Favorite Vacuum Sealer?

[Tl15]

Hey everyone. I am looking to step up from the Foodsaver to a higher end, better sealing model. I process a couple of deer and hogs a year, mostly into ground, and the rest of the time, we use it to individually package Costco packs of steaks, ribs, and fish. I’ve been looking at the Weston units, but I wanted to know if anyone has any experience with them or has other suggestions that fit the bill. We’re really looking for something that can make a good seal, and won’t overheat the seal strip every 3-4 seals.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

I have a Weston Pro 2300. Bought it new, open box off eBay for $400. It's been solid, I've probably run 200+ bags through it sealing both ends in less than a year. Never had a seal come undone.

I did get some liquid up in it and I think that broke the auto seal function. Honestly not the worst thing, allows me to really dial in when the seal begins. With the auto seal, if an air pocket was left I wouldn't have time to shift around the meat to get it vac'd out. But now I can do that before the seal begins.

 

[Tl15]

Awesome. Thanks for the feedback. I wish I could go with a chamber model, but we don’t have the space to stash one. I might go ahead and pull the trigger on a 2600.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Get yourself a Vacmaster chamber vac and you'll never go back. Store it in the garage if you have to lol. The bags are a ton cheaper too so cost equals out a little from those.

 

[menhaden_man]

I went through a few food savers before stepping up to a chamber sealer. Got the Meat! brand on sale, can’t remember when. I’ve been really happy with it so far. Maybe not as quick as I’d like but it does an excellent job with good bags. Good luck.

Chamber Vacuum Sealer With Oil-less Pump | MEAT

Chamber Vacuum Sealer With Oil-less Pump

www.meatyourmaker.com

 

[ResearchinStuff]

My jvr vac 110 us a serious piece of equipment, I love it. Looked very hard at vacmaster too, but the parts availability with jvr really stood out. Just make sure you have a place to park it permanently, hauling an 85# appliance around the house gets old in a hurry.

 

[WiscoHoundsman]

I have the Westin 2100 and it works great. Do 4-5 deer a year with it and some other meat as well. I just buy bull bags on Amazon.

 

[Jclink]

I have the Meat! Chamber vac. Mine has s the one with the oil filled pump. Seal’s everything I’ve put in there. Painless operation, bags are dirt cheap, you can seal liquids if you want. Best investment I have made. I use it for everything from fish and game to grocery store bought meats when they are in sale.
It also sees a lot of use when I’m making my own sausage and snack sticks. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it again. They have several sales every year where you can save 25%. I leave mine set up on a shelf in the basement and just bag everything I want to seal while I’m in the kitchen and when I’m ready I just run downstairs seal them all up and toss them on the freezer.
The only thing I haven’t bothered to seal is when I make burger or bulk sausage and I just squirt those into the 1 or 2 lb bags.
Good luck in whichever you choose. They have come a long way since the old food saver models that you had to struggle to get to seal!

 

[Boarmaster]

I bought a LEM 500 vac max a few years ago. No issues and has sealed any bags or rolls I have fed it.
Never over heated on me. It sits on the counter and I use it weekly for repackaging chicken and fish.
I have probably used it for my vac pak needs on a dozen deer. Has a fan. A serious upgrade would be a chamber sealer.

 

[Tl15]

I would really love to get a chamber vac. I have read that they do a lot better with wet pack and marinades. Moist food is hell on my poor foodsaver. We’re building a new house right now that will have some extra space, so a chamber vac isn’t totally out. Of course, with how expensive real estate is in Austin right now, I might end up getting nothing but ramen, rice, and beans for a few years.

 

[Tl15]

My jvr vac 110 us a serious piece of equipment, I love it. Looked very hard at vacmaster too, but the parts availability with jvr really stood out. Just make sure you have a place to park it permanently, hauling an 85# appliance around the house gets old in a hurry.

Ha, I bet! That’s like our freeze dryer. I told the wife she better love where it’s at, because it ain’t going nowhere!

