So what grinder and stuffer should I get?

[sjmcdowall]

I'm ready to venture (re-venture I should say) back into the "sausage" side of Charcuterie -- and am looking to get a nice home grinder and stuffer.  I really only plan on making 5 LB (MAYBE 10 LB) max at a time.  Was wondering if there was a consensus or ideas about finding a good grinder and stuffer?

Cheers!

[mikecorn.1]

LEM makes some nice units. From what  I've read, you want to get metal gears on the stuffer. I yield back to those that actually have the equipment ;D


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Kevin A]

Cheapest...and still effective route would be a manual grinder (or attachment to a Kitchen Aid, if you've got one already) & a 5-pound stuffer from Grizzly ($99).
You can find some nice vintage manual grinders in antique stores for less than $30. Some nice ones, too.
For around $100, you can get an electric grinder (LEM & others make 'em), so for about $200, you'd be ready for those occasional 5 to 10-pound sausage loads without breaking the bank.

I think the ONLY real consensus you'll find is 'be sure to get a dedicated stuffer' rather than using a grinder attachment. They WILL work (the grinder attachments), but man, they can be slow, tedious, and suck the joy right out of the process.

Kevin

[Kevin A]

From what  I've read, you want to get metal gears on the stuffer. I yield back to those that actually have the equipment

Quoting from The SausageMaker (Buffalo,NY), on the 'plastic' gears vs the metal gears in stuffers:

"Metal gears on the 5 lb. vertical stuffer is a sensitive subject here because there really are misperceptions out there. We have tested several samples of metal gears for 5 lb stuffers and wanted to take our stuffers along that route, but after testing them we decided they are a BAD idea for our customers. Here are the reasons why:
(1.) They WILL flake metal shavings. No getting around this one - tiny metal filings will be coming off them.
(2.) There is literally no 'give' to them, when you have increased back-pressure usually when stuffing small diameter sausage sticks or small breakfast links those gears got locked up for us constantly.
(3.) They are a gimmick more than anything practical. Metal gears are actually CHEAPER than most Resin ('plastic') Gears. We get calls all the time from customers that have the metal gears. We don't want to replace something good with a gimmick. Resin is no 'chinsy' plastic.
(4.) Our gears are made using our own mold by skilled plastics-tooling professionals here. The 'other guys' don't want to fork over the dough for a quality plastic mold so they buy inferior metal gears from another supplier not in this country."

I think the key to success with ANY gear-driven stuffer is NOT to overcrank the driveshaft. I've used red tape to mark the limits on the shaft so I have a visible indicator letting me know when I've reached the 'end.'

Kevin

[Sailor]

When I first got into the sausage making I didn't have any toys um Tools.  I bought my #12 grinder and 5lb Grizzly stuffer from Northern tools.  I have ground hundreds of pounds of meat thru that grinder and she is still as good as new.  I use the stuffer every weekend and I notice no wear on the plastic gears.  One just has to know where the bottom is so one does not force the screw too hard. 

When I started to make sausage I knew that I could quite anytime that I wanted to, so going cheap was not a problem.  An occasional sausage here and there would not harm me or my family.  Well, I admit that I have a sausage problem and have been going to meetings but I keep falling off the wagon.  I keep dreaming of having a 65 pound Kirby cannon and a high end grinder that will take a full hog. 

Back to reality.  You can't go wrong with the #12 grinder from Northern.  Yes it would be nice to have a bigger and better grinder but that little #12 will grind up 20 pounds of pork just as fast as you can load it.  A 5 pound stuffer (metal or plastic  gears) will serve you very well.  It just depends on the amount that you are stuffing.  I wish I had a 20 pound stuffer as I make 10 to 20 pounds batches and I hate to reload the stuffer.  That is the only draw back that I see.

Good luck in your sausage making and remember......once you start you cannot stop  ;D

[sjmcdowall]

Good tips guys!  I used to use an old manual grinder -- but I'm tired of that gig and I have a counter that wouldn't easily let me mount it anyway ... so looking for electric ..

