# Masterbuilt Gravity Series Smokers Are a Quality Control Nightmare; My Review



## sitruunatee (Oct 29, 2022)

Hello all!

First post here but I've been reading for a while. But, I basically want to go through my experience of dealing with Masterbuilt Gravity 800 series smoker directly through Masterbuilt approximately a year and three months ago. This grill has been stored in a dry climate, in an indoor patio, and with their heavy duty grill cover.  Please enjoy this review; pictures for fun!







	

		
			
		

		
	
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I purchased my 800 gravity series smoker from Masterbuilt.com for 900+ dollars. When it arrived, it was packaged poorly and the lid had a dent. I reached out to Masterbuilt and they sent me a new lid; this one arrived with scrapes and scratches than the original. The outer box was in perfect condition and the inner box was destroyed. I reached out again and they sent me yet another lid, but this time for the wrong grill. The third time, however, they were able to get me an intact lid for my grill. They wouldn't let me return either of the damaged or incorrect lids so they became industrial metal waste. Great work guys. 

As a side note, they glue huge stickers inside of the grill that cannot be easily removed. They'll burn off on your first cook, but the glue will first drip over your grates if installed! See this video for reference: 

Additionally, this unit was having issues connecting to my Wi-Fi after being used once, and then turning on again. It would lose the connection and I'd have to re-pair it each time. I was asked to supply all of the details of the app, my phone, my Wi-Fi, and the grill. They never reached out to me with an update or any sort of follow up. The new control unit I purchased FIXES this issue. Cool.






	

		
			
		

		
	
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Next up, the thermometer got stuck on a random temperature, causing the thermometer to be useless. Then the cheap hopper handle broke (obviously defective) from normal opening and closing. They replaced these. And gave me a tumbler for my trouble. 






Then, the lid sensor died causing me to not be able to heat my grill fully. They replaced this for me and then that worked for about 3 months and it failed again. Then both sensors on the hopper and the ash door also failed. They are obviously defective. I ended up putting in my own contact switch because trying to deal with support to get another was too much of a hassle. I now have inline sensors and fan control that I can enable or disable with switches (cool, right?).

Additionally, at this point, even with regular cleaning the internals of the grill are rusting due to their material choice. I have bought aftermarket stainless components to somewhat fix this issue. I clean the grill after each use. My last grill lasted over 10 years without this kind of wear.







Finally, I pull the grill out to cook some steaks and smoke a chicken and then the control unit will not power on. I reached out to support, now out of warranty, and they ignored all of the quality defects I've so far had and said it looked like I had an order in (for almost 90 dollars!). I said yes, but I explained that I was reaching out to express my dissatisfaction with their quality control. I've had this grill a year and although it cooks great, it is a nightmare. THEY NEVER BOTHERED TO REPLY TO ME EVEN TO SAY "SORRY".

This is the picture of the control board. It has two problems: 1) the solder used to connect to the board is essentially non-existent. This is a major QC issue. 2) the cable is in no way glued or held together. The black clip does not prevent slipping. Because of that, the forces of gravity with the cable pulling on it WILL cause that solder to fail. There is also no sort of rubber gasket inside this component to prevent moisture build-up in the components for those that live in wet climates.

My review score: 0/10 quality control. 8/10 meat smoking, if it works.

Do not purchase a Masterbuilt Gravity Series grill or you will find yourself where I am today. A grill should last more than 1 year. Masterbuilt should care about their customers and their quality control. They do not. If anyone wants to see the full e-mail chain spanning from delivery to now of them not caring, I'd be more than happy to share it!


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## babydoc (Oct 29, 2022)

sitruunatee said:


> Hello all!
> 
> First post here but I've been reading for a while. But, I basically want to go through my experience of dealing with Masterbuilt Gravity 800 series smoker directly through Masterbuilt approximately a year and three months ago. This grill has been stored in a dry climate, in an indoor patio, and with their heavy duty grill cover.  Please enjoy this review; pictures for fun!
> 
> ...



Bummer...I just ordered my 1050 yesterday and am really psyched to use it. I know there are some big (HUGE) MB fans here. I wonder if there are some mods or preventative things a new user should consider to avoid heartache/trouble?


