Question About Vacuum Sealers.

Kummok · March 03, 2005, 06:01:05 AM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Chez Bubba
 K-man,

Can these other bags be boiled & microwaved like the Food Saver's claim to be? We're planning on upgrading our suck machine but due to Smokehouse Rob's great idea regarding our Indy effort, they would need to be boilable. (Is that a word?)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

"Boilable" works! It's even on a website where commercial boilable/microwavable bags are sold...http://www.dougcare.com/packsupplies/3milboil.htm They have several sizes of boilable bags...for comparison, the 8"X12" size is US $ .07/bag but they have as large as 16"X26" for US $.30/bag

Also, for those considering Foodsavers, here's a site with a great comparison chart for the features of the different Foodsaver models... http://www.wellscan.ca/foodsaver.htm

35 years of extinguishing smoking stuff and now I'm wondering WHY!
Kummok @ Homer, AK USA

Oldman · March 03, 2005, 08:43:50 AM

Ok hold the phone. Can anyone tell me the difference between these pictures?

From what I can see and also after being on the net for several hours I think these are all the same machine. The SINBO VS-280 vacuum packer. The company selling the first one says it will vacuum an 11" bag. The company selling the second one say it will vacuum an 11 3/4" bag--A size I have not yet found. The company selling the third one says it will vacuum a 10.8" wide bag. Again another strange size. The cost runs from $102.00-$169.99.

The information below came from this site:
SorbentSystems

<hr noshade size="1">It is important to realize that with Keepfresh VS-280 vacuum sealer, you can use any bag designed to hold a vacuum. For example, the bags with the "patterned surface" sell for $.38 to $.48 each (8 x 12). Ours are less than $.08 each! That makes this machine much much lower in operating cost than any other model out there.<hr noshade size="1">

And:
<hr noshade size="1">Vacuum Pouches
Here is a bag that you can use on the VS280, but not on a MagicVac® or any channel/embossed bag home vacuum sealer. The bottom of the pouch is open and the area around the plastic zipper is securely sealed in place. Place product in pouch, vacuum seal closed, once package is opened there is no need to transfer to another ziplock bag. Perfect for sliced turkey, ham, and roast. Save $$$ by creating your own deli packages. 
<hr noshade size="1">

I like the idea of these being a zip lock type; however, I cannot find where you can boil them. The cost on a purchase of 100 of these @ 8' x 12" is 16 1/2 cents

Now all said and done I believe these folks SorbentSystems are either the main distributer or the manfacture. Here is what they also had to say about this unit:

<hr noshade size="1">The VS280 laboratory vacuum sealer (also suitable for home use) combines the benefits of compact design and efficiency. This rugged little unit has some of the features found on industrial snorkel vacuum sealers at a fraction of the price. Features such as a retractable metal nozzle, dual side by side seal and a solid state seal timer. Used in quality control laboratories in electronics, food processing facilities, it has also proven useful to homemakers, fishermen, backpackers, and collectors of books, coins, etc. This is the ONLY low cost vacuum sealer that does not require the use of special bags.<hr noshade size="1">

This is their picture of the unit:

This is there Home Page. The unit is listed under commercial vacuum systems.

These are the people who are selling it for $102.00. DCE

My thought here is given this machine will seal any type of sealable bag for items that you would not boil etc. you would use the std. 3 mil bag. For items you want to reheat in then you would use the that type. The best of both worlds. I like this idea.

One of the items my family likes is my beef vegetable soup. My idea is to freeze the soup in to single size servings then vacuum them. I had been using small ziplock bags.

