Vacuum Sealer

[OL_JR]

Any recommendations for a good vacuum sealer? Would like to keep it under a few hundred dollars but don't want to be buying one every couple years either. Thanks

[DiabeticKripple]

Been using my food saver from Costco for a few years now.

I order the rolls on Amazon and make my own bags to fit whatever I’m packaging.

[pikergolf]

I have a higher end food saver. About six years old, over 800 sealed bags. I get my bags off of Amazon, not food saver ones, after market. So far so good.

[jcrayford]

Originally Posted by DiabeticKripple

Been using my food saver from Costco for a few years now.

I order the rolls on Amazon and make my own bags to fit whatever I’m packaging.

Originally Posted by pikergolf

I have a higher end food saver. About six years old, over 800 sealed bags. I get my bags off of Amazon, not food saver ones, after market. So far so good.

I've been looking for alternatives to the Food Saver bags I can buy locally, but haven't had any luck. Could one of you two gentlemen provide a link to the bags you get that works with the Food Saver brand vacuum sealers please?

J.

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by jcrayford

I've been looking for alternatives to the Food Saver bags I can buy locally, but haven't had any luck. Could one of you two gentlemen provide a link to the bags you get that works with the Food Saver brand vacuum sealers please?

J.

I have used these, https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But I prefer these, but these are hit and miss on availability.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B06...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Both companies make various sizes.

[scalerman]

Lem

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by DiabeticKripple

Been using my food saver from Costco for a few years now.

I order the rolls on Amazon and make my own bags to fit whatever I’m packaging.

I have gone through two of those in ten years , well worth the money that they cost!
Cat

[JohnB]

Also have a Costco one. Been using it for couple years, works great.

[aragor764]

I have gone through two Foodsaver sealers over the last 5 years. Currently using the Cabela's commercial grade and am very happy with it.

[pikeslayer22]

Have the Cabela’s commercial grade for 3 years it crapped out and they won’t stand behind it. Will look at the Costco one.

[schreyer]

I’ve been using the commercial grade sealer from cabelas for the past few years now. Done hundreds of bags and it’s holding up really well! I’m happy with it.

[Ebrand]

Still going strong.
Have lent it out to everyone for years.
Hope I did not jinx it.

[CptnBlues63]

Originally Posted by OL_JR

Any recommendations for a good vacuum sealer? Would like to keep it under a few hundred dollars but don't want to be buying one every couple years either. Thanks

My question is, what is your planned usage?

They're awesome for breaking apart bulk packs of meat into meal size portions. I love them for fish filets! I've had one for 4 or 5 years now and have used it a ton!

But if you're planning on using them for butchered wild meat I would honestly advise against it. It's very expensive that way and if you buy the correct butcher paper (one side waxed) and use it right, your meat can, and will, last for years. I've pulled 4 and even 5 year old roasts (in butcher paper) out of my freezer that were still perfect and had no freezer burn.

On the other hand, about 1 out of 10 vacuum sealed packages lose their seal so I'm constantly checking to ensure that doesn't happen. Lost a meals worth of walleye to that a couple years back.......was NOT happy!

We used my hunting partner's vacuum sealer one year and one year only and went back to butcher paper the next year. It just wasn't cost effective and didn't do as good a job.

We have a food saver brand. I purchase my freezer bags on amazon at about $24/box (dual roll) My most recent order of freezer bags arrived about............2 hours ago! Ran out repackaging cheese smokies I buy from the local Hutterite colony.

Just my opinion/experience.
.

[Duramaximos]

Weston going on 12 years.

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk

[Ormachek]

I used to have a Costco foodsaver...it was never hood under heavy use, needed time to cool down between seals. Then after 2-3 years it stopped sealing at all.

I moved to the cabelas commercial model (its a readied weston) and it is a night and day difference. Its faster, never, seals better, and can work non stop without cooling down.

[OL_JR]

Originally Posted by CptnBlues63

My question is, what is your planned usage?

They're awesome for breaking apart bulk packs of meat into meal size portions. I love them for fish filets! I've had one for 4 or 5 years now and have used it a ton!

But if you're planning on using them for butchered wild meat I would honestly advise against it. It's very expensive that way and if you buy the correct butcher paper (one side waxed) and use it right, your meat can, and will, last for years. I've pulled 4 and even 5 year old roasts (in butcher paper) out of my freezer that were still perfect and had no freezer burn.

On the other hand, about 1 out of 10 vacuum sealed packages lose their seal so I'm constantly checking to ensure that doesn't happen. Lost a meals worth of walleye to that a couple years back.......was NOT happy!

We used my hunting partner's vacuum sealer one year and one year only and went back to butcher paper the next year. It just wasn't cost effective and didn't do as good a job.

We have a food saver brand. I purchase my freezer bags on amazon at about $24/box (dual roll) My most recent order of freezer bags arrived about............2 hours ago! Ran out repackaging cheese smokies I buy from the local Hutterite colony.

