Is a 2nd generation used MES 40" worth $100?

[dabills]

Hi all. I was a member before but I think my account was deleted. I kinda got out of smoking because my propane smoker is junk and I got frustrated with it. I miss smoking though and am looking to dive back in. I was looking at electric smokers just for ease of use because I'm really busy. I don't know if I can swing the cost of a smoke-it 2 which is probably the smalles I could go for the amount of people I cook for. I do however know of a used Gen 2 (not 2.5) working mes 40" for $100. You think it's worth it? I've seen some bad reviews of these smokers. I'm thinking if the electronics crap out on me I could drop $150 to outfit it with a auber PID control (even though I have no idea what I'm doing in that department, lol). So I guess at that point I'd be up to 250 plus maybe 20 for the amazn pellet smoker deal and maybe some other mods. Let's call it 300 to get it outfitted correctly. Do you think this is a decent option or should I just save up for the smoke-it 2 this fall or next year. Also is there a smoker in the $300 at Cabelas that you would view as a better option? I have gift cards. Ok I think that is all. Thanks for taking the time to read this!

 

[old sarge]

From all that I have read here, I would avoid the generation 2.  I would save and go with the Smokin-it (I'm biased!). Here is an inexpensive alternative from a company that has been around for many decades:

https://www.oldsmokey.com/products/electric-smoker?variant=350587737

You might want to contact them and ask some questions about their product, pros and cons.

 

[dabills]

Thanks for the response, I'll look into those smokers.

 

[dabills]

Old sarge one more thing, do you know if the smokin-it smokers ever go on sale?

Edit: what size brisket can the #2 fit? How many full racks of ribs? Thanks.

 

[old sarge]

Sale?  Not really but Steve does toss in some freebies once in a while.  As for ribs, with the racks 14 1/2 inch square, you will be cutting slabs down to fit but should be able to smoke 5 racks.

 

[dr k]

If the electronics of the gen 2 are now as good as the other generations and this gen 2 you are looking at has a top rear left vent, I would get it. I would take out the baby water pan and slant drip plate it hangs from. I would then put a 9"×13" or so disposable foil pan on the bottom rack or get a gen 1 flat bottom oval water pan for $15 from MB to put on the bottom rack. It may hang at any level like my gen 1 water pan with the bottom rack on top of it. Now its a gen 2.5 with a remote frequency controller which may have a much better range than bluetooth.
-Kurt

 

[dabills]

Dr. K,

Vent is on side not top of unit. I think it's slightly older than the model you're thinking of. Basically the model that they really messed up, lol.

 

[dr k]

I'd stay away from the upper left side vent so wind doesn't blow into the smoker. Top vents are good.
-Kurt

 

[tropics]

100_4085.JPG

• tropics
• Jul 25, 2017

Heres what I did with mine

Richie

 

[dabills]

Richie that is hilarious! Picture is worth a thousand words right.

 

[tallbm]

Hmmm how do I answer this.

I bought a used gen2 just like the one you mention and I rewired it and used an Auber PID for it.  Works fine and I gave it as a gift to my mother because she was interested in one and I paid $40 for the unit in working condition.  The rewire is actually quite simple.  I've never worked on any electrical systems and the rewire was simple and many on here can help explain how it's done.

Now if you rewire and go with a plug and play  PID controller then for about $300 total you are set with a better smoker than what MES gives you at brand new for $300.  You will still need the AMNPS but Cabelas sells pellets and I believe they are just rebranded LumberJack pellets and that is a top notch 100% pure wood brand so you can save a little there with your gift cards.  You could also start with the smoker working as is and kind of save up until you want to go with a plug and play PID and rewire the smoker so you can spread the $$$ hit.

Additionally, if you rewire the MES and use a PID controller you can DEFINITELY do all possible smoking including sausage and bacon smoking without worrying about temp swings that will melt the fat out of the meat and mess up your results.  I personally feel that if I have a smoker I want it to do ALL smoking.  Cold with no heat, jerky low temp, sausage and bacon at 165F, and chicken for EDIBLE skin achieved at 325F.  An MES rewire with a PID controller and AMNPS means you can basically smoke anything :)

Now, if I had to do it all over again I would simply try the Smokin-It 3D which is $850 but as far as I have researched has had like zero complaints and seems to work with no issues whatsoever.

It's all up to you and what you feel you would like to do.  Best of luck :)

 

[dabills]

TallBM thanks for that very informative response. I'm torn. I want a smokin-it 3d. That's what I've figured out. Problem is I will probably have to wait until next year to get it because that's a tough nut to crack and I just had a baby, wouldn't be good to drop that much $ right now. So if I want to start smoking soon it is buy the Gen 2 and mod it for 300 and put up with it for a few years but begin smoking soon, or wait another year and make a splash and buy that sexy looking smoking-it 3d! Ahh we Americans have such difficult decisions to make! Thanks again for the awesome response. I wish those 3ds were like 5-600 bucks that's a lot easier for me to wrap my head around.

