Shopping list for today

[terry08]

40 lb sack hickory sawdust, running low, one hank of hog casings, 5 lbs pink salt. Also I will buy a five pound lem stuffer. Always use the grinder for stuffing but want to try the stuffer. Since I do this for fun, I don't want to spend the extra cash for the 15 lb one. I don't mind reloading. How many use it & like it.

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[beefmann]

i just bought the lem 5 lb and have yet to use  it,,, looks like a  great piece of equipment,,, only thing i kinda  don't like about it .. it has to be bolted  or clamped down good thing is they provide a pair of clamps... other then that you have a good list

[watchdog56]

I have the 5 lb LEM stuffer and it works great. I used to stuff using my mixer and that sucked. You might want to make sure the stuffer has a metal gear, I have heard the plastic ones have a tendency to strip if you crank to hard at the end.

[tskeeter]

Have had a 5# LEM stuffer with metal gears for a couple of years.  It works really well.  I just put a small dab of food grade grease on the gears each time I use it and have put a small amount of grease on the plunger stem to reduce the risk of small metal filings from metal to metal contact.

I suspect that the folks who have had problems with plastic gear models have abused the stuffer.  Doing things like really cranking down on the crank after the plunger has reached the bottom of the meat canister with the expectation that you can somehow squeeze the last 1/8 inch of meat into a casing.  Or by trying to stuff meat that is so cold that it has the consistency of a rock.  I don't see any reason why plastic gears should fail unless they have had a batch of defective gears or unless the stuffer was abused.

My practice is to lubricate the seal on the plunger and the top section of the meat canister by running a small handfull of sausage meat over the surfaces to leave a film of fat.  I think that in addition to providing lubrication, this helps the o-ring on the plunger seal against the canister wall.

For cleaning, I like to just disassemble, rinse everything off, and throw it in the diswasher.  Gotta love stainless and UHMW.  The dishwasher most likely does a better job of sanitizing than I would, and avoiding things like dish towels, or extended exposure to airborne contaminants while drying in a drain rack should help keep clean equipment clean.  I also run everything through a dishwasher sanitizer cycle before each use.  Probably overkill, but it doesn't take much effort to throw the food contact components into the dishwasher the night before, just to be sure.

[ragweed]

I've had a 5 lb LEM stuffer for about a year and a half.  Really like it.  I too use food grade grease on the gears.  And use a food grade silicone spray on the O ring.  Works great!

[terry08]

Shopping list complete. Will break in the stuffer tomorrow. I do believe in lubrication. Thanks for the help. Spoke to soon, got the dust, fresh pink salt, and casings. Kenny, at Rebel Butcher Supply did not have the stuffer, he did have one for $ 3 , 632.00 lol. Told me to go across the street to Bass Pro Shop, which I hate. They wanted
$169.00 for the five pound stuffer, which I could get at Academy Sports, for $149.00. No way was I going down County Line Rd. on a Friday, afternoon. May go back tomorrow while folks are in church. Oh well s&*@ happens. Will grind today and stuff tomorrow.

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