Yes Ernie, I have had a nice and quiet 4th. I am glad you mentioned that you could have been a tad more tactful. And I am sorry you have had a bad experience when most have had a good experience. I gave my brother a model 3 a couple of years back and unmodified he is very pleased with the results. Yes, the temp swings are present: shoots over the set temp, them shuts down till it is below the set temp. And the food is good. It is done when it is done. And it can be frustrating. I own a CS. And it is digital. No two racks of ribs are identical and their tenderness can vary even when cooked/smoked simultaneously. It is something I live with. Smoked butts? Same thing. The difference is not that great, but I too expected perfection. But the units are made by man, and that means nothing will be perfect. Pretty close, but not perfect.
My suggestion is to look over the unit you have, and go back to the instructions and have some patience and give it another shot. There is a learning curve. Look at all the posts on
MasterBuilt. Nothing but problems with the newer units yet people still swear by and sometimes at them, and continue to produce good food. Just have to work around the quirks.
Here and on other sites I am a member of I read all the time of folks looking for the elusive thin blue smoke. They drill extra holes in order to use a device called the
AMNPS (or is it ANMPS). Anyway, they mod their unit and get the smoke they want. They have drilled the SI and ST units in order to accomplish this as increased air flow is required. And for them it works. It is a good accessory. So you are not alone in trying to tweak a great smoker into a unit that performs to their/your expectations.
You said here and at the SI site that you got good ribs. That is good news. Butts as you know are cooked to an internal temp. That takes time. Lots of it. My CS can take 14 to 16 hours for a good size pork shoulder. The SI, un-modified can take the same amount of time. And do it at a lower cost.
I wish you well in the future. And good luck in your quest for the perfect smoker.
Dave