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Looking at getting one soon and just wondering which one is dependable and gets the job done. There’s a lot of them. Saw one that weighed 46 lbs and o one that weighed 7. Would the heavier one be better? Thanks
My brother got a LEM, not sure which model but it works great. My wife and I use the kitched aid adapter, works good too but I much prefer the dedicated meat grinding machine.
My LEM has been flawless. Connects with my LEM meat mixer for sausage making. WAY easier than mixing by hand plus no more frozen hands!
I bought a #8 on sale when gander mountain closed. Between my son & myself we do easily 300 lbs a season & it handles it no problem. Not sure the manufacturer but it's all stainless & heavy duty.
Always go stainless steel, at least 3/4 hp but 1 hp would be better. The meat brand line of equipment is pretty good. I think Weston is better. Those are all around the $400-$500 price range.
Have a Cabelas 3/4 HP, have used it for about 10 years. Hasn't disappointed me yet, do probaly 3 deer a year n have done an elk also.
LEM makes a solid product. I have an LEM sausage stuffer. My grinder is. Weston. Built like a tank!
I also bought a LEM #8 and have been very happy with it.
The Cabelas grinders are good too. I have the 3/4 hp and a friend has the 1 hp.
I used the Kitchen Aid attachment before and there's no comparison to the 3/4 hp.
Cabelas. I have the 1 and we do a boat load of deer and 3-4 beef cow every year. Works like a charm.
Have any of you Cabelas grinder owners had the auger get hot while grinding?
Post #15.
"Quick update…
I ended up going with the Cabela’s 1hp model last summer. Last month was the first time I used it. I had ~180lb for burger and sausage. The meat I had was still partially frozen. One thing I will say is that grinder can grind the meat about as fast as I could feed it. Really puts the meat out quick. For the amount I had I figured I’d be done in no time. On the first batch of sausage after maybe 25 lbs with the course grind plate on, I could smell something very delicious. I stopped feeding meat for a second and could see steam coming out of the feeding tube. When I looked down the tube the rear portion of the auger had a thin layer of cooked meat/fat caked on it. I was a little upset to say the least. I couldn’t understand why this was going on, the feeding tube was cold and frosty but the auger was extremely hot. So, I took the grinder apart, cleaned everything off, and threw the auger and feeding tube back in the freezer. Once everything was in the freezer I did some searching around about the auger getting hot. It looks like this isn’t unheard of. Some suggested making sure the ring nut was only “tight enough” and not too tight, and that lubing the silicone ring on the rear of the auger kept everything cool. Others say that the hot auger is just the way is it, and they’re content with it. I tried to adjust the ring nut just enough and lubed up the silicone ring with some food grade mineral oil and went back to grinding after the auger cooled off. Needless to say, I spent the rest of the day grinding 20-30 lbs at time, then cleaning and cooling the auger in the freezer. It took over 7 hours to grind 180 lbs, I hated life that day. Since others experienced the same issue I didn’t consider exchanging for another Carnivore model. I returned it to Cabela’s and I ‘m currently in the market for an LEM or Weston."
Most non commercial grinders will get hot with continual use. I have a 1hp I got from Cabelas 10-12 years ago. Its been good and trouble free. In between grinds I do pace he augur in the freezer to keep it cold.
I have a LEM and it doesn't get hot and it runs the whole time as it only has a rocker on/off switch. I would like to get a foot peddle for it though.
I keep borrowing my dad's commercial grinder and doing like 100lbs at a time. Thing is amazing. You can't keep up to it. It's a 3/4 horse Cabelas version. 10/10 from me.
This is the version I use from Walton's. 12# 3/4 HP model. It grinds way faster than I can feed it. Walton's has great stuff, no complaints from me on any of their products.
I have a 1hp cabelas commercial, its old, has big mileage but its still working, however it does seize up at first so I have a new one in a box just incase
Go with a Weston or a Waltons. #22 in size and echo the minimum of 3/4 hp. 1 hp is even better.
Even if you grind infrequently, you will thank yourself later.
Brotskys right. Waltons is awesome. The better burger seasoning, the butter and garlic seasoning are great for steaks & burgers. They have smalled cubed high melt cheeses are good for snack sticks & summer sausage as well
LEM here. Get one from the actual manufacturer, not a branded product (like Cabelas). Cabelas may be good, but I had a hard time finding accessories/parts, and you never know when they will swap brands and now you don't have anywhere to go.
I would steer away from anything Cabelas since it has been bought out by BassPro. Lots of their branded items have changed and none that I've seen for the better. BP is the Walmart of hunting so their only concern is price so quality has gone to the birds on many of their branded items. Might look the same, but the guts are going to be different every time they change who makes it for them. I really miss Cabelas!
what ever grinder used, make sure the meat to be ground is partly frozen and cut in to strips, and I re-sharp the blades B4 grinding with a diamond hone. Both of these actions make a big difference in how the grinder preforms.
I have a MEAT brand grinder on the way, supposed to be here tomorrow. They haven't been around long but look good and have seen some good reviews, so we'll see. I went with the 1/2 HP model. We process 4-6 deer a year and make summer sausage. I have about 20 pounds ready to grind so I'll try it out when it shows up.
I coincidentally got the new LEM catalogue in the mail yesterday. Does anyone have any experience with their meat slicers? They have a 5 year warranty.
I use a Cabela's 1hp grinder. Share it with the in-laws. It probably handles 4-8 deer a year. It chews it up about as fast as I can feed it. It does get hot in the auger like others have mentioned. Mine came with an ice pack thing to slip around that housing but I rarely use it. Only down side for me is trying to clean that o-ring in the back where the auger seats. I finally found a couple different bottle brushes that get back there and get it cleaned good. Otherwise, I'm happy with it and might buy my own just like it.
How much will you be grinding? I have a little LEM #8 Mighty Bite. It grinds as fast as I can feed it. For only 3 deer a year I couldn't justify spending more.
I just got the LEM #22 (1 hp) and used it for the first time this past week. Awesome grinder. I've used everything from kitchen aid to cabelas 1/2 horse and I'm glad i shelled out the extra cash for this one. When taken into account the years of use I expect to get put of it, the extra money is negligible in my opinion. Nothing worse than realizing your underpowered and regret not going bigger.