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## sitruunatee (Oct 29, 2022)

babydoc said:


> Bummer...I just ordered my 1050 yesterday and am really psyched to use it. I know there are some big (HUGE) MB fans here. I wonder if there are some mods or preventative things a new user should consider to avoid heartache/trouble?


Well, those door switches WILL fail. So have a plan to replace them. As I said, I replaced them with better contact switches and then soldered in an override to make the fan turn on manually, and to make the switches think they are shut. 

I would also try to tape or hot glue the power connector cable to the unit so it won't pull out that solder point.

Finally, check out LSS mods, which makes (expensive) high quality stainless parts to stop some of the build issues. https://www.lss-mods.com/

Enjoy your grill, but just know that customer support and build quality are lacking. It's made some great steaks, chickens, ribs, you name it though. 

In the future, I'm going to wire in a bypass that allows full manual control of the grill, eliminating the need of a control unit at all for short grilling sessions. (But that will make the grill require constant attention to keep the heat levels correct).


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## mcokevin (Oct 29, 2022)

I've had loads of issues with mine too - cooks the best food I've ever made - when it works.

Welcome - and ignore 

 negolien
.  About 85% of his posts are troll posts.


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## sitruunatee (Oct 29, 2022)

mcokevin said:


> I've had loads of issues with mine too - cooks the best food I've ever made - when it works.
> 
> Welcome - and ignore
> 
> ...


Thanks! I think it was a fair post to show all of the quality issues. Maybe it'll make people think twice.

But I agree, the grilling/griddle/smoker are awesome when they work. I've made some of my best meals on this thing. I just wish it was built better and that Masterbuilt cared!


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## babydoc (Oct 29, 2022)

sitruunatee said:


> Well, those door switches WILL fail. So have a plan to replace them. As I said, I replaced them with better contact switches and then soldered in an override to make the fan turn on manually, and to make the switches think they are shut.
> 
> I would also try to tape or hot glue the power connector cable to the unit so it won't pull out that solder point.
> 
> ...


If you mod it further make sure to post and update!


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## negolien (Oct 29, 2022)

I had my 560 for about four years been bullet proof /shrug.. not the way to start your stay on a site.. just saying. BTW lid sensors 100% don't look like that they have plastic covers so chances are you got a big flare up and burnt it off lool.


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## babydoc (Oct 29, 2022)

negolien said:


> I had my 560 for about four years been bullet proof /shrug.. not the way to start your stay on a site.. just saying.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


No mods? Any specific maintenance recs? Covered deck I'm assuming?


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## negolien (Oct 29, 2022)

meh you know I hate these threads


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## negolien (Oct 29, 2022)

babydoc said:


> No mods? Any specific maintenance recs? Covered deck I'm assuming?


2nf floor apartment outside no overhead cover with a stock cover.


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## negolien (Oct 29, 2022)

You're not gonna win any friends spamming some hater thread as you first posts just saying. You wanna learn and stuff cool but don't come on here to cause drama with mb we're not down with that


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## sitruunatee (Oct 29, 2022)

negolien said:


> You're not gonna win any friends spamming some hater thread as you first posts just saying. You wanna learn and stuff cool but don't come on here to cause drama with mb we're not down with that


You're not going to win any friends by private messaging me and harassing me with my very first post and then flooding my thread in which you previously said no one cares.

Please tell me WHY I'm not supposed to post my honest opinions? Are you working for Masterbuilt or something? It would appear that people might want to know about issues AND successes they have with products. It's a grill. And it has abysmal quality control and I have provided documentation of each issue.

So please take care. You have absolutely convinced me to avoid you at all costs.


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## TNJAKE (Oct 29, 2022)

Welcome from Tennessee. Sorry your first post got trolled. Seemed like an honest and fair review if you ask me. We all have different experiences with smokers. Some good, some bad. Most of us at smf are very friendly so hope you'll stick around and share some cooks with us. Stop by roll call and introduce yourself when you get a chance.


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## sitruunatee (Oct 29, 2022)

TNJAKE said:


> Welcome from Tennessee. Sorry your first post got trolled. Seemed like an honest and fair review if you ask me. We all have different experiences with smokers. Some good, some bad. Most of us at smf are very friendly so hope you'll stick around and share some cooks with us. Stop by roll call and introduce yourself when you get a chance.


