MES 40 Toxic Fire

[mski2]

Hi, New here but need to know if anyone had their MES catch fire.
Mine arrived last week, 1 or so hours into the break in or seasoning it caught fire, smelly black smoke with toxic smelling fumes , no chips were added, looks like the insulation ignited.
Called Masterbuilt, they had me send pictures , then a pic of the cord cut and label taken off.
Today a new cabinet ( no door wheels racks or pans ) arrived , on the door trim the bottom is melted and the thick smoke coating that smells like burnt plastic wont come off the inside door barely off the window even with acetone.
I noticed on the new cabinet the seam all around the floor is not sealed and if I push on it I can tell there is a gap there , looked at a MES 30 in the store , ( a newer model ) and there are rivets along that seam.
Anyone else have this problem ?
Mark

 

[chopsaw]

If that was a new unit that caught fire , you need to call them back . You're saying they just sent you the cabinet with the door removed ? If so that's crazy .

 

[mski2]

If that was a new unit that caught fire , you need to call them back . You're saying they just sent you the cabinet with the door removed ? If so that's crazy .

Yep a new stripped down cabinet. nothing else.
Everything is covered and it wont come off.
I am calling Monday.
What bothers me is the gap or loose seam at the bottom on the old and new one.

 

[Faarg]

I had an issue with my Masterbuilt missing pieces when I bought it and the customer service department was amazing. Very responsive and they genuinely seemed to want to be helpful. I agree with chopsaw that you should call them back and see if another person might be able to send over a whole unit -- or at least the door.

 

[chopsaw]

Just seems strange that from what I've heard they are good at making things right and send new units out to do so .
If for some strange reason they won't make it right , contact your credit card company if that's how you paid for it .
Tell them what happened .

 

[TomKnollRFV]

My MES has literally defied all what ever one told me about them. I'm wondering if your original unit was some sort of display model?

Also post some pics of the seam and I'll compare it to mine.

 

[KrisUpInSmoke]

I just got a new MES and haven't had any problems with it. I'm wondering if you left some kind of packaging material inside that burned hot and caused the black smoke and other remnants that you described.

 

[mski2]

The seam pic, this is how the bottom and top looks all around,The one that caught fire looks the same.Like its only secured in the corners.
Got it at Academy Sports, was new unused I had to assemble and was in original packaging .
Would apreciate you looking.
Mark

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[mski2]

I just got a new MES and haven't had any problems with it. I'm wondering if you left some kind of packaging material inside that burned hot and caused the black smoke and other remnants that you described.

Positive about that flames were coming out of the seams

 

[TomKnollRFV]

Oh I didn't think of that Kris..Yah, there's foam inserts they put in that were black in mine and are pretty flush.

 

[TomKnollRFV]

I'll have to do it tommorrow <Night here, mosquitos are out..and I just covered my smoker for the night>. But.... I don't know. I rather suspect when it's light out I'm going to see a massive issue here. I know my MES has rivets, I got a 140S <the adventure series one>.

Hopefully Bear chimes in; he knows alot more about older models and well most of them. As far as I can tell mine is a newer model. But this seriously looks like some sort of issue on their end. I can't help but wonder if Academy Sports has a bunch of messed up models sitting there past their time of return to manufacturer for refund and are just trying to get rid of them.

 

[normanaj]

Sure as heck looks like a manufacturing defect,neither one of my MESs looks like that on the inside.

I would certainly call them back...they owe you a complete new unit.

 

[mski2]

Removed all packing.
One unit came from Academy and the other Masterbuilt so it a model problem.
It was definitely the inside insulation burning

 

[Nutshell]

I’ve had issues with mine. From what I have been told, the quality used to be much better. When this one goes, I will purchase a Smokin It.

 

[TomKnollRFV]

Stupid me forgot to take pictures of mine inside <not that it would have been much good. It's all smokey and the like> but mine seem to be flush to the bottoms? I don't know what to tell ya. I know MES is on the cheap smoker list from what I've read, but this seems completely out of the park bad.

I'd legit just call and really complain. I've loved my MES and all.

 

[Bearcarver]

What exactly was burning?
The whole inside is metal, and the insulation is in between the metal walls.
The Door & the outside trim could burn, but where are the parts that burned.

How high did your heat in the unit get to?

I got one of mine too hot on the Break-in, because it had a bad controller.
I could hear the insulation crinkling in between the walls, but it didn't flame up, and that was up to about 340° (I think it was). Once it got back down in Temp the crinkling stopped. I got a new controller, and it never happened again, because it never got over about 310° again.

I know of one that flamed up real bad, but if I remember correctly, somehow Fat & Grease got inside the Door, and that stuff lit up & caused the flaming. Masterbuilt gave him a new door, even though it was years old.

I'm not sure of what happened here, because I don't see the burning, but if it lit up & burned, they should give you a complete new smoker---Not just parts.

Bear

 

[mski2]

What exactly was burning?
The whole inside is metal, and the insulation is in between the metal walls.
The Door & the outside trim could burn, but where are the parts that burned.

How high did your heat in the unit get to?

I got one of mine too hot on the Break-in, because it had a bad controller.
I could hear the insulation crinkling in between the walls, but it didn't flame up, and that was up to about 340° (I think it was). Once it got back down in Temp the crinkling stopped. I got a new controller, and it never happened again, because it never got over about 310° again.

I know of one that flamed up real bad, but if I remember correctly, somehow Fat & Grease got inside the Door, and that stuff lit up & caused the flaming. Masterbuilt gave him a new door, even though it was years old.

I'm not sure of what happened here, because I don't see the burning, but if it lit up & burned, they should give you a complete new smoker---Not just parts.

Bear

It didn't get above 275, if you look at the picture the flames were coming from the gap between the wall and floor the new cabinet has the same gap.
I think it needs riveted like another member said his has.
I'm calling tomorrow the door is unacceptable.
I know it's a budget smoker but please
Also they being cheap because I got it on sale $199

 

[mski2]

Stupid me forgot to take pictures of mine inside <not that it would have been much good. It's all smokey and the like> but mine seem to be flush to the bottoms? I don't know what to tell ya. I know MES is on the cheap smoker list from what I've read, but this seems completely out of the park bad.

I'd legit just call and really complain. I've loved my MES and all.

Agreed I bought one for my daughter 4 years ago and she loves it, cheap or not it shouldn't catch fire

 

[TomKnollRFV]

No, it shouldn't. I feel if it did, there was some sort of packing material inside, but the fact it was seemingly not properly sealed..like maybe it's an entire lot number worth? Definitely time to call and raise a stink either way. They should replace the entire thing certainly, and probably not send you an outdated model if two in a row weren't sealed properly.

That said; have you tried the new cabinet? I mean maybe the seams are fine for all I know.

 

[chopsaw]

No, it shouldn't. I feel if it did, there was some sort of packing material inside, but the fact it was seemingly not properly sealed..like maybe it's an entire lot number worth? Definitely time to call and raise a stink either way. They should replace the entire thing certainly, and probably not send you an outdated model if two in a row weren't sealed properly.

That said; have you tried the new cabinet? I mean maybe the seams are fine for all I know.

Do you really think the man left packing material inside the smoker and fired it up ?