Olds

http://rminor.com

jaeger · March 03, 2005, 03:20:36 PM

Olds,
I think this looks like a great deal on a nice machine. A lot of items that you will be sealing won't require more than a 3 ml bag. Purchasing the bags presized at such a low cost can't be beat! The only thing, you may be hard pressed to fit a whole prime rib in a 10 to 11" bag, which I believe you said was one of your needs. (Check this out, take 2 sheets of standard 8x11 paper and see what kind of an opening you will have with an 11 inch wide bag, which actually is only going to be a 10" wide bag.) I just wanted to point out the size you will have to work with using this machine.
...now Olds, I'm not trying to be technical, but listing this on their web page as a commercial unit may be a little bit of an overstatement IMHO.
Overall, I would go for it since the bags are such a great price and a HUGE convenience. I much prefer using presized bags as opposed to making my own out of a roll. That alone would be the deciding factor.
One more thing, I would take a tape measure and see if the sizes of bags in their bag deal are the correct sizes for your needs. You may be able to order just what you need and be actually saving in the long run!! [;)]

Doug

jaeger · March 03, 2005, 05:00:48 PM

I may have missed the answer to this question, but will the Tilia FoodSaver work using just a regular type 3ml bag? I have a Food Saver and access to this type of bag in various sizes, I will give it a try.

Doug

jaeger · March 03, 2005, 05:37:12 PM

Test Results

I tried to vacuum a 3 ml plain bag (Not foodsaver brand) and the bag would seal, but would not vacuum. I then tried the foodsaver bag, which worked fine.
I wanted to make sure it wasn't an operator failure! [;)]

Doug

Kummok · March 03, 2005, 08:51:32 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by jaeger
 I may have missed the answer to this question, but will the Tilia FoodSaver work using just a regular type 3ml bag? I have a Food Saver and access to this type of bag in various sizes, I will give it a try.

Doug
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Doug:
Nope, they'll seal but not "vacuum". The Foodsaver types need the embossed bag to allow air movement. Commercial types use either a nozzle or atmospheric chamber to evacuate air...The embossing is what makes the Foodsaver type bags more expensive.....

Olds;
Still awaiting an answer from supplier to tell you more on your question about bags.....

35 years of extinguishing smoking stuff and now I'm wondering WHY!
Kummok @ Homer, AK USA

Kummok · March 03, 2005, 09:51:27 PM

Olds
The Sinbo is to vacuum sealers what the "Goldstar" or "Sanyo" is to TVs....its a great little inexpensive Korean made household sealer that has found its way into small food and non-food commercial packaging operations. It's cheap to buy and cheap to operate, using the non-embossed commercial bags. The drawback is the throat size being the same as other household vac sealers...max 11". I've seen sites list it as everything from 10.5" to 11.75" sealing area....it matters little because all the commercial bags I've seen are either 10" or 12", so you'll be using 10" max on this. The problem I can see with the Sinbo is that, to us "pay more to get more" mentality spoiled Americans, "it's TOO cheap so it must be low quality". Like Goldstar TVs, I doubt that's the case with Sinbo, but I don't have any experience with the sealer to advise anyone else on purchasing it.......for the cheap price of $102 and being able to use commercial bags, it's worth the shot even if it only lasts a year of hard use! It also uses a nozzle...that's what allows it to use non-embossed commercial bags....that nozzle looks a little tricky to learn to use, but definitely not a deal killer.

As far as the zip top, bottom load vac bags being microwaveable, I asked "sales" at http://www.agribags.com/vacbagprices.html but I'm still waiting to hear whether their .3mil size is boilable/microwaveable That bag runs US $.14 for the 8"X10" size I've been using as comparison.

With all the cool counter toys you've been showing, I can't believe you aren't getting the "Binford 1000" SS model" aka, the Automatic Vacuum Machine (Item # 645398) at http://www.texastastes.com/p1682.htm [:D][;)][:D][:D]

35 years of extinguishing smoking stuff and now I'm wondering WHY!
Kummok @ Homer, AK USA

Oldman · March 04, 2005, 04:39:10 AM

Kummok thanks for all of your input concerning this matter!

Well I did it. I ordered the SINBO with the following package:
200 8" x 10" 3 mil pouches
100 10" x 13" 3 mil pouches
100 6" x 8.5" 3 mil high barrier pouches
100 8" x 10" 3 mil high barrier zipper pouches

The reason I got 200 8" x 10" 3 mil pouches is in Doug's package deal there was a small 2.5" x 10" size I did not want. So for $5.00 over the regular package deal Doug gave me another 100 8" x 10" in their place.

Can you boil them in water? Yes and no. However, I will bet my bottom dollar I can place them in 195 F water and not bust a bag.