 

[tallbm]

TallBM thanks for that very informative response. I'm torn. I want a smokin-it 3d. That's what I've figured out. Problem is I will probably have to wait until next year to get it because that's a tough nut to crack and I just had a baby, wouldn't be good to drop that much $ right now. So if I want to start smoking soon it is buy the Gen 2 and mod it for 300 and put up with it for a few years but begin smoking soon, or wait another year and make a splash and buy that sexy looking smoking-it 3d! Ahh we Americans have such difficult decisions to make! Thanks again for the awesome response. I wish those 3ds were like 5-600 bucks that's a lot easier for me to wrap my head around.

I'm glad my response could help.

If you get the $100 Gen 2 you can get an AMNPS and start smoking a good amount of stuff immediately.  Sausage and bacon may have issues but I'm guessing you should be ok smoking pork buts, ribs, etc.  No need to get too fancy for those just crank up that Gen 2 to max and it should hit a temp range that will work no matter what.

You then just scratch up the money over time for a plug n play PID and then you can rewire and be ready to rock with anything u want to smoke :)

That will get you started and leaves room to grow.  Plus, once you rewire the MES you should be able to keep that thing running no matter what happens to it short of it burning down :)

 

[hillbillyrkstr]

I have a gen 2 and with a mailbox mod and a pellet tray it works great. People crush it all the time but I've used mine very successfully for about 5 years now with the mailbox mod. It's worth the $100 all day just know you'll be investing more into a pellet tray and mailbox mod to use it hassle free. Good luck.

 

[redoctobyr]

It wouldn't address the PID aspect. But I guess I'm curious: would there be any benefit to getting a new Gen1? I paid $140 for my Gen1 20070910 from Amazon. It has a top vent, and has a spot to put an AMNPS. I got a 4-yr extended warranty through Amazon for under $20. I'm sure it could still be retrofitted with a PID controller later if you chose to.

It just gets me wondering, since the Gen2 have a somewhat middling reputation, it's used (so no warranty), and you're not saving *that* much vs a new Gen1. I'm not proposing it being a better product than the Smokin-It or anything like that, just another option while being reasonable on the budget. Either way, a smoker + AMNPS for $30 could hopefully get you up and running.

BTW, congrats on the new baby!

 

[dabills]

I have a gen 2 and with a mailbox mod and a pellet tray it works great. People crush it all the time but I've used mine very successfully for about 5 years now with the mailbox mod. It's worth the $100 all day just know you'll be investing more into a pellet tray and mailbox mod to use it hassle free. Good luck.

Thanks for the advice.

It wouldn't address the PID aspect. But I guess I'm curious: would there be any benefit to getting a new Gen1? I paid $140 for my Gen1 20070910 from Amazon. It has a top vent, and has a spot to put an AMNPS. I got a 4-yr extended warranty through Amazon for under $20. I'm sure it could still be retrofitted with a PID controller later if you chose to.

It just gets me wondering, since the Gen2 have a somewhat middling reputation, and it's used, so no warranty, and you're not saving *that* much vs a new Gen1. BTW, congrats on the new baby!

Thanks! Unfortunately this price is only for 30" version and for the amount I cook for I'll need the 40".

 

[redoctobyr]

I'm sorry, I forgot about the 40"aspect.

I hope just an AMNPS, and maybe a mailbox mod, will get you up and going! That should still be well under $200, even if you added a mailbox.

 

[hillbillyrkstr]

You'll need a thermo as well. The mes thermo is always off sometimes over 30 degrees. A maverick 732 or something similar. People are liking the thermopro's and they are cheaper.

$100 mes
$40 pellet tray
$40 mailbox mod parts
$40-$50 thermo

Looks like it'll be just over $200 to get you up and running properly with that mes.

 

[dabills]

OK all thanks for the advice both in this thread and via PM. I ended up getting the 40" for 100. Might upgrade to a smokin-it in the future but I wanted to get smoking and the price was right. Everything works fine. Should I pick up the cold smoker attachment for 42 or the amnps for 30?

 

[redoctobyr]

I get the impression that the AMNPS is more popular/common than the cold smoker attachment. That may be wrong. But the AMNPS is certainly simple, and effective. The cold smoker attachment has its own heat source, as I recall. And I think I've seen people talk about wiring in a device to help reduce the cold smoker's heat output, to manage how quickly its chips smoke. 

My inclination, based on what I've seen discussed here, would be towards the AMNPS, but I don't have experience with the cold smoker attachment, it may have some nice advantages. And I just got my smoker and AMNPS, so I'm new to this.