MES 440-S Bluetooth Digital Electric Smoker

[Hawging It]

Hello all! If you have seen any of my post you already know that ole HAWG is a die-hard stick burner kinda guy. However, I would like to add to my arsenal. I would NEVER consider a pellet smoker. Just want something additional to go with my 2 stick burners. I am kinda curious about the MES 440-S Electric. Would prefer it in propane but it appears they only manufacture the propane model in a smaller unit. I read all of BearCarvers test results and a few reviews online. If you own a MES I would like your feedback whether + or - . May get the wife to get me one for Christmas or? a different unit based on what I hear on the forum. Thanks to all that participate. Your opinion is much appreciated.

Hawging It.

 

[tallbm]

Well I'm an MES owner but I go the opposite direction of the MES 440-S.

Some things to know about an MES so you can make the best purchase.

Pros:

• The body and insulation is it's strong point. It doesn't leak, holds temp well whether it is cold or hot outside and is physically a solid device (some of the molding though can wear out easily but does not affect functionality)
• You can set and forget for heat and with the A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker (AMNPS) tray you can really set and forget with smoke generation for 12 hours with no babysitting!
• Customer service seems pretty good once you get past the waiting times
• The wiring is super simple so should it die you want tighter temp control you can easily rewire and use a PID controller and can basically keep the MES running FOREVER with even better performance then when you bought it new with the stock controller (PID controllers hold very tight temps with no swings). Nothing short of theft will keep you from having this thing run for a loooooong lifetime.

Cons (there are a few but can be worked around)

• Chances are you may not be able to hit the top temp of 275F, some people do some don't and I certainly was not able to
• The smoker and meat probes are notoriously wrong... like every MES ever sold lol
• Bluetooth has NEVER been reported to actually work or work properly
• You will have temp swings by design so if you set to 250F it may go from 235 to 265 back and forth and you get an average of 250F. This is not much of a problem unless you are doing sausage or bacon where risk of fat out becomes a real concern to manage
• The electrical connectors are cheap and one of the 2 major failure points BUT easily replaced

So with these factors well known you can work around them.

I suggest:

1. Avoid bluetooth, it's not worth it
2. Don't worry about getting a meat probe it will be wrong all the time PLUS you will likely want to have a wireless multi probe thermometer to measure both smoker temp and meat temps so this solves and IMPROVES the temp monitoring situation anyhow. Also this replaces the major functionality of what bluetooth would provide in temp measuring but with a longer range... since bluetooth doesn't work properly with MES units anyhow
3. I personally think the window is pointless. Others disagree but mine stays blacked out and never gets clean because I don't care to clean it and its hard to see stuff when full of smoke anyhow and I don't stand out there watching my smoker to need the window lol
4. Get the AMNPS no matter what. It is a HUGE improvement over smoke management and the wood pellets go a long way so no need to worry about fancy wood smoking mechanisms. Nothing beats 1-12 hours of unattended smoke generation whether you are hot or cold smoking :)
5. If you want or need tighter temp control or to actually hit a top temp of 275F you can always rewire and go the PID route, if you don't need that functionality then keep it as is but if the controller fails you can easily go that route and have a better MES than brand new.

With all of this info and these suggestions I would encourage people that want to get into an MES to get on craigslist and find a used MES40 or to buy the least expensive MES40 they can get their hands on.

I've bought two for $50 or under each and did the simple rewire and added Auber PID's to them ($150 controllers) and have a $200'ish or less MES that would kick the crap out of any brand new model.
Add on the $25 AMNPS and you are unstoppable!
Finally with just about any smoker a wireless multiprob thermometer is a huge bonus but with electric smokers it is like top 2 of items to have. So I don't really think I should count the cost of the wireless thermometer but hell a $50 2-4 probe one will get the job done amazingly and reliably. Finally a 40 pound bag of plain ol Pit Boss Competition blend (not very strong but good general flavor) for $15. A 40 pound bag lasts FOREVER!!!!