Anyway I got the whole deal for $157.00 plus shipping. I talked with the owner, Doug, for a good 45 minutes. A great guy to talk with over the phone. He also told me that the instructions that came with the unit are at best "weak" so he made up his own to help people understand how to use this unit~~!

Seeing how it is the same unit as this one: Country Heinsohn's Store that sells for $169.99 with no bags I think I worked my best deal.

Why did I purchase this one over the fancy ones? It will do everything I need.

Olds

http://rminor.com

EDIT Now if Chez reads this Doug sells a Nylon Poly Boilable Vacuum Pouches 3 Mil--in bulk only I believe. However, at 6 cents a copy for an 8 x 10 (2000 count $119.00) I would think that cost would help you out in your packageing food to sell at the races. For $221.00 you would have a machine and 2000 bags!

EDIT My wife is now excited as she has every National Geographic Magazine since January 1935 and a few older than that. In fact she has one from 1914! Well she wants to vacuum them~~! I guess I will be calling Doug for more of those 10" x 13" bags.

You talk about a time capsule in the later 1940s to the earlier 1950s I saw an ad that said something to the effect: Soon the wave of the future will be coming to your home. A Telephone Salesman will be knocking on your door~~!

Kummok · March 04, 2005, 06:34:51 AM

Congrats Olds...you got a great deal....wish I'd known about these BEFORE the Foodsaver purchase. Anxious to hear your performance report cause I'll likely switch when I use up my last few embossed EXPENSIVE bag rolls. At $157 I'll save considerably over restocking the 4-5 boxes of Foodsaver bags at around $40/box. I can squirrel away the savings for the big chamber vac "someday"...[:p][:)][8D]

35 years of extinguishing smoking stuff and now I'm wondering WHY!
Kummok @ Homer, AK USA

gotbbq · March 05, 2005, 02:13:57 AM

Chez-

The new foodsaver is a little bigger than the old one but also stores a roll of bags in the unit.[^][^][^]

gotbbq

SMOKEHOUSE ROB · March 05, 2005, 01:00:47 PM

oldman, when you get your new toy, do me one favor, do a test for me, take a empty soda can and put into a bag, then hook her up and see if your new machine will suck the air out and crush a soda can flat, please, if it does then i am sold on it, will be my new toy, LOL thank you sir.

Crazy Canuck · March 05, 2005, 04:12:50 PM

I use the foodsaver as the rolls are available in two different widths and are available in Walmart, Costco and Canuck Tire. Reading all the posts I think all brands pretty much do the same thing.

Addicted to Smokin[:p][:p][:p]
Dan R @ Fort St. John BC

Oldman · March 05, 2005, 05:22:03 PM

Smokehouse Rob,

It had better crush a can... The vacuum is rated in Vacuum : 0.035 MPa, and I believe that is about 10.4 Hg (1/3 of absolute vacuum.)
Now 1 inch of Hg. equals 13.6 - 14 inches of water lift. I have a 3 stage vacuum motor that will crush a soda can and it has 137.1 inches of water lift. It will crush that can long before it winds up to maximum water lift.

So if the unit does in fact vacuum at 10.4 Hg and we times that by the factor of 14 the total inches of water lift should be 145.6" If this is the case that soda can is in big trouble~~! LOL!

This is a good question and I will be looking forward to testing this out.

Olds

http://rminor.com

Kummok · March 05, 2005, 07:18:29 PM

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by SMOKEHOUSE ROB
 .....hook her up and see if your new machine will suck the air out and crush a soda can flat, please, if it does then i am sold on it, will be my new toy....
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Why bother with vacs SR?? Can-crushin''s why we have foreheads [:D][;)][:D]

35 years of extinguishing smoking stuff and now I'm wondering WHY!
Kummok @ Homer, AK USA

JJC · March 06, 2005, 03:44:55 AM

Hi Raye,

Sounds like that unit is a winner! Any chance they might be willing to offer something extra to Forum members if enough of us want to buy the unit? Maybe we could buy 500 bags for the same unti price as getting 2000?

John
Newton MA