Dave, lots and lots of folks successfully use their Bradleys without modification or accessories such as a PID. You will find that many members of this forum, myself included, are Tim Taylor types. Tinkerers is search of more power. As a group, we may not be very representative of the whole population of Bradley owners.
I think that when new Bradley owners struggle, their struggles are often a disconnect between what they expect and how the Bradley was designed to be used. The result is some frustration, until folks learn what they can expect from their Bradley. Once down the learning curve a bit, they enjoy using their smoker more and more.