I have looked at many, LEM, Northern Tool and now a Grizzly Products. Some reviews of the LEM say plastic gears and some say metal...the pictures on the Bass Pro website show black plastic gears. The pictures for the Grizzly appear to be very similar and construction looks very similar if not exactly the same. That being said I know the most of LEM products are made in China, as is the Grizzly model. At $72 for the Grizzly it seems to good of a deal to pass up even if it is plastic gears...unless you are one who cranks the ram until it bottoms out so that it strips. The Grizzly from what I can tell is the exact same model Northern Tool sells for $99.
http://grizzly.com/products/5-lb-Vertical-Sausage-Stuffer-SS/H6252
PDF manual for the Grizzly is here http://cdn1.grizzly.com/manuals/h6252_m.pdf
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_55825_800002003_800000000_800002000_800-2-3#
So my question is...has anyone used the Grizzly? If you haven't would you consider buying it? I have stuffed all the sausage I plan to stuff using Kitchen Aid....the grinder works well, but for stuffing it sucks...as do most grinder/stuffers.
$72 is hard to pass up...even with plastic gears.
It appears inflation has got the best of the machine since 2005 when this item was reviewed. But it appears that the same machine is sold under a few different names.
http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopic.php?t=912
I have that Grizzley stuffer and it works just fine for me. I am one of them guys that stops when the plunger gets to the bottom and there is only 3/4 inch of thread left on the shaft. I haven't had any problems at all with the nylon gears.
That's great news. I am mechanically inclined so I wont have a problem stopping when it bottoms out either. I suppose I will be ordering one of these this evening. I just cant see spending $150 for a LEM or any other when they are almost the same units. At $72 the Grizzly is a deal unless shipping is $75.
How long have you had yours? Is it easy to feel when it bottoms out? Are the gears replaceable?
I have had mine for about 4 years. Yep real easy to figure out, it stops!!! I think so I haven't had to or plan on finding out if they are.
I have the northern stuffer, i don't force anything and i also
marked the threaded rod when the plunger was in the full
down position as a reminder.
What I meant was is it easy to tell the difference between stuffing sausage or bottoming out...I assume it really stops and if you continue it will shear the gears.
I think the Northern Tool stuffer is the Grizzly model, but just sold by Northern.
Quote from: cgaengineer on February 01, 2010, 06:35:25 AM
What I meant was is it easy to tell the difference between stuffing sausage or bottoming out...I assume it really stops and if you continue it will shear the gears.
Yes you are standing right next to it so you have a pretty good idea that it is getting close to the bottom just by looking. As long as you dont force it you should be fine. If you are using a really small horn make sure you have a little extra moisture in your sausage to help lubricate it and flow better with the small diameter tube.
I have the Northern tool one with plastic gears. I lent it to friend and he broke the gears. No problem as I ordered extra gears with the machine and have not had a problem since. I had the chance to put my northern along side a lem and could not see any diff. The weight, dimensions etc. were exactly the same. From what I read I think the grizzly is probably the same also. Thks. Piker
These things are amazing. I dont have the Grizzly or LEM, I have something called a Power Fist
I think they are all pretty much made by the same company
You keep an eye on the casings and the container that holds the meat
You really can tell when you get to the bottom
I have never used a stuffer before and had this figured out right away
Mine has plastic gears and I doubt I will ever have to replace them
Quote from: Piker on February 01, 2010, 07:17:06 AM
I have the Northern tool one with plastic gears. I lent it to friend and he broke the gears. No problem as I ordered extra gears with the machine and have not had a problem since. I had the chance to put my northern along side a lem and could not see any diff. The weight, dimensions etc. were exactly the same. From what I read I think the grizzly is probably the same also. Thks. Piker
So its possible that the LEM metal gears will work in the Grizzly should I need gears in the future?
The plastic gears are really of no concern to me provided they hold up well...I just don't want to see teeth breaking off when just stuffing sausage.
The cost of the unit is what I am looking at...if they are the same units and the Grizzly is 1/2 the price its a deal in my book....and its $12 shipping...anything has to be better than trying to stuff casings with KA mixer....the grinding works fine, but stuffing is terrible. I spend over an hour stuffing 9 pounds of Summer sausage last night...towards the end I was partially filling the casings manually and then stuffing them on KA.
Quote from: cgaengineer on February 01, 2010, 07:55:12 AM
The plastic gears are really of no concern to me provided they hold up well...I just don't want to see teeth breaking off when just stuffing sausage.
The cost of the unit is what I am looking at...if they are the same units and the Grizzly is 1/2 the price its a deal in my book....and its $12 shipping...anything has to be better than trying to stuff casings with KA mixer....the grinding works fine, but stuffing is terrible. I spend over an hour stuffing 9 pounds of Summer sausage last night...towards the end I was partially filling the casings manually and then stuffing them on KA.
That's why they call it a Mixer and not a Stuffer!! ;D ;D
cgaengineer
Just put LEM metal gears in my 5# Grizzle. Perfect fit with only a bit of filing a chamfer on the edges of the flat for the handle on the small gear shaft (30 seconds). All these stuffers must be made by the same mfg in china. The pretty ones go to the more expensive retailers. BTW Now I have a spare set of plastic gears. Didn't break the originals, but hated the thought of a breakdown in the middle of 20# of sausage. Am happy with the Grizzle.