Just my opinion/experience.
.

Butchered wild meat is the intended use, we have done all our own for the last five or 6 years with butcher paper but was thinking a vacuum sealer would be a "nice to have".

Thanks for the suggestions folks and if there's any more "pro/con's" people have feel free to share.

[CptnBlues63]

Originally Posted by OL_JR

Butchered wild meat is the intended use, we have done all our own for the last five or 6 years with butcher paper but was thinking a vacuum sealer would be a "nice to have".

Thanks for the suggestions folks and if there's any more "pro/con's" people have feel free to share.

I thought that might be the case. Well, try it once and compare the costs. We found it was more cost effective to stick with butcher paper.

Keep in mind though your cost will vary some from my own. At the time there were six of us hunting together and that particular year we came back with 8 deer, a bull moose and a calf moose. So we used up quite a bit of the vaccum plastic. I couldn't tell you how many rolls but I'd say half dozen minimum.

I just received a box (two rolls) of vacuum sealer plastic the other day from amazon and it was $25 (not including shipping).

A big roll of butcher paper will last us a few seasons and runs something like $60.

So that season we did our wild meat with the vaccum sealer, I personally had a couple that didn't stay sealed. Luckily I noticed before they got freezer burnt. I contacted my hunting partners after that and all found the odd package that didn't stay sealed.

I use it extensively for fish and this last spring I went to grab my very last package of walleye filets I'd been hoarding and it had unsealed and I had to toss it out.

I've been making a habit of checking everything I seal regularly ever since.

.

[tracker]

You can't go wrong with a higher end foodsaver. I have a V4825 that I've used for many years with tons of usage throughout the year. Foodsaver bags are expensive so I buy Cabelas bags when they go on sale.

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by OL_JR

Butchered wild meat is the intended use, we have done all our own for the last five or 6 years with butcher paper but was thinking a vacuum sealer would be a "nice to have".

Thanks for the suggestions folks and if there's any more "pro/con's" people have feel free to share.

Plastic wrap then butcher paper and your meat will keep for years. Vac sealers are good for a lot of things but in my opinion the plastic and paper is superior…and cheaper.

[spazzy]

I have a food saver for the last 5 years works good except the fact I have to wait 10 min every 5 or 6 bags due to over heating . Get my bags from dnr sausage shop can't remember the price but it's worth it to me . I have a few links of sausage I made 5 years ago and still as fresh as the day I made them. Anybody have a remedy for the overheating ? Tried the cold cloth thing bit it is a pita might be looking at a different model .

[Dean2]

Originally Posted by spazzy

I have a food saver for the last 5 years works good except the fact I have to wait 10 min every 5 or 6 bags due to over heating . Get my bags from dnr sausage shop can't remember the price but it's worth it to me . I have a few links of sausage I made 5 years ago and still as fresh as the day I made them. Anybody have a remedy for the overheating ? Tried the cold cloth thing bit it is a pita might be looking at a different model .

Use a Foodsaver brand too, same problem. If bagging lots, we point a fan at the bagger, where the heating element is. Does a good job of keeping it cool enough you don't get the time outs. Would go for a heavier duty model but those ones take up WAY too much room. We buy the bulk no name bags. Good quality and a whole lot cheaper.

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by spazzy

I have a food saver for the last 5 years works good except the fact I have to wait 10 min every 5 or 6 bags due to over heating . Get my bags from dnr sausage shop can't remember the price but it's worth it to me . I have a few links of sausage I made 5 years ago and still as fresh as the day I made them. Anybody have a remedy for the overheating ? Tried the cold cloth thing bit it is a pita might be looking at a different model .

I use the wet rag and seems to work all right. I only use bags (not rolls) and that makes a big difference only doing half the seals

[lone wolf]

Originally Posted by spazzy

I have a food saver for the last 5 years works good except the fact I have to wait 10 min every 5 or 6 bags due to over heating . Get my bags from dnr sausage shop can't remember the price but it's worth it to me . I have a few links of sausage I made 5 years ago and still as fresh as the day I made them. Anybody have a remedy for the overheating ? Tried the cold cloth thing bit it is a pita might be looking at a different model .

Try using a small portable fan on the table, cuts waiting time to almost nothing.

[DiabeticKripple]

I’ve sealed over 50 items at once with my foodsaver, and I always double seal each end. The element never gets a break and I have never had it not work when I push the button.

[spazzy]

Definitely going to try the fan trick , thanks for the advice!

[nimrod]

Ok all, there is 2 different vacuum sealers, one is a chamber vac the other is a suction vac, aka food saver, the chamber vac does not use those bag rough sided bags, that food saver uses, the chamber vac is the best for any food that you want to vac, but they are around 1400 plus for chamber units, I like my chamber vac, mine is the 215 vac master unit, has a wet compressor the 210 has the dry compresser