Thanks! I've probably been browsing here for maybe a decade. Because of this place, I got into smoking and grilling way more and I've been lurking forever for tips and tricks. I owe a lot to this forum even if I always just hid in the background!

I'll try to actually take pictures and post some of what I've made in the future. And hopefully, ideally, Masterbuilt sees stuff like this and improves the quality of their products!


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## clifish (Oct 29, 2022)

I would be pissed too that you paid damn good money for the 800 and had those issues.  I stole mine from a Walmart clearance for $347 and love it.  I have wifi issues but it is 200 feet from my house so I just use a good Bluetooth therm to watch the temps.  It holds temp and cooks great,  I have the LSS hopper cover and klotesmod manifold cover/water pan.  I have only had it for 3 months ( has not gone through a NY winter yet) so we will see if there are any issues.  I don't do high heat cooking on it only smoke.  I do spray the the switches with electrical contact cleaner every couple cooks....YMMV.


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## 912smoker (Oct 29, 2022)

sitruunatee said:


> Hello all!
> 
> First post here but I've been reading for a while. But, I basically want to go through my experience of dealing with Masterbuilt Gravity 800 series smoker directly through Masterbuilt approximately a year and three months ago. This grill has been stored in a dry climate, in an indoor patio, and with their heavy duty grill cover.  Please enjoy this review; pictures for fun!
> 
> ...



Hate to hear that and sounds like you got a lemon ! And continued to receive defective parts.
The switches will cause problems due to the nature of their design and their environment . The use of contact cleaner between  cooks can solve most or all of the problems associated with them. I received 2 from MB from a warranty  claim but they are still in the pack on the shelf. 

I've had mine for 2 yrs in Dec and have had lots of low and high temp  cooks with very few issues. No mods just line the top of the heat diffuser with foil for easy cleaning . I also add foil to the hopper lid to prevent the paint from bubbling. 

Amazing results and food.
Hopefully you can get the issues resolved and  continue producing some great Q!

Keith


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## sitruunatee (Oct 29, 2022)

912smoker said:


> Hate to hear that and sounds like you got a lemon ! And continued to receive defective parts.
> The switches will cause problems due to the nature of their design and their environment . The use of contact cleaner between  cooks can solve most or all of the problems associated with them. I received 2 from MB from a warranty  claim but they are still in the pack on the shelf.
> 
> I've had mine for 2 yrs in Dec and have had lots of low and high temp  cooks with very few issues. No mods just line the top of the heat diffuser with foil for easy cleaning . I also add foil to the hopper lid to prevent the paint from bubbling.
> ...


I think Masterbuilt should have done physical contact switches. I replaced them with magnetic reed switches and they work great now. They were probably just a few cents more. 

I’ve hot glued the new control units power wire in place to fix that problem. It also has a different Wifi card I believe, which fixed my Wifi connectivity issues. 

Eventually I’ll make a bypass for the control board so I can run it in a manual mode. Not ideal but if the board dies, at least I can still grill.


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## clifish (Oct 30, 2022)

sitruunatee said:


> I think Masterbuilt should have done physical contact switches. I replaced them with magnetic reed switches and they work great now. They were probably just a few cents more.
> 
> I’ve hot glued the new control units power wire in place to fix that problem. It also has a different Wifi card I believe, which fixed my Wifi connectivity issues.
> 
> Eventually I’ll make a bypass for the control board so I can run it in a manual mode. Not ideal but if the board dies, at least I can still grill.


was the new control board different than the first in design?    What exactly did you hot glue on the board.


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## fxsales1959 (Oct 30, 2022)

sitruunatee said:


> Hello all!
> 
> First post here but I've been reading for a while. But, I basically want to go through my experience of dealing with Masterbuilt Gravity 800 series smoker directly through Masterbuilt approximately a year and three months ago. This grill has been stored in a dry climate, in an indoor patio, and with their heavy duty grill cover.  Please enjoy this review; pictures for fun!
> 
> ...



