I am also one of those enthusiasts that has experienced the ST malaise.
In its defense I can say that the engine always starts and produces lots of power but on the other hand, its inflight reliability is disappointing. One never knows if the engine will quit in any of the following situations:
a. On final, at idle.
b. When throttling up at any attitude.
c. In nose up attitudes.

It´s encouraging to hear from fellow pilots that this problem was solved by the use of an onboard plug and I will be implementing that cure ASAP. I will report my results here.

I have to respectfully disagree with Ed here where he claims that deadsticks are always the pilot´s fault. To prove my point I can say that my other OS powered engines never showed such unreliable operation given the fact that my building techniques remain consistent regardless of engine brands.

If this onboard plug cure really works, one would have to assume that what´s most adversly critical about ST engines, especially the larger ones, are the designs of the cylinder head where the combustion takes place, the transfer case and/or the carb. It seems the glow gets overwhelmed by a disproportionate amount of fuel it receives under such mentioned circumstances.