 

[Tl15]

I have the Meat! Chamber vac. Mine has s the one with the oil filled pump. Seal’s everything I’ve put in there. Painless operation, bags are dirt cheap, you can seal liquids if you want. Best investment I have made. I use it for everything from fish and game to grocery store bought meats when they are in sale.
It also sees a lot of use when I’m making my own sausage and snack sticks. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it again. They have several sales every year where you can save 25%. I leave mine set up on a shelf in the basement and just bag everything I want to seal while I’m in the kitchen and when I’m ready I just run downstairs seal them all up and toss them on the freezer.
The only thing I haven’t bothered to seal is when I make burger or bulk sausage and I just squirt those into the 1 or 2 lb bags.
Good luck in whichever you choose. They have come a long way since the old food saver models that you had to struggle to get to seal!

I get upset every time I hear the word basement! We don’t get those down here in Texas, and it’s a real shame.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I have a Vacmaster VP215. Have had it for almost 11 years now. I buy bags by the 500s or 1000s. I just bought my 10000th bag this spring. The bag savings over conventional sealers has probably paid for the unit twice over. The bags are A LOT cheaper.

My only regret is not buying a larger one, with a 12" sealing bar. I use a lot of 6" wide bags and with that bar I could do 2 at a time.

And yes, these things are heavy. Mine hasn't moved in probably 8 years.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I have the Meat! Chamber vac. Mine has s the one with the oil filled pump. Seal’s everything I’ve put in there. Painless operation, bags are dirt cheap, you can seal liquids if you want. Best investment I have made. I use it for everything from fish and game to grocery store bought meats when they are in sale.
It also sees a lot of use when I’m making my own sausage and snack sticks. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy it again. They have several sales every year where you can save 25%. I leave mine set up on a shelf in the basement and just bag everything I want to seal while I’m in the kitchen and when I’m ready I just run downstairs seal them all up and toss them on the freezer.
The only thing I haven’t bothered to seal is when I make burger or bulk sausage and I just squirt those into the 1 or 2 lb bags.
Good luck in whichever you choose. They have come a long way since the old food saver models that you had to struggle to get to seal!

You're missing out not vac sealing burger/loose sausage. You can smash them flat for more efficient storage and quick thawing. I just did about 60 of them, venison burger, beef hamburger, breakfast sausage and Italian sausage.

 

[Tl15]

You're missing out not vac sealing burger/loose sausage. You can smash them flat for more efficient storage and quick thawing. I just did about 60 of them, venison burger, beef hamburger, breakfast sausage and Italian sausage.

I second that. We freeze in 1 pound flat packs. Stacks perfectly, and defrosts really quickly in a bowl of water.

 

[Marbles]

I have a Weston Pro. It is great and I highly recommend one.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

I second that. We freeze in 1 pound flat packs. Stacks perfectly, and defrosts really quickly in a bowl of water.

I have an Amazon box that perfectly fits 20 one pound flat bags of chorizo as if it's made for it. I make a batch and slide all the flats in there vertically and drop the whole box in the freezer. Love it.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

I have an Amazon box that perfectly fits 20 one pound flat bags of chorizo as if it's made for it. I make a batch and slide all the flats in there vertically and drop the whole box in the freezer. Love it.

That's funny. I do the same exact thing. One box fits my burger bags and another my smaller portioned bags of sausages. They stack right in there.

 

[Jclink]

Yea it took me many years, but my basement is pretty much an extension of the house. Never was anything but a junk collector for years until I said I’m going to make it nice so I can just hang out down there.
I remodeled half of it for a large family room. Put in a nice half bathroom. Now I’m working on the back 1/3. Going to put in a sink and some cabinets for game processing, and where I can stick all my grinders, meat mixers sausage stuffers, etc. a corner with large rolling wire shelving units and clear totes for off season storage of everything from Christmas stuff to all my hunting gear. The last 12-14’ of that wall will be my reloading area and where I can work on guns. Heck if I can find a place to stick an stove I might not have to come upstairs at all

 

[Jclink]

You're missing out not vac sealing burger/loose sausage. You can smash them flat for more efficient storage and quick thawing. I just did about 60 of them, venison burger, beef hamburger, breakfast sausage and Italian sausage.

I can definitely see how that would be sweet! Never thought about that, but I had the bag set up well before got the chamber vac. So that’s how I had done it for years before. Guess I just got so used to doing it the old school way I didn’t think about it.
Definitely going to try some of the flat pack burger packs this fall, thanks for the heads up!