I have had the #3 for 4 years. I just installed an auber today to make it digital. Temperature swings were never an issue. I always set the smoker for max temp and just let it run. I would monitor temp and it would swing between 230-275, and that is just fine. I went digital not to get tighter heat tolerances, but I went digital so that I could bypass the 250 temp limit and get it hotter. You would be fine with either choice. If I were to do it again, I would still do what I did. That is, buy the cheaper analog #3 and upgrade it with a $250 auber wifi controller. It gives you digital performance, and higher heat limit.