Okay ... on this issue I think Shakespeare said it best: "Much ado about nothing."
When I was researching smokers to purchase, I noticed the temp swing issue on all analog units (ex: the SmokinTex website's FAQ section noted swings of 45 were normal) and there seems to be no difference with the analog Smokin-Its. Yes, a computer controller would provide much greater precision ... but at much greater cost and with a greater likelihood of catastrophic equipment failure.
If you search Google with the search string "electric smoker temperature swing" you see similar concerns about non-digital Cookshack Smokettes, Bradley, Masterbuilt, SmokinTex, etc. I can say from my own experiences that wood burners and charcoal burners also face temperature swings, especially if you're not babysitting them with a careful eye and a heavy hand.
Yes, if you're seeing abnormally low temperatures with a failure to match set temp using conditions similar to the seasoning process then a little customer service call might help. Otherwise, you're best off looking at meat temp as your primary indicator. Water pans will definitely help stabilize your temp swings, as will keeping it under cover from direct summer sunlight, too small or too large a load, keeping the door closed, and other incremental strategies ad infinitum. Long story short, you'll see some variance but it's nothing the well-insulated Smokin-Its and many similar competitors can't handle.