CGA
As a stuffer virgin I cranked a good 25 pounds of meat through my Power Fist on Saturday in less than an hour
for comparison
It took almost 6 hours to stuff 10 pounds last Sunday
God bless my stuffer
Quote from: Yooper Jim on February 01, 2010, 09:05:35 AM
cgaengineer
Just put LEM metal gears in my 5# Grizzle. Perfect fit with only a bit of filing a chamfer on the edges of the flat for the handle on the small gear shaft (30 seconds). All these stuffers must be made by the same mfg in china. The pretty ones go to the more expensive retailers. BTW Now I have a spare set of plastic gears. Didn't break the originals, but hated the thought of a breakdown in the middle of 20# of sausage. Am happy with the Grizzle.
That's great information...I am armed with many tools designed to remove metal so that shouldn't be a problem. I'm going to order the Grizzly in just a bit.
[ ;Dquote author=oakville smoker link=topic=14158.msg168109#msg168109 date=1265044123]
CGA
As a stuffer virgin I cranked a good 25 pounds of meat through my Power Fist on Saturday in less than an hour
for comparison
It took almost 6 hours to stuff 10 pounds last Sunday
God bless my stuffer
[/quote]
Were you using a KA last weekend?
Almost a KA
iwasusing my 4000 watt grinder with a stuffer attachment
Tonight post work: 4 pounds snack stix, 6 pounds salami
Elaspsed time including grinding and mixing 90 minutes
Just a word of caution to emphasize a point Tenpoint5 made (pun unintentional). I have the 5 lb PowerFist vertical stuffer and it is a good solid unit with plastic (nylon?) gears. However, we were making pepperettes tonight with a 3/8 inch tube and I did not add enough water to my mix. As my dear 5' 4" wife was enthusiastically cranking away, one of the teeth sheared off the gear. So, although I believe the plastic gears are quite suitable, you can generate a lot of leverage on that crank if you are not careful. Once I pulled the mix out and added another 1/2 cup of water, it worked fine (albeit a bit jerky with a tooth missing). I rather doubt it would have been any different with a more expensive unit, and from what I've seen, steel gears are not that common.
Happy cranking,
Jim
Plastic gears can chip teeth even under normal cranking with a 3/4" tube. I have done it this past year 2X and after stuffing 567lbs of sticks and sausage. So if you stuff as much as i do get a stuffer with metal gears. LEM higher end, Sausage make, Cabelas, Midwestern.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o290/stlthy1/DSCF5071.jpg)
After replacing my nylon composite gears i went with metal.
If you do have a stuffer with plastic you can go metal by purchasing the LEM metal gears for a 5lb stuffer.
Plastic, they just dont mesh that good.
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o290/stlthy1/DSCF4795.jpg)
You still want to sell that extra stuffer NePa? I am interested for the right price plastic gears and all.
If all of the 5lb units are pretty much a generic unit with
different names will the metal gears from the LEM fit
the northern unit?
I have confirmed through multiple readings that the Grizzly unit is the exact same unit as the LEM but with plastic gears...not sure about the NT unit. That being said even if I have to order the steel gears from LEM I still come out almost $50 to the good buying the Grizzly stuffer. The steel gears are about $30 from LEM, the LEM unit is $150 plus shipping.
I am not brand loyal, but I do shop price and quality.
Anything has to be better than stuffing with a Kitchen Aid!
Just curious, if i do break a gear i would make the switch
to metal.
Quote from: Up In Smoke on February 03, 2010, 03:16:58 AM
Just curious, if i do break a gear i would make the switch
to metal.
I would too.
That came out wrong :'(
The majority of the 5lb stuffers are made by one of 2 companies. The LEM metal gears will fit these stuffers.
boy, after reading all this, I sure am glad I have an old fashioned Enterprise!
And if I was still stuffing with a grinder or Kitchen aid, I don't think I would stuff any more sausage, a stuffer is worth the money evne if you only do one batch a year!
I know this thread is old but do the vertical sausage stuffer mush the meat.
I use a hand meat grinder to stuff but it mushes the meat.
I was just wondering if the verticals do the same, seeing that the meat gets pushed down then has to come out of a small hole in the side of the stuffer.
I just wonder if the stainless steel is the same gauge and stuff. In my line of work i can buy a item that looks the same as the next guys but once3 you start looking inside it is totally different. I have the L.E.M 5 LBS and now the 25 LBS no problems with anything.
Nepa,
How does the LEM gearing work for sticks? Is it pretty hard or not to bad? I have the Cabela's 11lb stuffer......it has two different gears for different size casings, but I am considering going to a LEM model so I can stuff by myself. It's a little hard with the Cabela's model being so tall and all.
I have no problem with stuffing sticks by myself . It is easy if you clamp it down or make a base like nepas did
Quote from: pfowl01 on January 16, 2011, 08:10:02 AM
Nepa,
How does the LEM gearing work for sticks? Is it pretty hard or not to bad? I have the Cabela's 11lb stuffer......it has two different gears for different size casings, but I am considering going to a LEM model so I can stuff by myself. It's a little hard with the Cabela's model being so tall and all.
LEM stuffer with the metal gears wont let you down. The Weston is the same. I'm working on a motor for my weston.
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on January 16, 2011, 09:14:32 AM
I'm working on a motor for my weston.
Do they have one?
Quote from: GusRobin on January 16, 2011, 09:30:30 AM
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on January 16, 2011, 09:14:32 AM
I'm working on a motor for my weston.
Do they have one?
They use to have them and now they are listed as "out of stock" not discontinued.
Looks they they are having a re-do on the motors and they should be out soon.
I just ordered a lem 5lb stuffer with metal gears and a ss 3/8 tube from these guys for only 150.00 shipped. They have a $10 off sale going on too. Check it out.
http://www.meatprocessingproducts.com
I got the LEM 5 # Vertical stuffer for Christmas. I ordered the 3/8 tube and made my first batch of sticks last week. It worked perfectly. I wouldn't trade it for anything.