That's a bummer. I bought my 560 fully assembled at H Depot for a bargain of $300.
I have never attempted to use the wifi function, figuring all the BS with 2.4Ghz vs 5 Ghz wifi would be a pain in the ass. I used the included temp probe once. I have a 4 port #inkbird wifi for temp management. I find the unit holds a good temp, but i use one of the probes from my inkbird to manage grid level temps, as i think the factory temp control is typically off . IG: when set at 235 the top grid tmp is usua;lly 10-15 degrees below the fan turn off level. I have remedied this by setting cook temp 20 degrees hotter than i wan to cook at. Other than that, this is the best backyard appliance I have purchased. I rarely use my egg or off-set stick burner since i got it.  I guess i got lucky nd mine was built before  saki break at the factory and assembled correctly by HD. (miracle)


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## sitruunatee (Oct 30, 2022)

clifish said:


> was the new control board different than the first in design?    What exactly did you hot glue on the board.


Yes, it's an updated version according to the PCB. I hot glued the white connector in the center which is the power connector, and I hot glued the wires around the black retention clip.


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## sitruunatee (Oct 30, 2022)

fxsales1959 said:


> That's a bummer. I bought my 560 fully assembled at H Depot for a bargain of $300.
> I have never attempted to use the wifi function, figuring all the BS with 2.4Ghz vs 5 Ghz wifi would be a pain in the ass. I used the included temp probe once. I have a 4 port #inkbird wifi for temp management. I find the unit holds a good temp, but i use one of the probes from my inkbird to manage grid level temps, as i think the factory temp control is typically off . IG: when set at 235 the top grid tmp is usua;lly 10-15 degrees below the fan turn off level. I have remedied this by setting cook temp 20 degrees hotter than i wan to cook at. Other than that, this is the best backyard appliance I have purchased. I rarely use my egg or off-set stick burner since i got it.  I guess i got lucky nd mine was built before  saki break at the factory and assembled correctly by HD. (miracle)


In terms of cooking, this is straight up the best results I’ve ever got from direct/indirect smoking/grilling ever. I wish I didn’t buy it at retail price though.


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## JWFokker (Oct 30, 2022)

Many people can't stand to hear negative opinions about the products they've bought. Unfortunately internet forums seem to attract these people and they band together to drive off dissenters. Try saying a critical word about RecTeq around here and the cult comes out of the woodwork. You're a bad person for disliking something they like. Especially the ones with thousands upon thousands of posts. You've basically come into their home and called their spouse ugly. They go nuts. They never grew past the old adage 'if you don't have anything nice to say, keep your mouth shut'. Good for kids, not good for anyone who wants an objective opinion or unbiased recommendations.


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## DougE (Oct 30, 2022)

JWFokker said:


> Many people can't stand to hear negative opinions about the products they've bought. Unfortunately internet forums seem to attract these people and they band together to drive off dissenters. Try saying a critical word about RecTeq around here and the cult comes out of the woodwork. You're a bad person for disliking something they like. Especially the ones with thousands upon thousands of posts. You've basically come into their home and called their spouse ugly. They go nuts. They never grew past the old adage 'if you don't have anything nice to say, keep your mouth shut'. Good for kids, not good for anyone who wants an objective opinion or unbiased recommendations.


I'd love to know what, if anything, you actually find favorable. Have you ever made a positive post about anything, or are you just here to tell everyone that everything they use is junk?


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## sitruunatee (Oct 30, 2022)

DougE said:


> I'd love to know what, if anything, you actually find favorable. Have you ever made a positive post about anything, or are you just here to tell everyone that everything they use is junk?


I mean it makes great quality meat, when it works. But I mean let’s be honest… I’ve demonstrated the quality control is awful, tons of people have issues, and Masterbuilt offers some of the worst customer service ever. 

Why defend Masterbuilt, who is owned by Middleby Ovens, a company worth 7.56 billion dollars? Seriously, is screwing over a consumer worth it to defend awful manufacturing processes?


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## DougE (Oct 30, 2022)

sitruunatee said:


> I mean it makes great quality meat, when it works. But I mean let’s be honest… I’ve demonstrated the quality control is awful, tons of people have issues, and Masterbuilt offers some of the worst customer service ever.
> 
> Why defend Masterbuilt, who is owned by Middleby Ovens, a company worth 7.56 billion dollars? Seriously, is screwing over a consumer worth it to defend awful manufacturing processes?


Wasn't saying you are wrong in your assessment, more of making an observation of what someone else routinely posts.


