Mes Worth Fixing?

I'd contact the company. It may be a known issue and they may be able to hook you up with parts for low or no costs. I'd say an email or a phone call might be worth the effort.

Did you take the control into the house to warm up? If so I would I call them.

I had a similar issue with mine just before Christmas. Badly fluctuating temps, 100s digit not showing on the control box, etc. I fired off an email to Masterbuilt and the next day got a response asking for my address to send a new control box to. About a week later I got the new control box in the mail, no cost to me what-so-ever.

Give 'em a call or an email and tell them what's going on. They're usually quite helpful, from what I've read.

Allot (including both of mine) have had the electrical connectors break off inside the back panel, but being yours heated to 42° I doubt that is your problem

Similarly, my heating element went out after just over 13 months of use (maybe a dozen smokes). I called Masterbuilt, they had me cut off the power cord and serial number plate on the back and send it to them with the receipt of purchase, and they sent me a new box. All I had to do was take the old controller, grates, chip box, loader, and door, and put them on the new box. Is it possible that your heating element went out? This was a common problem a year or two ago. Model number was 20070106. Symptoms were different, though, so maybe it is just the controller. Good luck!

I had a problem building up heat and it turned out to be connectors in the back everyone talks about. They had heated up and were loose but not yet burned into.

If you end up with it unfixed, I might be willinig to take it off your hands as-is reasonably. You see, I have this idea....

Oh no! That's how it all started before!!!!

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/vid...6AB3F88E2B2784

SMOKEYMOFO, you asked is it worth it to repair the MES after 1 year, provided Masterbuilt does nothing for you?

I'm sure you have noticed all the custom built smokers from UDS to refrigerator mods. You happen to have what a lot of guys would like to start with. An metal insulated box, properly treated coated to last a long time, complete with rack rails, racks, great heavy duty water pan, heavy duty grease pan, completely sealed, and it is insulated. Cost to have a sheetmetal shop build that for you is easy over $300 for 30" and could be $400 for the 40".

Is it worth keeping YES!

• Rewiring the MES isn't a problem there are several SMF Post on how to do that.
• Replacing the heating elements, there is one or two post on where to buy elements.
• You can check with Masterbuilt about purchasing a replacement controller, however I would find the post that talks about alternative controllers or even stepping up to a PID.

I will have owned my MES 2 years in June. I am due for the failure that many have talked about. I do not expect Masterbuilt to do much for me. But I will repair it. The cost for new wiring, replacement element ( I will increase the wattage to 1000 watts), and replace with 3rd party controller that will allow me to go to 350º, should come in between $150-200. That sounds expensive but a new Sams 40" is $299 so I will be money ahead, and after the upgrades I will install, I won't be tied to Masterbuilt and can easily get replacement parts, plus those replacement parts should hold up a lot longer than the OEM versions that have been failing repeatedly the last several years.
A MES 40" with 1000 watt element, capable of 350º (for roasted chickens), with heavier wiring and hopefully superior element, and save money (well a little labor will be unaccounted for), sounds like a good deal to me.

BUT, whenever my MES fails I might not be able to do all the above, and have to break down and buy a new one...