What's the difference anyway in the #10 versus #12 etc.  What's the different #'s mean?

[Tenpoint5]

Good tips guys!  I used to use an old manual grinder -- but I'm tired of that gig and I have a counter that wouldn't easily let me mount it anyway ... so looking for electric ..

What's the difference anyway in the #10 versus #12 etc.  What's the different #'s mean?

The size of the grinding plate. Don't do it though!! DO NOT get into sausage making now that you have a Bradley Smoker. It is extremely addictive and you will never be able to quit so just don't start. See you at the next meeting Sailor, you too Kevin!!

[NePaSmoKer]

I had a plastic gear stuffer....Teeth gone 2x and not cranked down.

I since have a LEM 5 with metal and have had 0 problems and have put hundreds & hundreds of lbs of meat thru it with ease.....Yes you seen right
My cabelas grinders have work great also

[cobra6223]

Really Chris right...RUN.. RUN very fast in the oppisite direction !! Now with that being said I have the 11# Weston and a Gander MNT #12 grinder and love them both. I think what everyone is saying about not forcing things and with good care I think they both will last a very long time. I beleive the number of the grinder..#10 or #12 is the size of the throat or how big of peices you can feed it. Well good luck with making sausage !!
Tim

[pikeman_95]

A number 12 grinder is about as small as you want to go. Unless you intend to only make very small batches. The thing to consider is to buy a good one. Not one of the cheap underpowered models. A good Stainless like Lem or Cabala's sells work well. The main difference other then the power is the auger to auger bore tolerances. The cheap models are sloppy and do not push the meat through well enough. They will just let the meat get emulsified with out getting a clean cut. One of my grinders is a Lem # 12 and I do large batches and it does fine. I have a #42 commercial grinder but it is for very large projects. [Like it is on wheels.]

[300saum]

I love my 1 hp, size 32 from LEM!!!

[SamuelG]

On Wheels!!

:) :) :)

[pikeman_95]

yup It is on wheels. I have a ramp and I roll it into my truck to take it somewhere. It was used to grind horse meat to feed fish at a fish hatchery in the 50's.  I also have a mixer that will do 100 pounds at a time. It is also on wheels. We have done batches as large as 530 pounds. Most of the times we do between 100 and 300 pound batches. A bunch of my friends and I get together and have a good time. This is when I break out the 65 pound hydro stuffer.

[Kevin A]

yup It is on wheels. I have a ramp and I roll it into my truck to take it somewhere.

;D

[KyNola]

From what  I've read, you want to get metal gears on the stuffer. I yield back to those that actually have the equipment

Quoting from The SausageMaker (Buffalo,NY), on the 'plastic' gears vs the metal gears in stuffers:

"Metal gears on the 5 lb. vertical stuffer is a sensitive subject here because there really are misperceptions out there. We have tested several samples of metal gears for 5 lb stuffers and wanted to take our stuffers along that route, but after testing them we decided they are a BAD idea for our customers. Here are the reasons why:
(1.) They WILL flake metal shavings. No getting around this one - tiny metal filings will be coming off them.
(2.) There is literally no 'give' to them, when you have increased back-pressure usually when stuffing small diameter sausage sticks or small breakfast links those gears got locked up for us constantly.
(3.) They are a gimmick more than anything practical. Metal gears are actually CHEAPER than most Resin ('plastic') Gears. We get calls all the time from customers that have the metal gears. We don't want to replace something good with a gimmick. Resin is no 'chinsy' plastic.
(4.) Our gears are made using our own mold by skilled plastics-tooling professionals here. The 'other guys' don't want to fork over the dough for a quality plastic mold so they buy inferior metal gears from another supplier not in this country."

I think the key to success with ANY gear-driven stuffer is NOT to overcrank the driveshaft. I've used red tape to mark the limits on the shaft so I have a visible indicator letting me know when I've reached the 'end.'

Kevin

And if I were selling stuffers that had resin gears on it I would make the exact same statements.  Ask them if they run resin gears in the transmission and rear ends in all of their vehicles. ;)