I had an 8-gallon megapot w/ the thermometer poking out midway into the kettle. I wanted to use a Jaded Hydra chiller with it but it wouldn't fit. It also was problematic for BIAB, which I don't do now, but may at some later date.
I bought the 10-gallon Spike kettle to replace the megapot, with two horizontal couplers, one for the ball valve, one for the thermometer. I do not currently do BIAB (traditional mash tun), so I use the kettle to heat strike water, heat sparge water, and boil the wort. However, I wanted the option of doing BIAB later if I wanted to, so I chose the low horizontal coupler for it.
In that application the thermometer is worth it for me. I can tell at a glance where I am. If i were using the kettle only as a BIAB kettle I might feel differently, but I suspect I'd still want that thermometer so I can tell where I am for all the uses to which I put that kettle.
Very, very nice kettle.