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## Brokenhandle (Oct 30, 2022)

Hi and welcome from Iowa! Glad you decided to join us! With all your issues you are definitely right to post your thoughts on it. Big difference in some units both from the same company.  I bought a GMG pellet grill this year and love it...another member here bought one and nothing but issues and that sucks! I won't defend MB, because I firmly believe you should have great customer service.  It was way better pre covid, could actually call and talk to a live person but has really gone downhill since.
Look forward to seeing pics of some of your cooks.

Ryan


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## sitruunatee (Oct 30, 2022)

Brokenhandle said:


> Hi and welcome from Iowa! Glad you decided to join us! With all your issues you are definitely right to post your thoughts on it. Big difference in some units both from the same company.  I bought a GMG pellet grill this year and love it...another member here bought one and nothing but issues and that sucks! I won't defend MB, because I firmly believe you should have great customer service.  It was way better pre covid, could actually call and talk to a live person but has really gone downhill since.
> Look forward to seeing pics of some of your cooks.
> 
> Ryan


Yeah maybe I’m just unlucky but the customer service aspect is what is universal. 






						Hello from Idaho!
					

Hey everyone! I've lurked here for a decade... maybe more now that I'm thinking about it. You guys got me into smoking things and so I just want to say thank you! I'm currently using a Masterbuilt 800 for smoking/grilling and it does an amazing job when I don't have technical issues.  My next...




					www.smokingmeatforums.com
				




I posted this with a few photos!


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## 912smoker (Oct 30, 2022)

Brokenhandle said:


> Hi and welcome from Iowa! Glad you decided to join us! With all your issues you are definitely right to post your thoughts on it. Big difference in some units both from the same company.  I bought a GMG pellet grill this year and love it...another member here bought one and nothing but issues and that sucks! I won't defend MB, because I firmly believe you should have great customer service.  It was way better pre covid, could actually call and talk to a live person but has really gone downhill since.
> Look forward to seeing pics of some of your cooks.
> 
> Ryan


Agreed Ryan and I , along with others here, have have great service and c/s from MB. I definitely was a little more complicated for a tec challenged old fart like me during Covid. But they always resolved my issues in a timely manner. 

Now I have heard from others here that this was not always the case and hate to hear of any brand not delivering as promised.  

I encouraged a friend to purchase a 1050 last week and the internal probe wouldn't work and therefore no temp control for.the unit. I ordered one from MB for $10 and it arrived 4 days. I felt like I owed him a fix since I recommended the 1050

Keith


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## gmc2003 (Oct 31, 2022)

Look folks, anytime you buy a product with movable parts there's always a chance of something going south. Even something as simple as a Weber kettle can have issues. So to think that every smoking unit MB or <insert brand name here> builds is going to be 100% perfect is a fallacy. Are some manufacturers more reliable than others - sure. Some units were probably built on a Friday afternoon(I remember stories of empty beer cans being found in the doors of some brand new cars), or you could have gotten a unit built by a disgruntled worker. If someone wants to praise their purchase then thats great, but remember some members may have had a different experience and that's fine also. Let them vent in peace. When I'm thinking of buying something and research what's available. I like to hear both the pro's and con's of whatever it is, and then make my decision. As for customer service that's hit or miss with most companies. A lot of it depends on how experienced the service tech. is, or how well staffed the dept. is. If nobody is overseeing the incoming emails or voicemails then they start building up, and will probably get buried forever. Just remember everyone has a different experience and it's good to hear all the experiences. Not just the ones you want to hear.

Chris


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## schlotz (Nov 1, 2022)

Looks like someone is not having a good day, time to chill 

 negolien


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## gmc2003 (Nov 1, 2022)

I could have sworn I had posted a reply to this thread. Did it get deleted or am I imagining things? Maybe too many trips to the beer pole. 

Chris


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## clifish (Nov 1, 2022)

gmc2003 said:


> I could have sworn I had posted a reply to this thread. Did it get deleted or am I imagining things? Maybe too many trips to the beer pole.
> 
> Chris


I thought you did also,  a long one too.


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## gmc2003 (Nov 1, 2022)

clifish said:


> I thought you did also,  a long one too.


Thanks Cliff for the reassuring post. I also don't remember it being offensive. 

