would fail. I also did with the expectation that everything but the cabinet would eventually fail. I purchased the MES because at the time I could get a stainless steel insulated cabinet smoker, that could handle a lot of food with digital control, external wood chip access, and thousands of MES satisfied owners giving the thumbs up. There was no way I could either build or find another electric smoker with the quality, controls, consistent great performance, at such a great price. I even paid an extra $40 for shipping since the MES was not at my local Sams (at the time even with the extra $40 my total cost was under $300). My 40" SS MES sits outside under the roof eave covered on a stand, good weather or bad weather (admittedly Sacramento area the weather is mild compared to other places), and has smoked some great tasting meat at least 100 times since purchase. I know I will eventually replace the heat elements, wiring, controller, and have no worries because I can easily find 3rd party parts on the internet. For me the MES 40" is a great smoker.
As you can tell I am a huge MES fan, however I am not basing my loyalty on my experience alone. The testimony from so many SMF members who are MES owners confirms that the MES delivers HUGE bang for buck compared to competitors.
