Looking for long-term reliability experience of those using the LEM Motorized Big Bite Sausage Stuffers. I purchased the 30lb model and the gear teeth broke after the 2nd 5 lb batch of meat was started. The motor was defaulting out so I took the motor off and tried to hand crack the gear rod back up and was not able to make it move as something was jambed I ended up taking apart the frame in order to get the piston out and the remaining meat removed. Obviously not impressed the gear teeth were breaking after 1st use. I was stuffing with the 2nd to smallest tube, so it was not like I was putting any higher pressure on the system making snack sticks. Trying to figure out if I want to bother trying another unit or not.
For those that have one, I do have another question. After the piston goes back up it automatically stops when it has reached the top. Normally, when you use the foot pedal to move the piston down and release the foot petal, it goes up for a couple of seconds and then stops by design. What happens if the piston has been retracted all the way to the top, auto stops as designed, but then the next thing you do is momentarily press (less than a second press) the foot petal down and then release it? Does the piston still try to go back up for the normal 2 seconds even though it still is basically is still at the very top? I am wondering if this is a defect that happened as when I first used this that could have caused the gear damage instead of tripping the motor. After my first 5 pound batch which worked great, the motor automatically retracted the piston and it automatically stopped at the top. I loaded my next 5 lb batch. I recall hitting the pedal, but even though I don't recall releasing the petal immediately, I wonder if my foot did release and then even though the piston was still basically at the top, the motor tried to retract for the standard 2 seconds because I heard a loud sound like the piston was pushed up into the top, but the top piston still had room to go up space wise. I wonder if this is where the gear tooth first broke as when I tried to move the piston back down it tried going down normally but repeating would have a re-occurring clank sound which could have been where the gear did a full rotation and made a noise every time it came to a broken tooth. Eventually, the motor starting tripping and where even with hand crank I could not make it move up or down.
For those that have one, I do have another question. After the piston goes back up it automatically stops when it has reached the top. Normally, when you use the foot pedal to move the piston down and release the foot petal, it goes up for a couple of seconds and then stops by design. What happens if the piston has been retracted all the way to the top, auto stops as designed, but then the next thing you do is momentarily press (less than a second press) the foot petal down and then release it? Does the piston still try to go back up for the normal 2 seconds even though it still is basically is still at the very top? I am wondering if this is a defect that happened as when I first used this that could have caused the gear damage instead of tripping the motor. After my first 5 pound batch which worked great, the motor automatically retracted the piston and it automatically stopped at the top. I loaded my next 5 lb batch. I recall hitting the pedal, but even though I don't recall releasing the petal immediately, I wonder if my foot did release and then even though the piston was still basically at the top, the motor tried to retract for the standard 2 seconds because I heard a loud sound like the piston was pushed up into the top, but the top piston still had room to go up space wise. I wonder if this is where the gear tooth first broke as when I tried to move the piston back down it tried going down normally but repeating would have a re-occurring clank sound which could have been where the gear did a full rotation and made a noise every time it came to a broken tooth. Eventually, the motor starting tripping and where even with hand crank I could not make it move up or down.
