The 6 rack just not getting the job done

[ssherman]

Another thought, has it been windy when you are smoking?  I live on the windy eastern slopes of the Sierras and I found that wind just seemed to suck the heat out of my Bradley.  Since strong wind is an every afternoon occurrence here, I resorted to the dual element mod.  If wind is not as common in your area, protecting the smoker from heat loss with a simple cardboard wind screen can help quite a bit.

I could not agree more on this issue.  After I moved to Colorado, I had terrible results with my smoking.  I figured out that it was the wind + low humidity, so I had to make some changes in the way I ran things.  Hell, in Memphis in summer, the atmosphere was your water pan and keeping the temperature up was not a problem.  In higher altitudes where it is dry and windy, it is much more difficult to maintain the temperature and humidity.  I put my Bradley in a Husky cabinet, see the thread, and I keep the water pan full with a combination of water and apple juice.

[troyahill]

I have a 4 rack smoker and had the same issue. I had it running for 4hrs and it wouldn't get above 200....  I took the unit apart and noticed to my opinion that the wires seemed to be way to thin for the task. I replaced all the power wires from the power cord to the heating element and poof. In about 5 minutes my smoker was at 211 degrees... You could actualy sit in front of the unit and watch the temp go up and it would more than 2 or 3 degrees at a time :) 8)

[KyNola]

I'm going to take a SWAG that what you did by changing out all of the power cords was fixed a loose connection.  And, if you were relying on the gauge in the door of an OBS or the digital readout from a DBS you most likely weren't getting accurate readings from the get go.

[NorthShoreMN]

When I ordered my six rack 3 years ago I ordered second heating element because there was a shipment with some bad elements. Still have spare. Unit gets used a lot even in Minnesota winters. I use a foil covered insulation when it's really cold.  Never had a real problem, love the smoker.  If I want something cooked fast I use a gas smoker or grill

[TedEbear]

I replaced all the power wires from the power cord to the heating element and poof. In about 5 minutes my smoker was at 211 degrees...

As others have said, your success was most likely due to reseating some loose connections, not from upgrading the wiring inside the tower.  The power cords from the smoke generator to the tower and also the primary cord to the smoke generator from the wall are 18ga (it is stamped on the insulation) and that's probably the same as what's inside the smoker. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.