I'm gona purchase a new meat grinder in the next few weeks. I grind most of the deer into burger and make steaks out of the rest so no need for anything fancy.
Many of the reviews I've read on Amazon and Cabelas claim that most of these grinders are hunks of junk. They clog easily, have too many plastic parts that fail, hard to clean, or only work few times then quit.
Can anybody provide a good recommendation? I don't wana break the bank, but I don't mind spending the money if it's a quality product that'll last.
I've had one of the Cabela's 1hp grinder for years and it has served me great.
I own a share of 2 Cabelas grinders. A 1hp and a 1 1/2hp. Both do an excellent job! That 1hp ground 2 bison in an afternoon and had no trouble. The 1 1/2 grinds 2-300 lbs of deer meat every season. Never a lick of trouble from either grinder!!!
Most don't grind semi-frozen meat, warm fat clogs grinders and when it's cold, they work well. You can even get buy with a kitchen aid mixer attachment but the cabelas ones get good reviews.
It is unconventional, but go with a Northern Tool Company Stainless Meat Grinder.
Has great reviews and I have pushed EVERYTHING through it with no problems.
My wife picked me up a 1950's oster meat grinder and it works awesome. was 40 bucks at a new uses store. motor smells bad but other than that it's great.
I have burned up or stripped the gears on a few. I have been using a 70's model Oster mixer with the grinder attachment for the last few years. Works great.
What price range are yall buying? The $100 rig or the $300-$500 rig?
I just ordered the LEM #8 - 0.35 hp off Amazon for $280-something. There are literally hundreds of positive reviews on the Cabela's grinders so I have no doubt they're good, but they went up on their prices in the last year and they're now quite a bit more than LEM. I've found nothing but positive reviews on the LEM grinders also and I've even read (on the internet, of course) that LEM horsepower ratings are more realistic than Cabela's. You can read all sorts of things on the internet though. ;)
As to your last question, I've done a fair amount of research before buying the LEM and it seems like anything you buy for much less than $250 is probably going to have plastic somewhere in the gear system, so you can pay less and buy it a few times or pay more and buy it once...my 2 cents. I'm the biggest of cheapskates, so it pained me to shell out even $280 but I believe it will last me many, many years.
I have Gander Mountain's version, the 1hp and it has been fantastic. Between me and a buddy, it typically grinds the burger from 4 or 5 deer per year and it never gives us any issues. I don't think I'd want anything less than a 1hp though.
Watched the neighbor's gang grinding meat with the older style grinder (you know the kind grandma had), and big motor.... Wasnt long before they ground a two finger sandwich....On the left hand of the manual stuffer....They had to stop for a trip to the ER and a clean out session,,, too bad they wasted a bit of sausage on fingers....
Just ground the hamburger scraps from 3 elk tonight - 90-100 lbs. in about an hour and stuffed into 1 lb. burger bags with the sausage stuffer nozzle. Grinder is an old Hobart, don't know the motor hp but it weighs 135 lbs.
Beware of any grinders with plastic parts. Burned up a couple drive trains on Oster kitchen Center grinder attachments over the years.
I've got the smaller cabelas which is either .5 or 1hp and it's done a bunch of elk and deer. It depends on how much your running through it on what your going to need. Mine was about 100.00 four or five years ago. I have access to a full blown meat room with industrial equipment but my little grinder has handled everything I've asked it to so far.
TX AG
I bought this one five years ago and have ground many deer and hogs. Makes sausage too. I like making fresh pork sausage out of a kill. It sometimes runs on sale for $99. I looked it up tonight and it is still $99. It doesn't blink and will process some meat. Small grinders bog down. Turned an ole boy down here in LA on to one last year on Bayou Bucks and he loves it.
I have loaned it out and almost everyone that borrowed it buys one.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200451267_200451267
Billy
Some of the older Cabelas grinders were made in Italy. The new Cabelas grinders are made in China. Big diffrence in quality.
I have that same model from Northern Tool and it works great!
I settled on the Cabelas 1 hp grinder this year. My brother has one, and a good friend of mine has one. They both swear by them and between the two of them, probably grind 20 deer/elk a year for themselves and friends.
