Meat Vac Pack Machines

BigBuck$ · #1 12-09-2007, 06:41 PM

Does anyone have and use one of those vaccume packers for keeping meat / fish in the freeezer? How well do they work and how much do you need to spend to get a decent quality one? I just wasted 1/2 of a zip lock bag of fish from this summer due to freezerburn

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TheClash · #2 12-09-2007, 06:45 PM

i have used them before and they are excellent...especially for delicate stuff like fish. the rig i used was a pretty expensive one...around 300 bucks i think. but i have a few friends that use the bags that you do not have to have a special sealer to use. just a shop vac. it doesn't work as good...stuff doesn't stay as fresh as long. but they are much cheaper. i think you can get the home sealable bags at canadian tire.....

BigBuck$ · #3 12-09-2007, 06:47 PM

What brand name is yours/

TheClash · #4 12-09-2007, 06:50 PM

i am not home...lemme see if i can find it online somewhere. it is actually my mother inlaws....i will see what i can find out.

chuck0039 · #5 12-09-2007, 06:53 PM

do you freeze your fish in water. I fill the ziplock 1/2 full or so of water put the fish in and then take the air out. They seem to hold good until it's time for a fish fry.

TheClash · #6 12-09-2007, 06:55 PM

i believe it was a bosch...but looking at some of the lower priced ones...i can't really see a big difference in them and the one that i use. other than the one i use is all stainless steel. i think they work great........

#7 12-09-2007, 07:14 PM

I had a Foodsaver Compact that worked well for three years before it gave out.I originally paid $160 for this unit from Sears.When the Foodsaver gave out in the middle of sealing some sausage,I ran down to Canadian tire and bought a unit for $120.This unit didn't work nearly as well and gave out in a year.Talking to friends that bought the same unit,theirs didn't work any better than mine.I bought a Foodsaver Professional III from Sears,and it works even better than my first Foodsaver .The link is below.

http://www.sears.ca/gp/product/B000V...e&mqnodeid=APS

TheClash · #8 12-09-2007, 07:18 PM

^ that lloks very similar to the one i used.....but it was all stainless....maybe it was a foodsaver brand. price is about what i remembered..

harv3589 · #9 12-09-2007, 07:41 PM

You could go for the mack daddy one here....

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...002&hasJS=true

Redfrog · #10 12-09-2007, 08:06 PM

I bought one from Costco. a foodsaver I believe. Can't remember exactly how much, over $100, less than $200.

Works good. I freeze meals for hunting and then drop in boilng water to heat.
I also freeze meat in marinade in them. By the time they thaw they are marinated.

I'd like to find the bags for a reasonable price.

Duk Dog · #11 12-09-2007, 08:21 PM

Foodsaver Vac1075. Love it, well worth the money. Like Redfrog we also premake meals (leftovers etc) prior to hunts and then all you have to do is drop them in boiling water and voila - dinner is served.

Piker · #12 12-09-2007, 08:21 PM

I picked a box of 4 rolls 2 8 in. and 2 11 in. for $34.00 in costco about i month ago but not been able to get any since. The best I can find now is $24.00 for 2 8 in rolls at can, tire. I tried some real cheap ones once but there was too much heat when trying to seal them.

BigBuck$ · #13 12-09-2007, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by harv3589

You could go for the mack daddy one here....

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...002&hasJS=true

If anyone happens to talk to Santa I've been extra good this year

.

DA Hunter · #14 12-10-2007, 10:56 AM

I have one... I was going to buy the unit at costco.. because with that one it has a wet or dry function..... but then I was givin one no so much money but I think it work great... I buy my bags at costco or london drugs, I have packaged fish, buff, Deer, Moose, Geese,grouse,ducks, stews,jerky,. I think the way to go is if you have or want to store in liquid then place it in the size bag you want then "seal" it and freeze it... after it is froozen then reopen and vacom seal. if it is meat then go to to a grocrie store and pick up some of them freashnish (White Squars Found in store bought packaged meat) if you have a Rabbit or bloody animal and want to vacoom it then take a peice of paper towel and put just below the seal this will aid in stoping blood going into the pump. doing this I have found that even with a cheaper model it helps. my meat in always freash. and always injoyed by me and others.

#15 12-10-2007, 11:35 AM

I talked to the Foodsaver folks at the SHOT Show last year and they were saying that the units Costco sells are not of the same quality as the units sold by other retailers. I don't know if he was giving me a line or not but apparently if you want to buy a quality Foodsaver don't buy it at Costco. I got mine about 6 years ago there and it still works well but just passing along what I was told.

Donny Bear · #16 12-10-2007, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sheephunter

I talked to the Foodsaver folks at the SHOT Show last year and they were saying that the units Costco sells are not of the same quality as the units sold by other retailers. I don't know if he was giving me a line or not but apparently if you want to buy a quality Foodsaver don't buy it at Costco. I got mine about 6 years ago there and it still works well but just passing along what I was told.

Garage sale 10 yrs ago time for a new one it will be from Costco I have always bought my rolls from them. I wouldn't be without one.

Dakota369 · #17 12-10-2007, 12:01 PM

I picked up a "Rival" unit at Can Tire this year and it works great!! It was around $80.00, and I have purchased the rolls from Costco so I can have different sizes when neccesary.

#18 12-10-2007, 07:01 PM

Quote:

I picked up a "Rival" unit at Can Tire this year and it works great!!

The unit that gave out on me in less than a year,was a "rival".

