One thing I want to add is about the bags. I buy in mass quantities, 500 and usually 1000. They are a fraction of the cost of food saver bags (don't let anyone tell you otherwise). My 215 has probably paid for itself twice over in bag savings.
Yes, if you are a Costco junkie (like us) a chamber sealer is your friend.
One thing I do is vacuum seal 3-4 clorox wipes to have with my kill kit for cleaning up your hands after gutting or butchering. They stay wet that way and don't smell. It is nearly endless.
This is a true statement. My wife and I go through mass quantities of spices. We buy them in bulk and vacuum seal them in small 5X7 bags. Buying in bulk can save you 80-90% of what they cost in the little bottles at the grocery store. That's just the tip of the iceberg.
Vacuum sealers unlimited has them for $779 with free shipping. I buy all my bags from them. I like to check their site regularly when I need bags as they often have free shipping on them also. I use the heavier bags also, 4 and 5 mil. I've ran close to 10K through my 215 now over close to 12...
I'm a knife junkie. I don't even know how many I have nor where they all are. I've been using my Outdoor Edge more and more but I do use fixed blades also. I'm a flip-flopper.
I have a VP215 and love it. I only wish I had gone with 230 with a 12" bar as I use a lot of 6" wide bags. I could do 2 at a time then. Didn't realize that when I bought the 215.