Meat grinders

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Apr 1, 2016
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What should I look for in a meat grinder? I see hp ratings all over the map, with no relation to price. I'm hoping to have something under a hundred bucks that will work fine. Unfortunately no need to grind up meat from 10 elk a year, so nothing commercial level or anything. Ideas?


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Tag_Soup

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Nov 8, 2016
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If you have a kitchenaide mixer, some of the aftermarket SS grinder attachments work well. Not the kitchenaide brand though. I got one a couple years ago for around $115 if I recall correctly and it has worked well. I wouldn't want to do a whole elk with it in one sitting, but it's handy for making offcuts into burger on an as-needed basis


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OP
Hectocotylus
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If you have a kitchenaide mixer, some of the aftermarket SS grinder attachments work well. Not the kitchenaide brand though. I got one a couple years ago for around $115 if I recall correctly and it has worked well. I wouldn't want to do a whole elk with it in one sitting, but it's handy for making offcuts into burger on an as-needed basis


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I've borrowed the attachment from my brother in law but it is rather slow and makes the kitchaid very hot. I'd rather not wreck the wife's fancy mixer when I could get myself a new toy instead :)


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Oct 2, 2015
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I'm a big fan of the lem products. I started with a small #8 and used it for years. I recently just upgraded to a much larger "big bite " and can't wait to try out out. I processed 2-3 deer a year with my #8 that I bought refurbished for $50. It was slow, but got the job done. The only reason I upgraded was for speed.

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Tag_Soup

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I've borrowed the attachment from my brother in law but it is rather slow and makes the kitchaid very hot. I'd rather not wreck the wife's fancy mixer when I could get myself a new toy instead :)


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I have the kitchenaide pro 5 plus with the bigger motor, so that is likely why I haven't had issues...never tried on the standard kind


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I am a bit new to this but will offer a thought.

I wanted to try to process my own whitetails so i bought some gear. Each yields 75 pounds or so and I saved the shoulders for some roasts so I was only grinding 5-10 pounds of odd bits per animal. More for the one I mixed with pig fat. I didn't want to spend the big bucks on a large grinder but I also didn't want something super cheap that wouldn't last.

I searched around and finally opted for a Weston manual grinder. The biggest one is $70. These things are a beast. Stout heirloom quality stuff.

It takes a little elbow grease and to be honest it would work better with two people. One to feed and one to crank. I wouldn't want to process a bunch of meat but for a small job it did great work and cleaned up very easily.

I would think a power grinder is the answer if you are doing a lot of processing but for a small job a quality hand grinder is a viable, low cost option.
 
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Trial153

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Oct 28, 2014
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NY
I have had the one horse power cabelas grind for several years. It's done everything I needed and then some. I am not a cabelas fan by any stretch and honestly for the most there products suck...however the grinders they brand have been excellent. Look at the size you think need then step up to the next size.
I had small semi commercial Hobart grainier, might have been 2hp but when I moved we didn't have the room for it. I sold it and bought the cabelas ....it's been excellent
 

rayporter

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we had 2 of the half HP cheapies go up in smoke after 2 years. we have two 3/4 HP units now. i can grind 5 deer in an evening and it barely gets warm
 
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Just get a Weston or LEM #8 and you will be fine. I picked up one on Ebay for about $50 and do multiple animals every year with it.
 

Tradchef

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I'm in need of a new one as well. I do up 4 to 5 deer and small game a year with the occasional elk as well. I was looking at the Weston or LEM .5 or .75 big bite. Is there a huge difference for the extra $100? Big performance difference, or do you think the .5hp would be enough?
 

nickstone

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I have a cabelas 3/4 and it's more than adequate for a few deer and pigs a year. It probably takes me longer to clean it up when I'm done than it does to grind a whole deer or small pig. I usually wait until I have a few animals worth grinding to fire it up depending on if I am just grinding them into burger, or making sausage.
 

Gr8bawana

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I am a bit new to this but will offer a thought.

