Vacmaster 350

[archeryrob]

I got a 350 and it will not seal. Not generating a seal and popping a E02 error code. Took it apart and there is nothing in the tubes. Last thing I sealed was a deer liver and that frothed pretty good and I have to clean it all up. I cleaned the seal both sides, the slot it lays in and the lid and no suction. I can just lift the lid up and down like the vac tube is blocked. I can't see anything and the tube connection the chamber is caulked all up to it.

Anyone fixed one of these? I am assuming the deer liver did it, but can't figure how to fix it.

 

[rexster314]

Call Vacmaster and talk to their service guy. Great service from them.

 

[archeryrob]

I called and tech support said if you get water in the vac tube it goes down and fries a solenoid. So no more vac sealing liver, as it only gets ground anyways and can go in a zip loc until I am ready to make braunschweiger. $8.10 part and $11 shipping. Very good service and help.

 

[rexster314]

I called and tech support said if you get water in the vac tube it goes down and fries a solenoid. So no more vac sealing liver, as it only gets ground anyways and can go in a zip loc until I am ready to make braunschweiger. $8.10 part and $11 shipping. Very good service and help.

When you get wet stuff you have two choices. Well, maybe three.
One: put a layer of paper towel inside across the bag just below where the seal will be. It'll catch whatever moisture there is first.
Second: Put the item in the freezer to chill it firm. Then vacuum it like normal.
Third: Buy the bags that alread have a moisture blocker that works like number one above.
Or, maybe four: Hang the vacuum bag over the counter below the sealer. It'll take longer for the moisture to reach the sealer.

 

[archeryrob]

Or 5, don't be stupid and try vacuum sealing liver. Gallon ziploc and squeeze the air out until I grind it up.

 

[rexster314]

Or 5, don't be stupid and try vacuum sealing liver. Gallon ziploc and squeeze the air out until I grind it up.

Whichever

 

[Fueling Around]

Not sure where you get deer, but in Minnesota I will NEVER eat the liver. Liver fluke is much more widespread than chronic wasting disease. Luckily liver fluke stays in the liver.

Got a ziplock sealer and it has survived a lot of liquid suck ups. Learned to use the pulse button to control the vacuum with liquid products.

After your CS reply I doubt a Vacmaster will be my next purchase

 

[archeryrob]

Whichever

Here’s the bad solenoid and it fixed it.

Remove bag tray top with screws on back.
Remove clear sealing door.
Unscrew two screw on operators stainless panel that are behind sealing door.
Remove six screws in bottom hold in plastic vac to tray.
Pop out tray and operators panel and flip forward
Work from back and replace solenoid and put all back together

 

[indaswamp]

Cool! Thanks for posting. Now if I ever need to do it, I know how.

 

[archeryrob]

FYI, don't be like me, a dumb ass, and vac seal something spongy and full of liquid, like a deer liver. Cost me $20, many hours and two weeks to seal that liver.

 

[jkc64]

At least it was repairable unlike so many other brands that are just throw aways.

 

[rexster314]

Not sure where you get deer, but in Minnesota I will NEVER eat the liver. Liver fluke is much more widespread than chronic wasting disease. Luckily liver fluke stays in the liver.

Got a ziplock sealer and it has survived a lot of liquid suck ups. Learned to use the pulse button to control the vacuum with liquid products.

After your CS reply I doubt a Vacmaster will be my next purchase

So enlightening.............

 

[archeryrob]

On liver fluke, basically is just looks bad and won't hurt you.

Deer Liver Fluke

www.michigan.gov

This parasite is not infective for humans and presents no public health menace in this regard. The main prohibition against human consumption of cooked 'flukey' deer liver would be an aesthetic one. Consumption of venison from an infected deer poses no risk to humans.

 

[archeryrob]

Damn thing quit on me again. Now the sealer bar quit working. Called VacMaster and they discontinued it and don't have any sealer bars left. So this must have been a problem. Gave me a part number of 876362 and google can't find any.

$400 on a vac sealer and 4 years its dead. Looks like they got rid of the 360 and all models like that and nothing but chamber sealers now for $1k or more.

 

[archeryrob]

Took it apart and the sealer bar is wide open on the ohmmeter, so it's fried. Obviously this was a issue and why I stopped using food savers and spent the money on one of these. It's been cheaper burning up food savers than buying this.

Took it al apart and the element is literally broken. They have spring metal on it so it can expand when heating. So this has a set duty schedule were it is going to break from metal fatigue. I might try soldering it.

 

[mr_whipple]

My 360 turned out to be a flaming POS and I threw it in the trash. Didn't want to argue with anyone about it and cut my losses. I'll never buy their products again.

 

[archeryrob]

I found it, the sealer tape is clipped into a clamp and just broke off. They have a spring flex on the far side. Obviously knowing expansion and contraction, so there should be a known duty cycle for it.

Called Lisa at Vac Sealers Unlimited and they sell the LEM units now. She said they outsourced manufacturing to someone else, had a dispute and got cut off form parts. Now they don't sell anything but chamber models.

I got some copper wire and soldering iron on order. Going to see if I can fix it. If not, what are y'all happy with? I butcher and reprocess several deer a year and need one that won't break. Hopefully not crazy expensive. Chamber vacs are like buying a bread maker. Where do you put it?

 

[tallbm]

I found it, the sealer tape is clipped into a clamp and just broke off. They have a spring flex on the far side. Obviously knowing expansion and contraction, so there should be a known duty cycle for it.

Called Lisa at Vac Sealers Unlimited and they sell the LEM units now. She said they outsourced manufacturing to someone else, had a dispute and got cut off form parts. Now they don't sell anything but chamber models.

I got some copper wire and soldering iron on order. Going to see if I can fix it. If not, what are y'all happy with? I butcher and reprocess several deer a year and need one that won't break. Hopefully not crazy expensive. Chamber vacs are like buying a bread maker. Where do you put it?

View attachment 710357

Sorry to hear about the machine breaking down on you.

I've been running a Weston Pro 2100 since about 2012 or so. I've done anywhere from 4 to 14 deer & pigs a year since I got it in 2012. No issues and the only thing I've had to replace was the PTFE teflon tape which you can pick up a roll for under $10 on Amazon.
https://westonbrands.com/weston-pro-2100-vacuum-sealer-white-65-0101 or at Home Depot https://www.homedepot.com/p/Pro-2100-White-Food-Vacuum-Sealer-65-0101/304208085

It works, has a 15 inch bar and can go nonstop. Not fancy but hey it works hahaha.

If I were to add 1 single feature it would be vacuum tube port for vacuum sealing jars and containers or port having vacuum bags. Not a super important thing but would be a neat thing to have.
Bag cutters and holders are completely over rated to me because its less expensive and saves WAY more time to just buy quart sized vac seal bags vs cutting your own. I do have 1 roll for big rare jobs but do like 1 of those every 2 years or so.

This guy just works for me :D

 

[luvcatchingbass]

I picked up a LEM a couple years ago after my mid-grade food saver finally died (lots of use on that thing), have never been overly impressed with it but it does ok I guess. Buddy told me about his chamber sealer he has and got to see it work one day and decided I needed one, he sent me a link to Vevor and I got the medium sized one for I think $380 delivered. Got no complaints about it outside of the obvious issue of storage. Currently I got it setup in the garage on a little table next to my bench, my buddy has his in the garage on a shelving system where he keeps everything for it

 

[rexster314]

I put this bad boy on a low boy rolling cart. It's on the end of our kitchen bar.