Need a grinder recommendation.

[pmule]

I would look at Northern Tool out of the Milwaukee area.  Bought a grinder and a stuffer from them and both work well.  I returned one of the lower end Cablea grinders as the lst time I used it the grinding awl didn't turn and they said it was defective.

 

[LanceR]

How quickly do they wear?

Not very if you use a few precautions.

I tighten the front ring of the grinder down just fingertip snug and back it off about 1/16 to 1/8 turn.  That keeps the grinder blade from wearing or scoring the plate due to being too tight.  A looser ring leads to faster connective tissue build up between the blade and plate.  With a bit of experimenting you'll find what works for you.

I also swipe a wee bit of Crisco or some such on the plate when I first install it on a clean grinder head to help keep it from being scraped on the blade before the meat and fat can get to it to lube it.  I don't worry about it if I'm changing plate sizes and the grinder head is full of meat.

I find that if I change plates without cleaning the grinder head such as when I grind fatty stuff to a different size than lean I snug the ring down, bump the switch for a second or two and re-snug the ring.  If I don't snug the ring the second time there is usually a lot of wobble in the blade and plate fit.

If I grind anything really lean like chicken and the recipe can stand it I toss the chunks with a bit of veggie oil before grinding to protect the blade and plate.  That is a primarily due to a caution from grinders maker about really lean but as it's a commercial unit intended for a lot more use than occasional household use I may be pole vaulting over a mouse turd here.

I don't let the blades roll around in the sink and get dinged up.  I wash them by themselves.  After they are positively dry I fold them up in a paper towel so they aren't rubbing and put each in a small zippie bag to keep them from getting dinged in the box of grinder accessories.  When I get a knife for each plate I intend to fold them both up together with towel between them so they don't rub and then bag them.

I hone the blades and clean up the plates on a fairly large flat diamond knife sharpener.  They really haven't needed it as much as it is my early cabinetmaker's roots showing.

I guess one way to describe my thinking is that I try to treat them as I would any other sharp knife in the kitchen.  I figure it is a lot easier to keep them sharp than to sharpen them if they get outright dull.

Right now I have one carbon steel straight blade and one stainless knife swirl type.  I think that the swirl one does cut a bit cleaner but the straight one looks to be a lot easier to flatten and hone if it gets dinged.  Time will tell I guess. 

Good luck with the new grinder.

Lance

 

[double rr]

rob i have the cabelas 1 hp 8yrs old never a problem you need at least the 1 hp to run the  44lb mixer i used the mixer once it was a pain to clean and will not mix small batches so it sits in a closet . i like the jerky slicer and patty maker use them both alot lem and cabelas attachments will not interchange because the drive gear is not the same, there are somethings like the pattymaker that connect to the grinding plate nut that will interchange , the grinding plates are also interchangeble,  one thing to consider is the cabelas 1hp has a reverse gear which is nice if you get a jam the only thing i dont like about the cabelas is it has no handle to carry it with . i like lem and if they would have offered the jerky slicer when i was shopping i would of got the lem grinder ,i just got a lem 10lb stuffer about a year ago and its great, the cust service at lem is alot better than cabelas from my experance weston products used to make cabelas grinders and vac sealers from what i understand they no longer do so keep that in mind.

 

[gril1 sgt]

I use my wife's Kitchenaide mixer. I got the grinder attachment for it and love it!

 

[rob989_69]

Thanks guys. I actually picked up a grinder off craigslist. Guy was selling an old General model H #10. This thing is a tank. And it's immaculate too. Oh, and I paid $50 for it. Could not pass it up.

 

[spec]

I have the LEM and love it I also have the dump mixer and sausage stuffing attachments...It is loud as all steel geared grinders are But for the overheating goes mines never overheated on me and I never do less than 45-50# at a time...Hell I used to mix and grind a minimum of 50# of Hamburgers at my grill with it...I popped for various grinding plates when I bought it...It works great...Takes Beef pork chicken turkey AND PUNKINS

 all as fast as you can stuff it down the hopper

DSCF0962.JPG

• spec
• Mar 12, 2013

I looked at Cabella's first, but they didn't have the accessories that the LEM did so I got the LEM and am prettty happy with nit 2 years and thousands of pounds of about whatever you can think of ran through it

 

[bear55]

I just purchased a Weston #8 for $93.00 from Overstock. I ground 10 pounds in 10 minutes no problems.

 

[squirrel]

I have the Axis 1 hp and it is a work horse. I really like it, but that is coming from someone who's previous meat grinder was the KA attachment (POS). It was in the 500 dollar range, a little less actually.