I have owned a Cabelas 1hp for several years. It has done several dozen deer with not issues. Very good product
I have the same Northern Tool grinder mentioned here, have had it 4 years. I have ground up 3 elk, and about 50 deer, with zero issues. Because the spout opening is small, you have to cut it into smaller pieces. Close to frozen cold meat process's much better, as mentioned. Another great place to buy the poly bags, which I stuff with the nozzle that comes with this grinder, is The HOmeProcessor.com. He has good deals on all great quallity items, including summer sausage products. He has heavy duty grinders, cheaper than the same thing on Cabelas.
If you want the BEST, keep your eyes on reastaurant auctions and you'll eventually find a Hobart grinder. Then buy a brand new carbide tipped blade and some new grinding plates. If the bronze bushing in the grinder looks worn then buy a fibre washer to take up the slop between blades and plate, because they have to run together tightly to grind effectively. Then you'll have a rig that will outlast you, your kids and their kids too.
I have the Cabelas 1 HP grinder also and it works great. I bought it asa refurbished model from LEM I believe.
All I can say is get the biggest grinder you can afford. I have had a few and always skimped till now. Man what a mistake to have an undersized grinder
C
I have the same one from northern tool. Ive ground and cased a lot of sausage with it and never had any problems.
I have the Cabelas 1HP model. Had great luck with it. Never had any problems. But they are pretty expensive anymore over 350$ I believe now. I'm with calgarychef if I was doing it over id find someone who deals whole sale on resturant and grocery store goods and buy an industrial size. I have been butchering my own domestic meat for the past few years with some friends and at the shop we do our butchering in we have an industrial grinder. I also believe the bigger the better when it comes to this. Definatly stay away from plastic. Just my 2 cents. Good Luck!
Most of my family uses the #32 with the Vbelt pulley from Northern Tool. They run off a 1/2 horse motor. Shipped it's about $100.00. Motors can be gotten out of salvage appliances. They grind faster than one person can package the meat.
My brother grinds four or more elk four or more deer several hogs and at least one beef each year and his has been going strong for 11 years.
Mine should arrive today from Northern Tool.
Chris
I bought the one from Northern Tool about 5 years ago. Got it on sale for $89. It does everything I want it to without a problem. I think it is a great buy for the money.
jeff all my equipment is from LEM products,,,All good stuff
Larry and 8crow, those LEMs look sharp! I need to keepan eye out for a deal one
We have the bandsaw / meat grinder from harbour frieght that works great.I think we only paid $199.for it.
Mom bought me a krups for a dollar at a yardsale. Ran about 10 deer through it in the las 5 years without any trouble. Not sure what they'd cost at macys.
We've got the 1 1/2 hp Cabela's unit and it will flat grind meat. With two of us boning and one feeding the grinder we did 3 125# hogs in a couple of hours.
Only thing better would be a big commercial rig.
Mike
I have the 1hp with the meat cuber attachment. I grind into 1lbs bag takes longer to clean it then to use it.the cuber works great I will run steaks 1 time thur and mark them for grilling. Just thinking about it made me hunger just went and pulled some out of the freezer for the grill for Friday. I use lump charcol in my green egg at high temp for 6 min. Melt in your mouth.
little grinders work. but they struggle thru it. You don't realize that till you get a bigger badder (more expensive) grinder that is actually made for it. Then you see. I recommend getting a bigger (one 1 hp or better) well made version right from the start and it may last your lifetime. It will certainly grind thru the meat better and faster with less down time.
ChuckC
I have the northern model as well and have had it for over 5 years with no problems. In addition to venison grinding I also feed my dogs a meat diet using chicken and chicken bones that I grind in the northern. Just throw whole chicken wings in skin, meat and bones and it grinds it all with no problem. Dogs love it.
Joe
good idea on the dog food!
Stay away from the Cabela's as far as I am concerned. Decent machines but they are mere toys compared to the Northern Tool's grinder. And it is much cheaper. I grind 4 or 5 deer per year. I skin, quarter, and remove the meat while the wife gets set up. I usually get about ten pounds cubed before she starts grinding. She catches me in less than 2 minuutes. I like to do it cold but these grinders have no problems with warmer meat like others I have used. Up to 7 pounds of meat per minute bro. We can work a deer up once it is skinned, in less than hour. Best gift I ever recieved. God Bless
I have a perfect electric meat grinder model no - Weston Meat Grinder 1/2 HP, it's durability, performance, easiness of use was brilliant. I have been using it since 3 years.I bought this device after previewing the features of the product of this device, from http://pro-meat-grinder.com/best-product-reviews/, site. It probably a better choice than what I got. If you want you can check it out.
I use a Waring. Good enough for Janis, good enough for me.