Hey, sorry I missed this when you first posted it.

It is strange that you are not reaching 1st crack, -even an unmodified popper should have no problems here.

A few possible issues come to mind:

1) Are you roasting with the lid of the popper on? If not, do so. It will help retain heat. Keep the butter melter in place as well.

2) Are you roasting in the garage far from the home's main electrical feed? These cheap poppers are pretty susceptible to changes in line voltage. If you are some distance away, it could actually be extending the roast time. In fact, one common solution to the opposite problem (roast progressing too quickly) is to attach a long extension cord between the outlet and the roaster.

3) Are you roasting in very cold weather? This affects it, especially if the lid is off.

4) Finally, do you just have a POS? These units are cheap and cheaply made offshore. My first unit died pretty much right away (about three weeks in). I got a second one and performed the mod, but have been careful not to do immediate back to back roasts, as I think it just stresses it out too much.

It's been 21 day, so I'd be curious to see if you found a solution in the meantime :)