need help buying a grinder and dont know what to get

Gulyás · Post by **Gulyás** » Wed Aug 20, 2014 22:56

Mine is half made in my basement, and my friends machine shop.

Cabonaia · Post by **Cabonaia** » Thu Aug 21, 2014 03:36

King Kabo - You can't go wrong with Cabelas or LEM. You've got enough $$ for a good one, so go for it. You will thank yourself.

Here is a consideration re. the size. When you buy these high quality ones, you get a heavy machine. I have a 3/4 HP Cabelas. It grinds as fast as I need, and for making 10 lbs. of sausage at a time it is well up to the task. If I were going to grind whole cows and I had a helper, I might get a bigger one. If I were someday going to buy an attachable mixer (like Sawhorse Ray has), I'd probably get at least a 1 HP, though mine is supposed to be able to handle a mixer. If you are going to have to carry the thing around a lot, consider the weight. I have to lug mine from an outbuilding to the house and back every time I make sausage. Though I am one strapping hulk of a man (haha), if I had to carry a heavier one this far I might wish I had bought a somewhat lighter one. You may not have this consideration to deal with.

I am sure we are all going to know what you bought and how you like it. Please share that!

Cheers,
Jeff

sawhorseray · Post by **sawhorseray** » Thu Aug 21, 2014 17:28

Cabonia speaks with great wisdom! My one horse power grinder weighs 58 pounds and seems to get heavier every year. I only have to carry it a few feet from a butler pantry right off the kitchen where all my food processing stuff is stored to the kitchen counter. If I had to move it more than a few steps I'd need some kind of dolly or cart, and the new hip which will be forthcoming.

PS: My meat mixer doesn't attach to my grinder, tho I wish it did, it's a hand-crank. Also remember it's a good idea to keep all your food processing equipment covered with a sheet or towel, they get dusty. RAY

Cabonaia · Post by **Cabonaia** » Sat Aug 23, 2014 02:59

Hey Ray - if I ever drop my lightweight 3/4 hp grinder on my foot, I'll start a new site, Sausage Making for the Physically Impaired. Well, maybe that's not funny. It's also not a bad idea. Hmmm.

I hope you stay on this site. Something went on that we don't like, but you are a great contributor and I feel that I've gotten to know you.

I'm staying at least until I get another weenie. I think I'm just a few posts away.

Jeff

sawhorseray · Post by **sawhorseray** » Sat Aug 23, 2014 07:12

I'm on the fence right now, not very happy. When one of my buds gets hurt I want to be there for them. If CW is getting jobbed I'll just have to get along with all I already I know about sausage and smoking (which is quite a bit) and get back to fishing and killing, er, I mean hunting, forums. I mean, I read in the other thread CW saying goodbye while he never saw this coming! How in good conscience could I support this site knowing that the guy who taught me all I know about the hobby I love got screwed for some unknown reason. Gee whiz, look at the food safety contributions, the recipes, the attention CW has always paid to each one of us as individuals. It doesn't take being Obi Wan Kanobi to realize we've been blessed with the presence and wisdom of a very special individual, maybe took him for granted a bit, and now he could be gone for no appearant reason. This just ain't right! I have no idea what to believe, so I believe I'll just have a drink and see how things shake down. RAY

Cabonaia · Post by **Cabonaia** » Sat Aug 23, 2014 08:11

Yes, it's time to chill, as the chillen say. We have two mysteries to solve here - what the email to Chuckwagon really meant, and how Thewitt's salt got saltier.

king kabanos · Post by **king kabanos** » Sat Aug 23, 2014 18:33

thanks for everything guys and i think i am going to go with the cabelas 1 1/2 horsepower grinder its 150 bucks more and 10 pounds heavier. i know that its really dam heavy but i am a 25 year old husky guy and i think i an handle it no problem. i dont have to walk far at all from the garage to the kitchen probably around 30 feet. another question that i have is cabelas and lem say to grind the meat through a bigger plate first and then go through and smaller one. i don't really like that because it will take way more time. do you guys do that or you just grind through and plate size the first time? i think it would be no problem with that kind of powerful grinder. thank you for everything guys you really helped me out on this one . ANd yeah i am really sad that chuck wagon is being replaced he always helped me out with a lot of things and also teached me too. also he would always be the first one to respond to my posts with great tips and answers

Gulyás · Post by **Gulyás** » Sat Aug 23, 2014 22:01

Good for you King,

I like chunky meet in my Hungarian style sausages, so I always grind it only ones. Just make sure to keep the meet cold.

Shuswap · Post by **Shuswap** » Sun Aug 24, 2014 14:59

King

At 25 your 1-1/2 hp grinder ought to do well for you for a long time especially if you start feeding a large family

At my age I just needed the #8 Lem as 5 lb batches allow me to make a variety for the 2 of us.

Sounds like this morning's quake near Napa didn't result in many injuries or huge property damage, thankfully.