I wanted to try to process my own whitetails so i bought some gear. Each yields 75 pounds or so and I saved the shoulders for some roasts so I was only grinding 5-10 pounds of odd bits per animal. More for the one I mixed with pig fat. I didn't want to spend the big bucks on a large grinder but I also didn't want something super cheap that wouldn't last.

I searched around and finally opted for a Weston manual grinder. The biggest one is $70. These things are a beast. Stout heirloom quality stuff.

It takes a little elbow grease and to be honest it would work better with two people. One to feed and one to crank. I wouldn't want to process a bunch of meat but for a small job it did great work and cleaned up very easily.

I would think a power grinder is the answer if you are doing a lot of processing but for a small job a quality hand grinder is a viable, low cost option.

I usually grind 15-20 pounds at a time as needed. Even grinding 50 pounds would not be a problem. I use an ancient manual #22 grinder that was my dads and it works just fine.
Unless you're doing multiple hundreds of pounds there is no need to invest in an electric grinder.

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Dec 11, 2017
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I bought a 100.00 grinder at fleetfarm yrs ago and it is still working fine. Clean the silver skin out of your plates when it starts to struggle or slows down grinding and that will help keep it from heating up, therefore failing. For 1 large whitetail I'll pull it apart twice to clean the auger and plate to keep things running smooth. (Yes i try to get most off before grinding but sometimes im not picky) 1/2 h.p. - 3/4h.p. will be more than fine for your average d.i.yer. I think prep of the meat and care of the grinder is more important than what model or brand you have.
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rayporter

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we have a hand grinder and I an glad you are happy with yours. grinding 50lb in 4 hours when I can be done in an hour with a big ol 3/4 hp is just more to my liking. this year we ground 70lb and had it in the freezer 4 hours. one guy keeps the meat clear of the grinder and hands meat to the guy stuffing it. 70lb will just almost fill a 50 qt cooler to over flow.

besides I don't have the arm power any more to crank.

tradchef- read my post above.
 
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Just amending my post above. I still like my Weston crank. However, I found a LEM 8# grinder for about $65 when my local gander mountain shut down. I used it on 2 deer this year with under 10 pounds on each. It work great. It cleans up easy and best of all it is small. I actually took my processing game on the road this year with a folding table and a tub of stuff I kept in my truck all season. The LeM fit right into the truck box I had the rest of the stuff in and made quick work of the tasks with less effort than the hand crank. I won’t know about durability for a few years but so far it is working for me. I can see why you would want more for high volume or bigger animals but for a couple of whitetail a year this gets it done for me.
 
Joined
Jan 15, 2020
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NY
You need to consider the various aspects while buying the best commercial meat grinder for you. These are:-
- Motor - Some motors come with a rating of 350 watts, while others come up to 750 watts.
- Accessories – Which components are included?
- construction – Consider the meat grinder with strong construction as they are more durable.
- Warranty – Consider the meat grinder which comes with a warranty
- Budget – Consider your budget as well.
 

KINGSNAKE

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Mar 9, 2014
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I just bought and used a weston #8 for the first time tonight. It is a big step up from the kitchenaid. Dont know how long it will last but for $90 I'm happy.
 

87TT

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I've used a Harbor Freight grinder for the last 6 years. It may not be the fastest or the most powerful but it handled the job on a bunch of deer and three elk. Like was said before, keep it cleaned and watch the heat.
Now for next year, My step son and his wife gave me a Lems #8 Big bite for Christmas! :love:
 
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Apr 1, 2019
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Western Washington
I have the LEM big bite .75 hp grinder, went with it because it will run all of the attachments ( possible future purchases) love it! I have tried cheap models and even the kitchenaide grinder attachment. From my experience the better the grinder the lower time spent grinding but the more you want to grind. I find myself making sausage , brauts and salami more and more.
Maybe go in with hunting buddies and share the grinder. I know of a few groups that do a group grind after the hunt. Just hanging out drinking beer and grinding their game. Of course a cheaper grinder means more time and more beers👍. You will not regret buying a better grinder but that cannot be said about a cheap one.
 
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