Best grinder under $200

[IdahoAngler85]

Looking for best grinder for under $200. I know a small budget, but I have dropped a few thousand this spring/summer getting into archery. Want to process my meat myself instead of taking it somewhere. Looking to do maybe 2 deer and an elk per season, if im lucky. Thank you guys!

 

[realunlucky]

I had the Panasonic grinder for a long long time. Biggest draw back smaller throat so more prep work, I never got it to over heat even when I had to push really hard on the plunger. One year it did a couple deer, two elk and a buffalo.

My hunting partner hated waiting on it as the small motor could take awhile and bought me an upgrade one year or I'd still be using it. Gave it away and it's still going strong 18 years later.



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[Pilsner]

check out Vevor.
Avoid Cabelas/BPS like the plague.

 

[Ice-kub]

I just bought a vevor 1100 watt for 380 Canadian, haven't used it yet but it has some great reviews online. It's huge and looks/feels decent quality

 

[Erict]

Nothing wrong with a small grinder, depending on your usage. I only grind the trimmings on the initial breakdown of a deer. Cut up steaks, roasts, etc. and bag up large chunks in 2-3 lb. bags. When I need ground meat, I thaw and just grind the small amounts.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Maybe a LEM mighty bite? I have one of the big bite and the thing is a beast I think the mighty bites aren’t too pricey?

 

[IdahoAngler85]

Thanks for the info guys!

 

[IdahoAngler85]

Anyone have or used a Weston #12?

 

[Boarmaster]

I hate its not the answer you’re looking for but I would save up and increase my budget and get a bigger grinder.
You might find some additional uses for it like making pork sausage. It can be looked at as a long term investment. Very frequently you can find a grinder on sale from a quality manufacturer for 30% off.
Not sure I would recommend a used grinder unless I knew who it came from and the amount of use it had.
Having a good grinder will make all the difference in your processing. An inferior grinder will work you to death.
I saved up for a #22 big bite 1 hp LEM. I got it on a 30% off sale. It hurt at the time but very happy ten years later. It’s a pleasure to use.

 

[Austin Kaufman]

Anyone have or used a Weston #12?

I have two of the Weston #12 meat grinders. I think they were around $150. My wife and I process all of our own meat and help some friends out as well. We bought the grinders 4 years ago now. We grind everything twice to mix sausage better or tallow into our ground meat. First grinder has bigger plate and second grinder has the finer plate. We’ve done 2 elk and around 20-30 deer through our grinders with no issues. If one goes out I’ll definitely buy another. They might look small but on the high setting they can flat run some meat through. My one complaint is I wish the tray up some was bigger but it still holds a good handful of meat to be pushed through.


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[rayporter]

another vote for saving and going big.

i have smoked 2 half hp grinders. burned slap dab up.

i keep a 3/4hp here and one in ohio now. they can be abused and never miss a beat. like 5 deer nonstop.

 

[KyleR1985]

I had a stand-alone grinder I bought at academy a decade ago. It worked fine.

My wife bakes and has a kitchen aid mixer. I bought the 70.00 grinder attachment for it. It works great for us.

I prefer to grind when I’m going to cook ground meat. So I freeze cuts of meat whole that I’ll grind later. That said, I’ve done 3 small whitetails worth of ground meat at one time with this machine and it worked great.

Of course a commercial grade purpose built machine will be best. But this is a nice option.

 

[Benny119]

I grind about 300-400lbs per year. I bought and hated a Cabelas #42 grinder. I currently have a Weston #32 grinder. I still don’t like it. The friction from the auger just creates to much heat in these types of grinders.

If you have a kitchenaid mixer I have a friend that uses the grinder attachment for small batches and really likes it. I’m not sure there is much difference in grinder quality below that $200 price point.

 

[S.Clancy]

I hate its not the answer you’re looking for but I would save up and increase my budget and get a bigger grinder.
You might find some additional uses for it like making pork sausage. It can be looked at as a long term investment. Very frequently you can find a grinder on sale from a quality manufacturer for 30% off.
Not sure I would recommend a used grinder unless I knew who it came from and the amount of use it had.
Having a good grinder will make all the difference in your processing. An inferior grinder will work you to death.
I saved up for a #22 big bite 1 hp LEM. I got it on a 30% off sale. It hurt at the time but very happy ten years later. It’s a pleasure to use.

I'm with this guy. I started with a "cheap" grinder and then almost immediately bought an "expensive" grinder. I've had the "expensive" one for a decade and still grind several hundred pounds of deer, elk and antelope every year. The difference in costs is so minimal over that period of time, while the performance difference is enormous.

 

[IdahoAngler85]

I'm with this guy. I started with a "cheap" grinder and then almost immediately bought an "expensive" grinder. I've had the "expensive" one for a decade and still grind several hundred pounds of deer, elk and antelope every year. The difference in costs is so minimal over that period of time, while the performance difference is enormous.

What brand and size do you have?

 

[S.Clancy]

What brand and size do you have?

I have the old Cabelas brand and 3/4 HP. Unless you are grinding a ton of meat, 3/4 is fine. Alot of guys go up to 1 or 1.5 HP tho

 

[feanor]

You also have to think how much a processor will charge for one animal. Then next year for another animal. So once you realize that, just save up for the bigger better one. A couple years from now, you’ll be glad you got a better one.

 

[V2Pnutrition]

Anyone have or used a Weston #12?

Another vote for the Weston #12. It’s been great to go through a deer and an elk + per year for our family. There are bigger/better/more powerful out there, but I try to keep my needs, expectations, and budget in check on what the Weston can handle. It’s not overheated and makes fairly quick work of things for us.

Like @Austin Kaufman said: a larger tray would be nice, but it still chews it about as fast as I can feed it.