So for $275 for the whole unit and $15 for pelletsyou would have set and forget heaven that you could keep running through a zombie apocalypse, running on inexpensive wood pellets, that completely outperforms a brand new MES of any model type :)

That is just my take.
No matter what do what you know will make you happy because that is what matters in the end :)

 

[Winterrider]

Very well said ^^^^

 

[Hawging It]

Well I'm an MES owner but I go the opposite direction of the MES 440-S.

Some things to know about an MES so you can make the best purchase.

Pros:

• The body and insulation is it's strong point. It doesn't leak, holds temp well whether it is cold or hot outside and is physically a solid device (some of the molding though can wear out easily but does not affect functionality)
• You can set and forget for heat and with the A-Maze-N Pellet Smoker (AMNPS) tray you can really set and forget with smoke generation for 12 hours with no babysitting!
• Customer service seems pretty good once you get past the waiting times
• The wiring is super simple so should it die you want tighter temp control you can easily rewire and use a PID controller and can basically keep the MES running FOREVER with even better performance then when you bought it new with the stock controller (PID controllers hold very tight temps with no swings). Nothing short of theft will keep you from having this thing run for a loooooong lifetime.

Cons (there are a few but can be worked around)

• Chances are you may not be able to hit the top temp of 275F, some people do some don't and I certainly was not able to
• The smoker and meat probes are notoriously wrong... like every MES ever sold lol
• Bluetooth has NEVER been reported to actually work or work properly
• You will have temp swings by design so if you set to 250F it may go from 235 to 265 back and forth and you get an average of 250F. This is not much of a problem unless you are doing sausage or bacon where risk of fat out becomes a real concern to manage
• The electrical connectors are cheap and one of the 2 major failure points BUT easily replaced

So with these factors well known you can work around them.

I suggest:

1. Avoid bluetooth, it's not worth it
2. Don't worry about getting a meat probe it will be wrong all the time PLUS you will likely want to have a wireless multi probe thermometer to measure both smoker temp and meat temps so this solves and IMPROVES the temp monitoring situation anyhow. Also this replaces the major functionality of what bluetooth would provide in temp measuring but with a longer range... since bluetooth doesn't work properly with MES units anyhow
3. I personally think the window is pointless. Others disagree but mine stays blacked out and never gets clean because I don't care to clean it and its hard to see stuff when full of smoke anyhow and I don't stand out there watching my smoker to need the window lol
4. Get the AMNPS no matter what. It is a HUGE improvement over smoke management and the wood pellets go a long way so no need to worry about fancy wood smoking mechanisms. Nothing beats 1-12 hours of unattended smoke generation whether you are hot or cold smoking :)
5. If you want or need tighter temp control or to actually hit a top temp of 275F you can always rewire and go the PID route, if you don't need that functionality then keep it as is but if the controller fails you can easily go that route and have a better MES than brand new.

With all of this info and these suggestions I would encourage people that want to get into an MES to get on craigslist and find a used MES40 or to buy the least expensive MES40 they can get their hands on.

I've bought two for $50 or under each and did the simple rewire and added Auber PID's to them ($150 controllers) and have a $200'ish or less MES that would kick the crap out of any brand new model.
Add on the $25 AMNPS and you are unstoppable!
Finally with just about any smoker a wireless multiprob thermometer is a huge bonus but with electric smokers it is like top 2 of items to have. So I don't really think I should count the cost of the wireless thermometer but hell a $50 2-4 probe one will get the job done amazingly and reliably. Finally a 40 pound bag of plain ol Pit Boss Competition blend (not very strong but good general flavor) for $15. A 40 pound bag lasts FOREVER!!!!