Chris


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## clifish (Nov 1, 2022)

gmc2003 said:


> Thanks Cliff for the reassuring post. I also don't remember it being offensive.
> 
> Chris


It wasn't,  merely stating to keep things calm and respect others opinions from what I remember


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## mcokevin (Nov 1, 2022)

gmc2003 said:


> Maybe too many trips to the beer pole.



No such thing.


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## rexster314 (Nov 1, 2022)

babydoc said:


> Bummer...I just ordered my 1050 yesterday and am really psyched to use it. I know there are some big (HUGE) MB fans here. I wonder if there are some mods or preventative things a new user should consider to avoid heartache/trouble?


I had a 560 and several months later got a 1050. 
The switches on the grills are the weakest link. A dose of contact cleaner after every cook will alleviate but not fully fix those problems. My solution was to bypass the switches completely. 
The firebox can be a problem for a lot of people. I replaced it on my 1050 with a Klotes designed fix. After 30 or so cooks, the original metal was burned out and exposed the "firebrick". It's a soft material and had begin shedding some of it's fibers. It never got brick hard. 
The best thing I did was get rid of the clunky control panel and install a Fireboard controller. Perfect temp and fan control.
I'd still have them but they were destroyed in my house fire in 2021 and I've not replaced them


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## 3montes (Nov 1, 2022)

The best customer service is the one you never need has been my experience. Camp Chef probably has the best customer service I've ever dealt with but it doesn't negate the fact that I needed them in the first place. Sent me a camp stove with a big dent in the front plate. They gave me a cash credit of $40 which was good enough for me as it was only cosmetic. 

Sorry to hear about your frustrations using your MB as it is supposed to be something that provides relaxation and good food. All the electronic gadgetry involved with smokers these days means it is just going to come with some built in failures. It's truly rolling the dice as to if you get a good unit, a lemon or something in between. Of course everything is made overseas and companies like MB have a limit on what they are willing to spend on quality control and who they are having do it.  Hope you get things turned around and can get back to cooking some good meals without the frustration.


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## mneeley490 (Nov 1, 2022)

For those that have had good experiences with MB customer service, that's great. But many of us have not. I've owned various MB smokers for over 10 years, and I can attest that their quality and customer service has steadily gone downhill in that time. Their Gravity series is an exciting and interesting concept, and I hope that it works out in the long run. But to pile on to users who've had negative experiences is unproductive and beneath us. Look at how many cars get safety recalls each year after presumably going thru multiple quality control checks. It's no different with smokers. And it's worse when the company doesn't care enough to fix the problems before they sell the units.


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## sitruunatee (Nov 1, 2022)

gmc2003 said:


> I could have sworn I had posted a reply to this thread. Did it get deleted or am I imagining things? Maybe too many trips to the beer pole.
> 
> Chris


You did! I think my thread is starting to look like a CIA redacted document at this point. Haha.


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## SlowmotionQue (Nov 6, 2022)

I, for one, and glad to see honest reviews pointing to features and flaws.  Good things and issues.

I have been thinking of purchasing one of these units, and it's clear to me that some of the bugs are still yet to be worked out on them.


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## DougE (Nov 6, 2022)

SlowmotionQue said:


> I have been thinking of purchasing one of these units, and it's clear to me that some of the bugs are still yet to be worked out on them.


I don't think that there is anything on the market, in any category, that has had all the bugs worked out. Some have more worked out than others, but anything you buy is possibly going to have issues.


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## mcokevin (Nov 7, 2022)

My smoker is about 18 months old -- only 18 months -- used intermittently, kept covered and under shelter -- ideally storage conditions.

Here is my firebox after 18 months of not too heavy use.  I just can't take anyone seriously who rejects people complaining about quality control and material quality issues.  They are real, and there are many of them.

I still really like this cooker.  It cooks absolutely the best food I've ever cooked.  But it is unreal to suggest it is flawless or that anyone complaining doesn't know what they're talking about.

I installed a firebox mod right after taking this picture.  Pain in the a** to get in with how warped the factory firebox is.  Had to use a lot of lubricant to avoid too much metal on metal contact with the hammering.  Lot of burn off cooking to do to get those chemicals out of the way.

Top marks for LSS firebox mod kit.  Went in very easily and the only issues were with how warped the factory firebox metal had become.


