Meat grinder - RPM's

[Trond C]

Hi. I am going to buy a meat grinder and as usual when I buy something I tend to read all available information, sometimes that's wise and sometime I simply get to know more than i really need  :-X
I don't have the same brands here where I live as in USA, but it seems I will land on grinders from the Italian company Tre Spade / Facem. They seem to be very like the ones from Cabela. Here is a picture of the smallest one, 0,65 HP:



There is a difference between the smallest ones, under 1 HP, and the bigger ones. First the bigger ones can be driven in reverse, that's maybe not so very important, I don't know for sure. But the bigger ones, in addition to being bigger, works at 80 RPM where the smaller ones goes at 160 RPM's. Is this of any real importance, and how? Works colder maybe, less friction? The 1 HP is not very much more expensive than the 0,65 HP, but I do certainly not need it's greater capacity in itself.

[3rensho]

I've got some Tre Spade kit and like t a lot.  My only guess on the RPM difference would be that the higher HP models have much a larger diameter grinder plate and consequently the peripheral velocity of the blade might be the close to a smaller one with higher RPM.  I did the math and a no.8 plate at 160 RPM does 1256" min^-1 and a no.32 plate at 80 RPM does 973" min^-1 .  Not sure if that is important.

[Trond C]

I think you are on to something there 3rensho, the average speed of each point on the knife's blades will be higher due to the larger diameter on the larger grinders. The conclusion I guess is that large grinders does large amounts of meat better than small, they grind more, longer, without getting temperature too much up.

Anyhow, I landed on the approximately 0,5 HP model from Tre Spade for my hobby use. It just arrived:



Beautiful machinery, big boys toys are nice  :P

[3rensho]

Looks like you're good to go.  Looking forward to some pics.

[classicrockgriller]

That is nice!

Looks like a small Cannon!

Can't wait to see it in Action.