So for $275 for the whole unit and $15 for pelletsyou would have set and forget heaven that you could keep running through a zombie apocalypse, running on inexpensive wood pellets, that completely outperforms a brand new MES of any model type :)

That is just my take.
No matter what do what you know will make you happy because that is what matters in the end :)

Thank you for all of the great info. Helps a ton as I know nothing about any type smoker but true stick burners that I was raised on. Just want to add to my arsenal. I already have AMNPS for cold smoking cheese. Already have THERMOWORKS for my temps with multiple probes. I don't need glass to look through. Don't need blue tooth either. I want a 40 so which one would you buy? Thanks again!

 

[Winterrider]

Maybe check the other MES thread. Bear just had recommended to another member. He knows them inside and out. Mine is Gen 2 , POS before PID added.

 

[Hawging It]

Maybe check the other MES thread. Bear just had recommended to another member. He knows them inside and out. Mine is Gen 2 , POS before PID added.

I did. That is what I checked first. Lots of great info. Thanks

 

[Hawging It]

Maybe check the other MES thread. Bear just had recommended to another member. He knows them inside and out. Mine is Gen 2 , POS before PID added.

What is a PID?

 

[Winterrider]

PID temp controller, to keep temperatures from the bigger swings. A controller usually keep your temp swings to about + or - 3° instead of a 10-25° swing . This is the one I and others have used.
https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14_28&products_id=110

 

[Hawging It]

PID temp controller, to keep temperatures from the bigger swings. A controller usually keep your temp swings to about + or - 3° instead of a 10-25° swing . This is the one I and others have used.
https://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=14_28&products_id=110

Ok thanks! Remember, I’m a stick burner. Hehehe.

 

[tallbm]

What is a PID?

Yep like Winter said.
On the MES the Controller is on the top and is where you press the buttons and see the temp and other readouts.

The MES controller is one of the two most common reported failure points. Masterbuilt will send you out another in no-time without question most of the time.
A PID Controller is one that you buy as a 3rd party part. It would replace the MES controller and does the same job as the MES controller BUTholds temperature much much closer to the set temp of the smoker... like dead on with deviations of maybe 2-3 degrees if it deviates from the set temp at all.
PID stands for the P, I, and D which are the tuning parameters that are set that drive the controller to manage and hold temp. (Don't worry about the technical details of P-I-D at the moment).

The MES Controller intentionally causes temp swings because it wants temp to go up for a long enough time and usually over the set temp to help ensure that the heating element is burning the wood chips to produce smoke.
The PID Controller cares about no such thing and with an AMNPS there is no need for a controller to care since temp and smoke are managed separately of one another :)

Now if going with no PID controller modification, I would buy any MES40 that was a Gen 1 or or a Hybrid Generation that has the vent on the top left (not side left) of the smoker and does NOT have the Gen 2 guts.
I would go with the least expensive and most plain one out there like this one. Academy usually has the best prices I have seen on MES smokers.
https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/ma...gIqcfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#repChildCatid=4903505

If I wanted to go the PID route i would buy the cheapest MES40 I could get my hands on with my preference being that the vent was somewhere on the top of the MES, not on the left hand side of the smoker. When I say left hand side I am meaning that if you leaned up against the left hand side of the MES box/smoker you would cover up the vent hole. Where top is that you could only cover up the vent hole by setting something on TOP of the MES.

I have found great deals on used ones on craigslist.org so keep an eye out. To use a PID controller a simple rewire is done to the MES so even if the used one has controller problems or wire connectors are corroding that all gets fixed very easily to prep for the PID controller so everyone wins. They may need a little cleaning but as long as the element works then it doesn't matter what else may be wrong with it :)

I hope all this info helps :)

 

[Hawging It]

Yep like Winter said.
On the MES the Controller is on the top and is where you press the buttons and see the temp and other readouts.