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## SlowmotionQue (Nov 7, 2022)

DougE said:


> I don't think that there is anything on the market, in any category, that has had all the bugs worked out. Some have more worked out than others, but anything you buy is possibly going to have issues.


You’re right Doug.

There’s nothing made with human hands nor conceived of by the human mind, that has “all” of the bugs worked out.

But I’m waiting to see a few more of them worked out before I take the plunge on one of these units.


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## mcokevin (Nov 7, 2022)

SlowmotionQue said:


> You’re right Doug.
> 
> There’s nothing made with human hands nor conceived of by the human mind, that has “all” of the bugs worked out.
> 
> But I’m waiting to see a few more of them worked out before I take the plunge on one of these units.


Mmm…bacon. Bacon has all the bugs worked out. Nothing at all wrong with bacon.


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## DougE (Nov 7, 2022)

mcokevin said:


> Mmm…bacon. Bacon has all the bugs worked out. Nothing at all wrong with bacon.


Except there's an even better bacon recipe just waiting to be discovered. Is bacon great? Hell, yes, but there is even room for improvement with bacon.


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## SlowmotionQue (Nov 9, 2022)

mcokevin said:


> Mmm…bacon. Bacon has all the bugs worked out. Nothing at all wrong with bacon.


True.  But man didn't invent bacon.


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## rexster314 (Nov 9, 2022)

SlowmotionQue said:


> True.  But man didn't invent bacon.


No single person invented bacon, but the first records of cured pork originate in ancient China. The word “bacon” was used starting in the 17th century to refer to any type of salted and smoked pork belly.
The beginning of the word comes from older French and German words meaning the back of a pig. The word “bacon” in its present form started in 16th century England to mean any type of pork. It later evolved to mean smoked and salted pork. In terms of the actual process of adding salt to pork, which is the most basic quality of bacon, the ancient Chinese were the first to invent bacon, and there are records of this type of early bacon as early as 1500 B.C.E.
The ancient Romans also had a type of bacon that came from a pig’s shoulder. The Romans would boil this dish with dried figs and then serve it with wine. The Anglo-Saxons consumed a lot of bacon-like foods throughout the Middle Ages. During World War II, when food was rationed, bacon was more important since many butchers would donate it. It is actually possible to use bacon to create devices that cause fires, and bacon was sometimes used directly in weapons throughout history.


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## SlowmotionQue (Nov 10, 2022)

rexster314 said:


> No single person invented bacon, but the first records of cured pork originate in ancient China. The word “bacon” was used starting in the 17th century to refer to *any type of salted and smoked pork belly*....


That's my point.  Man didn't invent pork bellies.  

However man did invent gravity fed smokers.

One still has bugs in it that I'd like to see worked out, before I want to partake. 

The other, bacon, doesn't.


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## rexster314 (Nov 10, 2022)

SlowmotionQue said:


> That's my point.  Man didn't invent pork bellies.
> 
> However man did invent gravity fed smokers.
> 
> ...


No, you said man didn't invent bacon.


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## SlowmotionQue (Nov 11, 2022)

You’re right.

Man invented ham and pork shoulders too.

Man invented pork.

Now let’s have some man made bacon.

If you can simply take an animal part and add a little salt (which man must have also invented)  to it and then holler “Eureka, I just invented something”,  As opposed to made a minimal change ie seasoning to something that’s been here for centuries and that I had nothing to do with making, well then I’m on board.

But why stop there. If I can invent bacon, then why not eggs?


rexster314 said:


> No, you said man didn't invent bacon.


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## mcokevin (Nov 11, 2022)

OMG guys.  The bacon thing is a joke.  Chill


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## SlowmotionQue (Nov 11, 2022)

I know. I’m just messing with him.


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## fxsales1959 (Nov 11, 2022)

SlowmotionQue said:


> I know. I’m just messing with him.


my firebox after hundreds of cooks. I'm not Ac/dc enough to keep records.
FWIW if i would have judged MB on my experiences with their electric smokers I never would have bought this one. but I'm damn happy I did. It's my "go-to" smoking appliance now.


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## mcokevin (Nov 13, 2022)

Wild, I wonder how some are so warped and some look as you'd expect.  Do you run at high temps?


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