Just joined the club with a #2. It's been almost perfect so far.
I want to thank all of the contributors here for helping me make this selection. I was all set to buy a new
Masterbuilt, but thankfully they ran out at many sites just before father's day. I happened to come across this site , and after reading the whole Smokin-it section I was VERY impressed. These units are worth the extra money.
I have been busy my first 2 weeks. Chicken, Salmon, Brats, Spicy Italian, Turkey dogs (don't laugh they were GREAT), Country style ribs, and bacon.
The big lesson I learned so far is you MUST keep the moisture from getting into the smoke box. I now not only line the bottom with foil, but I make a cap for the smoker that make everything drip past the top of the smoke box. Wet wood makes nasty smoke.
I have tried several woods, but my favorite so far is pecan. I got a truckload for free from the Pecan grove near Picacho Peak, AZ. Can't beat that.
My only complaint would be the max temp being limited to 250. I wish it went up to 275. I have been thinking of putting the 1100 watt element from the bigger unit in my #2. Has anyone else out there tried this? It looks like it should just plug in. I know it will throw off the dial readings, but that's easy to fix with a remote thermometer. Any thoughts?
May all you smoke be blue.