grinder on the way out

[cal1956]

several years ago i bought a meat grinder from Harbor freight for $ 59.95 and have ground north of 1000 lbs of meat with it , but i am noticing a lot of wear and its not grinding as good as it did even after sharpening the blade and plates so i think its time to start looking to upgrade and suggestion ( please keep them reasonably priced ..lol )

 

[piker]

several years ago i bought a meat grinder from Harbor freight for $ 59.95 and have ground north of 1000 lbs of meat with it , but i am noticing a lot of wear and its not grinding as good as it did even after sharpening the blade and plates so i think its time to start looking to upgrade and suggestion ( please keep them reasonably priced ..lol )

I had a tazin grinder that is 15 years old has ground at least two tones as I am a hunter and do my own meat plus friends and never had a problem other then dull blades. Other than the motor slowing down I do not know what can go wrong. Piker

 

[cal1956]

well another thing i have noticed is the auger is wearing thin , i have started looking at one in the sausage maker catalog for $149.00 that might be a reasonable replacement

 

[SmokinAl]

I got mine from Cabela's.
Even their smallest one will do the job.
I have one of the Carnivore's & it will grind meat all day long.
Al

 

[cal1956]

well it never hurts to have a back up in case it fails in the middle of grinding 50 or so lbs of meat

 

[browneyesvictim]

Super happy with the Cabelas Carnivore. I've got the 3/4 HP and is everything I could ask of it.

 

[mosparky]

Not to side track the thread, but is this the Ship-to-shore electric they are currently selling ? If so I may have to re-think getting one. The price is right but was scared of quality. Just starting out, it will be a long time before I grind near that much meat.
I have been studying the $149 model on Sausage maker and resolved to start saving pennies, but $ is slow coming. That might get me making sausage a lot sooner.

 

[cal1956]

i'm still in the early stage of shopping but this one looks promising , i also like the one from sausage maker for $349.00 but it only come's with a course and med plate ( i need the fine plate ) and i really don't want to have to order a separate plate when i'm spending that much on a grinder
i will also be giving serious consideration the the LEM big bite

 

[old sarge]

My only advice for what it’s worth is to get a machine with a stainless steel head and auger if that is within your budget.

 

[tallbm]

I second the mention of getting a machine with metal parts and GEARS!

I grind over 100 pounds in a day when I use mine so another thing to consider if doing any real volume is whether or not the machine heats up fast and/or gets too hot! Mine does not at all and honestly it is a HUGE bonus because I don't have to fuss with my grinder heating and/or damn near cooking the meat I grind. I don't need the machine AND the meat to be frozen and it works well with simply chilled meat from the fridge or cooler.

So in summary, get one with all metal parts and gears, get one that is known to NOT heat up much, and get one that suites your needs plus a little more should you get a little more serious with sausage making :)

 

[cal1956]

we do 50 to 100 lbs of smoked sausage at a time , so we definitely need to up grade

 

[ab canuck]

I have had my Lem Big bite now for about 10 yrs now, all metal gears customer service was good when needed( my buddy dropped the neck.) My family hunts as well as raising pigs for ourselves, we process all our own meat and have only had to sharpen blades. We average 6 deer 2 big animals ( moose /elk) and 6 pigs that get ground each yr, not including the extra stuff that we do. I would recommend it hands down.

 

[browneyesvictim]

One of the interesting features that comes with the Carnivore is the Cool-Tek Gel Ice Pak that wraps around the grinders head to keep heat from transferring from the motor and from grinding friction. I haven't noticed it ever getting warm without using it, but haven't done more than 20 lbs at a time before either. But my thought is this concept could be applied to any grinder with gel-packs or crushed ice wrapped around the grinder head- Taped, bungied, cellophane wrap, whatever.

 

[kit s]

i'm still in the early stage of shopping but this one looks promising , i also like the one from sausage maker for $349.00 but it only come's with a course and med plate ( i need the fine plate ) and i really don't want to have to order a separate plate when i'm spending that much on a grinder
i will also be giving serious consideration the the LEM big bite

You can buy extra plates in size (fine grind. to extra course)you want. From #8 size grinders to #20 size grinders. For that one or another brand.

 

[chopsaw]

I haven't noticed it ever getting warm without using it,

Think about it like this , the cold that is now in the grinder neck used to be in the meat . I like the gel packs . Wish I had one .

 

[kit s]

we do 50 to 100 lbs of smoked sausage at a time , so we definitely need to up grade

For that amount 1/2 hp (minimum) to 1 hp would be ok...I have a 1 hp but could have gotten by with a 3/4 hp. (hp= horse power)

 

[old sarge]

I should have specified stainless vice an aluminum head and auger. Blades and disc are steel.