I have heard (secondhand) that the snackmaster type has rising air without a fan (am I correct?) thus gets hotter at the bottom reel than the top. This is why I like the excalibur which forces heated air across all reels equally... Agreed on safety of splices! <L> Lou Judson � Intuitive Audio 415-883-2689 On Sep 27, 2008, at 8:56 AM, Bob Olhsson wrote: I've found the food dehydrator far more effective than a convection oven because it does way less harm to splices and at least as good a job with the sticky-shed. The SnackMaster handles 10 1/2" reels and has no vents, at least that I've noticed. Bob Olhsson Audio Mastery, Nashville TN