I wouldn't recommend an MES to my worst enemy

[buck u]

I bought a 30" electric Masterbuilt Smoker just before Thanksgiving. After I assembled it I plugged it in and nothing. I called Masterbuilt and they said they would send me a new box. I was unhappy but I was pleased they were replacing the unit. I received the replacement today and during assembly I ran into another problem. The pegs on the inside of the cabinet are not in the correct locations. I can't put any of the brackets that hold the shelves on. They are not even close.

So now I have a smoker that will work but it doesn't have any shelves.

I haven't called them yet to tell them about this. I am assuming they will stand behind their product again, but really??? I am trying hard to put down what I really want to say. Rrrrrrrrrrr

 

[kc5tpy]

Hello Buck.  I do not own a MES.  I have heard good things about 'em.  I would have taken it back to place of purchase.  I would still take it back to place of purchase ; tomorrow!  Every company puts out a "lemon" once in a while.  Now if you are the unlucky person to get said lemon; YOU ARE PI**.  Understandable.  Try to exchange your smoker at place of purchase and if not able then contact Masterbuilt and demand a replacement.  I understand their customer support is pretty good.  Good luck.

Danny

 

[ajbert]

I do own a MES 30" and have been very happy with it.  I found out on here there was a problem with the chip tray and I had that problem.   CS sent me the new version with no questions asked.  Since then I've moved on to the AMZPS but use the chip tray once in a while.

I do understand your frustration as you expect something you bought brand new to work right out of the box.  I have that exact same mentality.  The above suggestion is what I would do.  Good advice.

 

[guruatbol]

I bought a MES 30" digital smoker just before Thanksgiving.  It arrived damaged.  I had to do the turkey in it so we made it work.   I called Walmart.com where I bought it and they sent me another one.  It was dented pretty good out of the box.  I called Walmart.com back and they were out of stock. So, they gave me enough money back to make the thing cost me $100.00.  So it is out on the patio right now cold smoking cheese.

I did buy an AMNPS.  So far I love it!  I didn't know I needed a propane torch to light it though.  I did figure out how to make it work.

So far the smoke flavor is pretty intense on everything we have made.  cheese, Ribeye steaks, and turkey.  We are very happy and will be doing a ham for Christmas.

I recommend that you follow the advice above. I know that Cabela's will stand behind the product.  They just send it back to Masterbuilt and get another one.  This way you can get it out of the box in front of their staff and make sure there is nothing wrong with it before you go home.

Sorry for your buzzard luck.

Mel

 

[geerock]

Unfortunately Masterbuilt puts out an awful lot of lemons. The generation 2 MES really stinks. Controllers way off for temp control, wiring issues, airflow is terrible, left to right temp variation is way out of whack. I know, I had FOUR mes 40's in 7 months. Every time they sent me another one something else was wrong. Their customer service ought to be good..... they've had enough practice dealing with these POS. Of course my idea of good customer service is selling a good product..... that way you don't need to be calling CS. They had a good smoker in the gen 1 model but changed the electronics, draft, and interior design...... all of which were worse than the previous model. I dont know why. If I were you, Buck U, I'd take it back and look at another electric from another manufacturer. Smokin It, Smokin Tex, and a couple of others are available without breaking the bank. They make good solid units.

 

[foamheart]

Frustration is frustration, but you know that you bought the cheapest smoker on the market when you got it.  I assume you knew where it was manufactured. So when one breaks and it happens always at the worst times, you just grin and bear it. You'd be just as frustrated if you had bought a 20,000.00 unit and it broke, and yes they break also.

Hope you get it all resolved and are back up and smoking soon!

 

[buck u]

I didn't think I bought the cheapest Smoker on the market. I spent some time on these forums and while people had issues there were a lot more that were happy with their MES.

I also understand every company has a bad product from time to time. My incorrect logic at the time was to pay top dollar for a MES from the Masterbuilt website that somehow it would mean I would get a good one. So far I have rolled snake eyes. I will be calling Masterbuilt today. And like I said they will probably stand behind their product, but it sucks I have 2 bad ones in a row.

 

[foamheart]

Hope you get it right this time, third time is a charm?

 

[ron burgundy]

So, if you don't spend a lot of $$$ it won't be any good?  I bought the $120 Cookmaster from Fleet Farm.  Thats the cheapest one and its been great for me.

 

[geerock]

Now you're talking, Ron. Thats another masterbuilt piece without all the fancy stuff. That analog controller is usually more accurate than the mes one. 1500 watt element gets you quick recovery time. Its a liitle small but if its big enough for you that's all that counts. And you have enough room to get a third rack in there uf you wanted to play with it a bit. And, finally, 120 bucks! She gives up the ghost in a couple years?.....who cares?