Tired of junk thermostats. Going with NOS. Do I need to drill a hole in in?

I have got spanked with a few new t-stat's( I was going to say burned but hot water and "burned" isn't the right word LOL)
I spend more money buying one hoping for a better product and test each one in a pan of water on the stove with a thermometer to make sure it works properly. It's worth the extra effort.