advise for a newbie "equipment"

sunman76 said:

I would like to give a try to making some sausage

but I do not have any equipment

I am on a tight budget,  and looking for some advise on some cheap entry level stuff

to start out with that will do the job, but not break as soon as I try to use it.

I just need a list of the basic tools needed to give this a shot.

This is on I was looking at seems to have some good reviews listed but does it really

work as a stuffer also? 

remember I'm not going in mass production just giving it a try.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200449320_200449320  

Click to expand...

Sunman, if your just looking at trying to make some sausage, you can actually make several types without any equipment at all. You can buy ground beef and or ground pork from your butcher or grocer. Ground chuck will have a fat content of about 20%, which is very acceptable and ground pork will usually have a very acceptable fat content. They may even grind your beef and pork for you if you ask them to. Just tell them the type of grind your looking for (coarse, medium or fine) and the fat content you want. You can make patties for fresh breakfast sausage, or hand roll chubs for smoked summer sausage and sticks for snack sticks. Remember, if your going to smoke them be sure to use cure#1 which is very inexpensive and available from any sausage supply company.

I've never tried stuffing casings with a grinder. Many folks here have. I hear it's a little difficult, but it's been done for years. Maybe someone else who has experience with it can chime in here.

ShortEnd
 

For 40 bucks more you can get this one and it has all the stuffing attachments. Probably your best value. It's the one I use. And it does very well.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...67?cm_sp=Upsells-_-Top Sellers-_-Product Page

A number of folks use the $99 Northern Tools Electric Grinder/stuffer unit that Alelover depicted & have had great success.

It seems to be not only reasonably priced, but of sufficient quality for people wishing to give sausage-making a try & not break the bank—and durable enough to last should your production increase. 

Hand-grinders have appeal— particularly their low entry cost. But most do not allow for efficient stuffing—plus you'd need a few extra hands to assist.

Ideally, a separate stuffer is best, whether you go electric or hand-crank on the grinder, but at least with the electric, stuffing is less cumbersome.

—Kevin

Having a separate stuffer is ideal but for us cheapskates, I mean frugal folks, the grinder/stuffer for 99 bucks is about as good a value as you will see.