Just Pulled the Trigger on Auber AW-1520H

[Pez68]

I have been doing a bunch of lurking and reading of threads here, and you all have finally convinced me. Just completed my order with Auber. I have an MES 40 with thermostat issues, but it's been a loyal smoker for a long time. It believes the smoker is at 275 when in reality it is at 210-215. I've already had to replace the high limit switch and connectors a couple years ago, since it wouldn't heat at all. Seems the internal thermostat is an absolute nightmare to replace, since you have to take apart the entire smoker? So, it's time to eliminate all the bad electrical components and really maximize the performance of this thing. The rewire thread makes this all seem almost too simple to be true. Really looking forward to hooking this up and getting back to being able to smoke properly.

I'll be sure to update the thread when I receive the unit and complete the mods. Thanks to everyone for all the input posted here in regards to the MES, as well as the Auber units.

 

[Pez68]

So I figured I would drop an update here. I have a newer version of the MES 40. When I opened up the bottom of the smoker to prepare for my PID, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that....I didn't even have to cut wires. I unplugged the power plug from the control board, unplugged the high limit/element from the control board, and just plugged them right together. All in all about a 5 minute job. It was nice of Masterbuilt to make it so easy! Ready for the PID.

 

[normanaj]

So I figured I would drop an update here. I have a newer version of the MES 40. When I opened up the bottom of the smoker to prepare for my PID, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that....I didn't even have to cut wires. I unplugged the power plug from the control board, unplugged the high limit/element from the control board, and just plugged them right together. All in all about a 5 minute job. It was nice of Masterbuilt to make it so easy! Ready for the PID.

Mine was the same way.

Adding the PID really is a game changer when it comes to the MB.

 

[mr_whipple]

Mine was the same way.

Mine too. Took me way longer to take it apart than to bypass the board. Glad to hear another success story.

 

[normanaj]

Took me way longer to take it apart than to bypass the board.

Pretty much!

 

[Pez68]

Mine too. Took me way longer to take it apart than to bypass the board. Glad to hear another success story.

Took me longer to get it up on my table by myself than it did to do the mod. Lol

 

[Pez68]

So I haven't smoked anything yet, but I installed the temperature sensor and dialed it in. I drilled a hole center/center on the back wall of the smoker. I connected the Auber to my wireless network and set my PID to 1, 0, 0. Fired the smoker up and set it to 275 for a test run. It held 275 degrees for 5 hours, with only a 6 degrees variance. Highest it got was 277, lowest it got was 271. It should hold lower temps even better. Suffice it to say, I'm extremely happy. Brisket will be the next test.

 

[muddydogs]

I purchased a MES 40 in 2017, by 2018 I was having issues with the temp and did the Auber mod which is still running fine today. Only other issue I have had is keeping a working limit switch in the unit so I took the limit switch out of the equation. Family has been instructed to haul the smoker box to the dump if anything happens to me as it's not safe to sell or give away.

When you get right down to it these MES units are kind of a waste of money as they all seem to be junky. I paid $300 for a box, racks and heating element, everything else has been stripped out. I smoke with the mail box mod, monitor temp with a remote probe deal and have replaced the water pan assembly with a cooky sheet filled with sand to help keep temps consistent.

 

[Pez68]

I purchased a MES 40 in 2017, by 2018 I was having issues with the temp and did the Auber mod which is still running fine today. Only other issue I have had is keeping a working limit switch in the unit so I took the limit switch out of the equation. Family has been instructed to haul the smoker box to the dump if anything happens to me as it's not safe to sell or give away.

When you get right down to it these MES units are kind of a waste of money as they all seem to be junky. I paid $300 for a box, racks and heating element, everything else has been stripped out. I smoke with the mail box mod, monitor temp with a remote probe deal and have replaced the water pan assembly with a cooky sheet filled with sand to help keep temps consistent.

I disagree. I paid, if I recall correctly, $300 for this smoker. I got plenty of good smoking out of it. When it started to fail, I upgraded the smoker, and it will be 100% better going forward.

The smoker I have now, is basically a $1500 smoker.

 

[chopsaw]

$300 for this smoker. I got plenty of good smoking out of it. When it started to fail, I upgraded the smoker, and it will be 100% better going forward.

Exactly . I paid $149 for a Gen 1 MES 30 in a Black Friday sale back in 2013 . Added a mailbox and a tube , then an Auber 1510 when the buttons failed on the stock controller . I'm around $300 for a smoker that performs like one ( or better ) from a higher price point .

 

[normanaj]

I purchased a MES 40 in 2017, by 2018 I was having issues with the temp and did the Auber mod which is still running fine today. Only other issue I have had is keeping a working limit switch in the unit so I took the limit switch out of the equation. Family has been instructed to haul the smoker box to the dump if anything happens to me as it's not safe to sell or give away.

When you get right down to it these MES units are kind of a waste of money as they all seem to be junky. I paid $300 for a box, racks and heating element, everything else has been stripped out. I smoke with the mail box mod, monitor temp with a remote probe deal and have replaced the water pan assembly with a cooky sheet filled with sand to help keep temps consistent.

I got my first MES in 2017 from Cabelas on a Black Friday sale for $129 and then got my second MES 30 in 2018 at Walmart on closeout for $69 plus 2yr replacement thrown in for free because it was a floor model.Sold the first one for $50 and few years later found an Auber 1211H at the local hardware store for $49.

The years before I had the Auber my MES turned out some good chow burning pellet dust in a tube for smoke.Now with the PID it's as set and forget as a smoker can be and it's still churning out some even greater vittles.

 

[zwiller]

Mine was $99 Black Friday. No way I woulda got this far into the hobby without it. I am not easily impressed but MES + AMNPS tray/tube blew me away. Worth $300? Not so sure on that especially now with other options.

I won't lie, main reason I got the Auber was to run 325F but have since found it made a HUGE difference in my sausage runs. Another cool part of the Auber, is that I am looking at all sorta of different smokers that I can mod to run with it so you're not just stuck with MES.

 

[river100]

Mine was $99 Black Friday. No way I woulda got this far into the hobby without it. I am not easily impressed but MES + AMNPS tray/tube blew me away. Worth $300? Not so sure on that especially now with other options.

I won't lie, main reason I got the Auber was to run 325F but have since found it made a HUGE difference in my sausage runs. Another cool part of the Auber, is that I am looking at all sorta of different smokers that I can mod to run with it so you're not just stuck with MES.

HAKKA makes an electric smoker that is all stainless that I've been looking at. I see reviews about controller issues but the smoker is insulated and has a 1000 watt element that's easy to connect to.
Not sure why but they have 248 deg F as highest temp.