#19 12-10-2007, 07:29 PM

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Supermag · #20 12-10-2007, 08:38 PM

I had a guy at a golf store tell me that the Callaway stuff (bags, gloves) that Costco sells are "seconds" and all have something wrong with them.

BigBuck$ · #21 12-10-2007, 10:25 PM

Back-Country Sports has the Food Savers on sale, they look like a pretty good unit.

wadeseward · #22 12-10-2007, 11:18 PM

Bought the FoodSaver V1060 it came with some vacumn jars and a lid that reseals things from london Drugs it was around $80 and was half price. I continue to check on them in the flyer and every couple of months its the same deal. I do everything cheese, jerky, fish birds etc. and will never be without one regardless of the cost. Also tried the cheap bags when we were salmon fishing worked alright but our reason they were so cheap is there's half the bags.

gsteeves · #23 12-12-2007, 11:48 AM

Shop around but I got info from SIR.

FoodSaver® ProSport Vacuum Packing System

Preserve your game, meat, fish and vegetables for months and prevent freezer burn with the Pro Sport professional-grade vacuum sealer. The Pro Sport offers press-and-release, hands-free use. It has a three-level sealing-time adjustment switch that accommodates 50 plus consecutive seals. And it has a built-in safety bag cutter and roll storage, patented vacuum channel that catches overflow liquids, and an accessory port and hose for use with FoodSaver® Canisters (not included) The bags can be microwaved, frozen and boiled.

The Pro Sport includes: • One 10-foot roll (8" bag material). • One 10-foot roll (11-1/2" bag material). • Five, one-quart bags. • Five, one-gallon bags. • Detailed instruction booklet. • Instructional how-to video.

Cat. No. 806038

Price: $ 242.99

Quantity:

Donny Bear · #24 12-12-2007, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave C

I had a guy at a golf store tell me that the Callaway stuff (bags, gloves) that Costco sells are "seconds" and all have something wrong with them.

Ya I can see callaway leaving thier name on crap! Seconds seldome carry the parent brand name and most certainly a company like Callaway will not risk there rep by putting the name on seconds. Costco offers a package only no choice no variety and they buy by the freight load so the price is right and with that why would the golf store want you to buy at Costco another point is Costco has a no questions return for a full year bet the store your talking about wont take clubs back for no reason in November.

TheClash · #25 12-12-2007, 05:14 PM

played the costco callaway balls all last season...flew straight and long for me...so ya definitely something screwy with them....

Supermag · #26 12-12-2007, 06:16 PM

you get 3 gloves for the price of 1 at a golf store. Now that you mention it, maybe there was something wrong with the balls from Costco.....mine flew crappy

Soreneck Racing · #27 12-14-2007, 09:15 AM

I would say if you are not in a hurry to look around in the classified section of your newspaper or bargin finder. I bought mine in the spring a couple of years ago-a Foodsaver brand with 3 rolls of the plastic for only $10.00-yep ten bucks.

I tried it out and it seemed to work fine. Brought it home and have not looked back since!

If you are a resourceful shopper, there is all sorts of good deals to be had.

Good Luck . . .

corygale · #28 12-14-2007, 09:50 AM

Got the food saver one my self done my whole deer in jerky last year worked excellent, just fished vacpacking my tag to save for later on this winter dont like freezer burn LOL

only problem i had was bought some rolls and one wouldnt seal properly the bags all work fine think it was just a bad run
Cory

Map Maker · #29 12-14-2007, 09:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sheephunter

I talked to the Foodsaver folks at the SHOT Show last year and they were saying that the units Costco sells are not of the same quality as the units sold by other retailers. I don't know if he was giving me a line or not but apparently if you want to buy a quality Foodsaver don't buy it at Costco.

I really dont understand this. I had the same idea come up when i bought my Minnekota trolling motor from Costco. Had a few people tell me that the reason the troller motor is cheaper at Costco is because cheaper materials. I called Minnekota Service directly to ask them about it. They said " All the materials are the same in all our models. We just make special models for sale at Costco".
I assume this is so noone can cost compare with Costco on one certain model. And not many companies are big enough to order a certain model like Costco.
I have yet to get a bad product at costco, and even my first foodsaver calfed after 3 years and costco replaced it with the newest model. Hard to beat that.

BigBuck$ · #30 12-14-2007, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsteeves

Shop around but I got info from SIR.

FoodSaver® ProSport Vacuum Packing System

Preserve your game, meat, fish and vegetables for months and prevent freezer burn with the Pro Sport professional-grade vacuum sealer. The Pro Sport offers press-and-release, hands-free use. It has a three-level sealing-time adjustment switch that accommodates 50 plus consecutive seals. And it has a built-in safety bag cutter and roll storage, patented vacuum channel that catches overflow liquids, and an accessory port and hose for use with FoodSaver® Canisters (not included) The bags can be microwaved, frozen and boiled.

The Pro Sport includes: • One 10-foot roll (8" bag material). • One 10-foot roll (11-1/2" bag material). • Five, one-quart bags. • Five, one-gallon bags. • Detailed instruction booklet. • Instructional how-to video.

Cat. No. 806038

Price: $ 242.99

Quantity:

Thanks, I got 2 of these today (one for a gift for Dad), Backcountry had them on sale for $189 a piece. Seems like the foodsaver is the brand of choice. They had a lower model for $99 but it didn't have the built in cutter so I spent a bit extra for that feature.