I'd like another SDog, but yeah...I feel the same.
I had a few issues...
The main things I had to do was de-burr the drilled holes, threads, & a sharp edge on the button. I also had to file the top opening in the switch plate, because it caused the button to hang. My positive post tightened up with no problem. I held the isolator while I tightened from underneath.
Once I had those things sorted, I had it up & running very quickly with a 4 wrap (0.9 ohms) of 28awg on a 50mm piece of 400 unoxidized mesh. I pulsed it a few times for an even glow & added juice. I've been vaping it since Tuesday with absolutely no problems. I see a slight amount of condensation in the tank section, but not enough to be concerning. Honestly, the SDog has the best flavor of any gen I have, & I have them all...
I realize other people are having some problems, so I don't mean to minimize them, but I'm happy with the SDog so far. It performs very well for me.