Homemade Sausage Making

I have been looking at getting a new electric meat grinder for a while now cause I am tired of my old hand crank grinder. I decided I want to spend a decent amount of money and get a good one. The two I have narrowed my search down to is the LEM #22 which has the big bite technology. It is suppose to really speed up the second grind. The neck is 2 1/4" Price is $440 on sale. The Cabelas commercial grinder is the other one which has a bigger neck 2 3/4 inches. I have read reviews and they say the grinder is a great workhorse. The only compaint I have read is it is really slow on the second grind with a ton of stomping. Price $440 on sale. Cabelas has a 5 year warranty and the LEM has a 2 year warranty. The main reason for getting a bigger grinder is I want to grind a lot faster especially on my second grind. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with either of these grinders? I am open to suggestions also. Thanks

I have the Cabela's 1hp #22 head. Excellent piece of equipment, a real workhorse, worth every nickel spent. The meat has to be well chilled, nearly frozen for the second grind, as with any other grinder.

I've had great success with the #12 Torrey from Butcher Packer. It's a monster.

I have been thinking that the true heart of a grinder is not the drive but the blade and plate. The more time I spend honing the plate and knife the better my grinder seems to work. As I get the knife sharper I can hear the sinews being cut and I get fewer and fewer wraps on the spindle behind the knife.

Rather than hone the blade & plate, I lap them. I have found that they mate up better than with honing.

Buck , I think we are probably doing the same thing with different terms. I use some 400 grit silicon carbide powder on a granite slab with some water and grind the plate to a uniforn grey and do the same with the knife. Then I take a diamond hone to the bevel on the knife to polish those edges.

Hello all,

I'm in the market for a 1hp (around a 1hp) grinder for home use. Deer and game processing in the fall and smaller batches throughout the year. Looking at the 3/4-1hp grinders available without being able to try them out or take them apart I have a couple of questions:

- LEM has a larger output for hp (#22-1hp vs #12-1hp for most others). Does the big-bite setup allow for this or should I compare based on hp not output?

- Any comments regarding the quality or differences between LEM, TSM, Weston, FMA, American Eagle, Fleetwood, others, in this size group? The Tor-Rey looks like it will last forever but a bit less hp, would that really matter?

Thanks,

Tom

Eightysix
I just picked up a Tor-Rey 3/4hp meat grinder and I have to say, this thing is an animal! I typically do my work in 10lbs batches and cut the meat in 1" -1 ½" pieces at a time, I can`t keep up with it. Keep in mind that although hp is important, gear speed has a lot do with how fast a grinder will grind the meat. I also have a 1/2hp grinder from Cabela`s and it doesn`t compare. Don`t get me wrong the 1/2hp grinder will grind meat, at half the price but much slower. I was looking for a grinder with hp and more so, the meat tray holding more meat than the 1/2hp grinder. The Tor-Rey holds at least 10lb of meat in the tray, so I can cut and trim, then grind.
Hope this helps
Wally

Tom I just went through the same thing you are. I ended up getting the Tor rey 3/4 horse meat grinder. I looked at a #22 Lem(which is a nice unit.) It has a 2.25 inch neck to feed the meat down. The Tor rey has the same size neck. Grinding speed is very comparable. I called a online dealer who sells Lem and Tor rey and asked about the big bite technology. They told me it is a marketing thing Lem is doing and the technology has been around a long time. If you look down the neck of my Tor Rey the auger looks the same as the Big bite technology Lem has. Tor rey is made in Mexico and Lem is made in China. Lem offers a 2 year warranty, Tor Rey 1 year. You can call Tor rey directly and get any part for the grinder. The parts are not too pricey. The Tor rey does a awesome job on the 1st grind no stomping, the second grind just a little stomping very minimal. I am glad I got the Tor rey it is a great machine. Both machines are nice so either way you go I think you will be happy. Here are some videos on how each units grinds. Hope this helps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18yqgUvo82E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7fWywDLbeI