Meat grinders

[Blammer]

ok, looking for some GOOD suggestions for an electric meat grinder suitable for grinding a deer or a hog as needed.

After looking at hundreds of grinders of all types, does anyone have any experience with a decent electric one they would recommend?

Not looking to stuff sausage cases, just basic grinder to make hamburger.

[pete501]

I use an old 1/4 h.p. Hobart commercial grinder. It weighs about 80 pounds. It has ground lots of meat and I expect it to continue for years to come. It gets loaned out every year. The Hobart was a yard sale find, twenty bucks years ago.

Sure beats what is available in the sporting good shops. I have heard of plastic gears and short life spans of some of the new models.

[762 shooter]

I got a LEM Big Bite #12. It is a beast. 0.75 HP. I will never need to buy another grinder. My son will probably use it when I'm gone. $400ish but worth the money. LEM seems to be here to stay with plenty of attachments.

Will grind frozen meat. I ground 30 pounds of sausage and it took more time to clean the machine than it took to grind the meat.

I have an old Enterprise stuffer. I bought the LEM stuffer for ease of cleaning and never looked back.

762

[Silvercreek Farmer]

LEM Big Bite #5 here. It'll take anything you can fit down the hole. It'll grind the neck, belly/rib meat, and trimmings off a deer in a few minutes. No need to trim off sinew or chill the meat. I'll grind it warm, right off the critter. The motor does seem to bog a bit if you feed it too fast, though. But it has never tripped the overload breaker. I don't have one, but a foot switch would be nice.


Here is what it can do

https://youtu.be/VXIeTKUUjQg

[fatnhappy]

Strangely there are a number of Italian companies that make first rate sausage gear. Trespade used to manufacture the cabelas line of meat grinders. I searched the Internet, found their North American distributor and investigated factory refurbs. I got a full warranty cabelas #22 1hp grinder for $130 delivered. I’ve been using it for 10 years and it’s one of the smarter choices I’ve made.

I ran 7 deer through if this season. It goes brrrrrup and ground meat comes out the other end.

[nannyhammer]

Go to LEM create an account and then go back every week and look at the grinder you want. Might even go as far as to put in your basket and then not checkout. They track your activity and will send you discounts. After viewing a #12 several times over about four weeks they sent me a 20% off email. Love it so far and so much faster than the #8 I used for 15 years and recently passed it to my brother.

[Sweetpea]

Weston has 20% off of everything right now, but I've never used their grinders, so I cannot say good or bad.

Metal gears should be a must, as well as a good cooling system.

I've used a number 8 unit from cabela's the last several years, and it works good, but the motor and gears get REALLY hot, even though the grinder head stays cold.

The bigger the grinder, the happier you will be, and be more apt to use it.

Stuffing sausage from a grinder is a pain, and I lucked into a large sausage stuffer for $1 earlier this year. I stuffed about 30 pounds of breakfast links last night, but I would never try it from a grinder.

Don't forget about availability of accessories you may want, I'd love to have a cuber myself.

[smoked turkey]

My meat grinder is nothing fancy and I don't recall where I got it or how much it cost. I have used it several years and usually bone the deer all out and grind everything on the deer with exception of the back straps and tenderloins. I do one or two each year. Mine is a Waring Pro. It has a 150 watt motor and came with fine, medium, & coarse cutting plates and two sausage stuffer attachment tubes. It has a reversing function in case you need to unclog it for what ever reason. It is the model MG100. I agree that sausage stuffing is not its strong suit. However it will do a decent job on the grinding. I'll readily admit that a big commercial unit would be nice, but for the money this one has been satisfactory.

[Lloyd Smale]

my Weston 32 is an animal. It will grind bone without slowing down. Pick it up and you will know instantly that its either built stout or there stashing wheel weights in side. When I bought it I asked the local butcher what he recommended and he said short of a comerical grinder Weston would be his first choice followed closely by lem.
Weston has 20% off of everything right now, but I've never used their grinders, so I cannot say good or bad.

Metal gears should be a must, as well as a good cooling system.

I've used a number 8 unit from cabela's the last several years, and it works good, but the motor and gears get REALLY hot, even though the grinder head stays cold.

The bigger the grinder, the happier you will be, and be more apt to use it.

Stuffing sausage from a grinder is a pain, and I lucked into a large sausage stuffer for $1 earlier this year. I stuffed about 30 pounds of breakfast links last night, but I would never try it from a grinder.

Don't forget about availability of accessories you may want, I'd love to have a cuber myself.

[Wayne Smith]

Basic rule, Darrell. With a grinder, if you wanna be happy, get more than you think you need.

[Jeff Michel]

For serious duty a #22 is minimum, a #32 is better. Yes, more money but bigger motor, more robust construction. If you going to do more than a deer or two a year, this would be money well spent. Good luck on your search.

[Sweetpea]

my Weston 32 is an animal. It will grind bone without slowing down. Pick it up and you will know instantly that its either built stout or there stashing wheel weights in side. When I bought it I asked the local butcher what he recommended and he said short of a comerical grinder Weston would be his first choice followed closely by lem.

Thanks lloyd, good to hear.

Personally, I'm trying to stay away from the Weston website right now, it would be too easy to blow the budget!

[bob208]

back when we butchered my grand father had a big grinder powered by 10 year old boy the next year a 11year old was the power and on it went. when not turning that handle I was cutting wood for the butcher kettle and cutting up fat for lard. we would do 4-5 hogs the week of Christmas. we would do it then because every one had off that week.

[Smoke4320]

I purchased a Cabelas DC grinder it uses plates for a size 12 grinder .
About 200 lbs of Frozen meat has been fed thru it so far and it just chugs along . very quiet for a grinder

[Lloyd Smale]

I agree totally. especially if you do stuff like summer sauages snack sticks ect that require a second grind. I fought a #12 for years smashing ground meat down the throat. With a 22 or 32 its no harder to deal with then half frozen chunks of meat. I know everyone doesn't have a grand to spend on a grinder and if your doing one or two deer a year maybe fighting your little grinder makes more sense then buying a big one. But the first day I used my 32 I thought to myself "why didn't I do this in the beginning instead of wasting 200 bucks on a small one" Its about like stepping up from a lyman lubesizer to a star or loading 500 38s on a single stage press instead of a 650. Knowning what I know today id gladly give up a gun or two to put that money toward a better grinder. Buy a Weston, lem, cabellas, a ebay import or any brand but buy one twice as big as you think you will need and youll never regret it.
For serious duty a #22 is minimum, a #32 is better. Yes, more money but bigger motor, more robust construction. If you going to do more than a deer or two a year, this would be money well spent. Good luck on your search.

[snowwolfe]

Owned my 3/4 hp grinder for a couple of years now. If I do my job and keep the meat very cold the second grind goes fast. But, a grinder is like any tool. I wished I had more power.
Does the 3/4 do the job satisfactory for 3-4 deer a year? Yes
Do I wish I would of bought the 1.5 hp model for almost double the price? Yes

[starbits]

back when we butchered my grand father

Hmmmm!

[Hannibal]

I'm a hillbilly and tight with my money. I bought a chinese made grinder that looks like a huge hand grinder from the farm supply store several years ago. I think I paid $40 new in the box. Mounted it on a scrap of 3/4" plywood and added a 1/2 HP motor off an old clothes drier. Staple freezer paper to the plywood and have at it. It'll grind anything that will fit in the throat. What's this about chilling meat? Never had a problem. I'd not let your fingers get caught in it, as I imagine it'd have your arm past the elbow before it stopped.