Have been down this same path myself. Its not fun destroying yourself on a ride but its nice to 'feel' that you've been on a ride. FF Levo was too much power for me and I couldn't see the point of dragging another 5 or6 kilos around with the power 'turned down'. If you love fast singletrack and...
Hold the small button under the shifter in with one hand then whilst watching the derailleur press either the up or down shifter button (depending which way you want to move the derailleur) each time the green light flashes on the derailleur means a very slight shift, almost too small to see...
As you can see from the pic its a pretty poor finish from Spesh. The port on the other side is a different shape unlike the Stumpjumper which is the same both sides. I did contact Specialized rider care but they were of no help. I reckon every owner would stump up for a solution.
Get on just fine with the rear Eliminator myself, the front though, not good on slippery roots. Put a Veetire flow snap enduro on the front and its a revelation, doesn't miss a beat on any terrain.
If I were you I would beg or borrow a new cassette to compare yours to. That sort of wear rate doesn't sound possible. I had my chain skipping in 12th gear, turned out that the jockey wheel was too close so had to compromise on 'official' B tension measurement
I have ridden both sizes (5ft9), bought large but wish I'd bought medium so I could get more drop on seatpost. Dont drink the 'coolaid' of modern geometry, go out on both sizes and see what YOU prefer. My 2014 codeine 29 is way more fun to ride than anything I've tried lately and Long Low Slack...
Coil is always better than air for suspension, especially as the two 'issues' have been sorted ie; linear stroke- adjustable ramp-up system and weight- a non issue on something that you dont even have to 'try' and get up the hill. Your damping system remains unchanged.
I'm 16 and a half stone, wouldn't say I'm unfit, and I find that the SL is perfect. Tried a few FF Eebs and came to the conclusion I would get Lazy on one, plus I didnt like the handling of a bike with its own gravity! 30 mile ride should be no issue on the internal battery if you use stock...