The MES controller is one of the two most common reported failure points. Masterbuilt will send you out another in no-time without question most of the time.
A PID Controller is one that you buy as a 3rd party part. It would replace the MES controller and does the same job as the MES controller BUTholds temperature much much closer to the set temp of the smoker... like dead on with deviations of maybe 2-3 degrees if it deviates from the set temp at all.
PID stands for the P, I, and D which are the tuning parameters that are set that drive the controller to manage and hold temp. (Don't worry about the technical details of P-I-D at the moment).

The MES Controller intentionally causes temp swings because it wants temp to go up for a long enough time and usually over the set temp to help ensure that the heating element is burning the wood chips to produce smoke.
The PID Controller cares about no such thing and with an AMNPS there is no need for a controller to care since temp and smoke are managed separately of one another :)

Now if going with no PID controller modification, I would buy any MES40 that was a Gen 1 or or a Hybrid Generation that has the vent on the top left (not side left) of the smoker and does NOT have the Gen 2 guts.
I would go with the least expensive and most plain one out there like this one. Academy usually has the best prices I have seen on MES smokers.
https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/ma...gIqcfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#repChildCatid=4903505
View attachment 404397


If I wanted to go the PID route i would buy the cheapest MES40 I could get my hands on with my preference being that the vent was somewhere on the top of the MES, not on the left hand side of the smoker. When I say left hand side I am meaning that if you leaned up against the left hand side of the MES box/smoker you would cover up the vent hole. Where top is that you could only cover up the vent hole by setting something on TOP of the MES.

I have found great deals on used ones on craigslist.org so keep an eye out. To use a PID controller a simple rewire is done to the MES so even if the used one has controller problems or wire connectors are corroding that all gets fixed very easily to prep for the PID controller so everyone wins. They may need a little cleaning but as long as the element works then it doesn't matter what else may be wrong with it :)

I hope all this info helps :)

Thanks for the good info. That is what I am going to do. Buy a cheaper one as suggested and get the PID. Should be a good addition to my stick burners. Thanks again.

 

[tallbm]

Thanks for the good info. That is what I am going to do. Buy a cheaper one as suggested and get the PID. Should be a good addition to my stick burners. Thanks again.

Here is a very detailed write up on doing the simple rewire of an MES to work with a PID Controller. In short the minimum amount of effort needed is to cut the ends off 4 wires and then splice the proper cut ends to form 2 wires. That's it!
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/mes-rewire-simple-guide-no-back-removal-needed.267069/

Though that is the minimum I usually recommend getting a head of a few issues while you are in there and replacing the crappy Masterbuilt electrical connectors with hi-temp stainless steel ones and buying some back up safety rollout limit switches since they can be a little delicate.
The job of the safety rollout limit switch is to kill power to the heating element if the switch detects temps hitting IT's limit (usually 301-305F). If you wanted you could replace the stock one to allow for a higher limit but I wouldn't go too crazy in this area.
The insulation of the MES is foam that is not rated to go up too too high. If it gets too hot it can gas out.

At any point feel free to message me about more details with any of this kind of stuff since you want to go the PID route :)

 

[Hawging It]

Here is a very detailed write up on doing the simple rewire of an MES to work with a PID Controller. In short the minimum amount of effort needed is to cut the ends off 4 wires and then splice the proper cut ends to form 2 wires. That's it!
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/mes-rewire-simple-guide-no-back-removal-needed.267069/

Though that is the minimum I usually recommend getting a head of a few issues while you are in there and replacing the crappy Masterbuilt electrical connectors with hi-temp stainless steel ones and buying some back up safety rollout limit switches since they can be a little delicate.
The job of the safety rollout limit switch is to kill power to the heating element if the switch detects temps hitting IT's limit (usually 301-305F). If you wanted you could replace the stock one to allow for a higher limit but I wouldn't go too crazy in this area.
The insulation of the MES is foam that is not rated to go up too too high. If it gets too hot it can gas out.

At any point feel free to message me about more details with any of this kind of stuff since you want to go the PID route :)

Thanks Buddy. I will be needing that. I will do that.