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.