# Need recommendations on a vacuum sealer



## kevin james (Jul 30, 2020)

As the thread titles says, I'm looking to purchase a vacuum sealer. I've been on the site long enough to know that everyone recommends the vacmaster's through Vacuum sealers unlimited who is a sponsor. I would love to go that route, but I've been watching their site for a while and while they used to have a couple different models, (2 or 3, I can't remember), now there is only one and it's sold out until Novemeber. I don't want to wait that long.

Any other recommendations? I'm not looking for Foodsaver or anything like that, looking for something of better quality like the Vacmaster.

Thanks!


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## Winterrider (Jul 30, 2020)

Steve H
  had one he was quite pleased with. He may chime in. I think it was LEM. Not sure of model (sorry if this is incorrect)


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## Winterrider (Jul 30, 2020)

Vac Sealer Recommendations?!?
					

Thanks for the like Justin it is greatly appreciated.  Sounds like your luck kinda runs like mine.  Warren




					www.smokingmeatforums.com


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## kevin james (Jul 30, 2020)

Winterrider said:


> Vac Sealer Recommendations?!?
> 
> 
> Thanks for the like Justin it is greatly appreciated.  Sounds like your luck kinda runs like mine.  Warren
> ...



Thanks. After reading a couple more threads I guess the Vacmaster's are being redesigned and that's why they aren't available at the moment, but they were hoping the new versions would be out by end of July. Looks like they didn't hit that target but hopefully they are almost there so I guess I'll wait just a little longer before looking at alternatives.


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## old sarge (Jul 30, 2020)

I'm partial to the Lem MaxVac, which I own.









						Chef's Everywhere Love It - Lem Maxvac Vacuum Sealer
					

The Lem Maxvac Vacuum Sealer comes with automatic and manual seal options It is a residential unit capable of sealing bags up to 14 wide



					sealthatfood.com


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## SmokinAl (Jul 31, 2020)

Have a Vacmaster 380  & it will seal the 15” bags.
So far no problems, but if they have a new model coming out I bet it will be killer!
Al


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## kevin james (Jul 31, 2020)

SmokinAl said:


> Have a Vacmaster 380  & it will seal the 15” bags.
> So far no problems, but if they have a new model coming out I bet it will be killer!
> Al



I was looking at the LEM and it looks really good, but then I noticed the seal bar is only 14", while the vacuum sealer unlimited bags are 15" wide. That's going to be a problem.

I have friends and family that keep hitting me up for BBQ and one of the prime reasons I want a vac sealer is so I can smoke a whole packer brisket or whole rack of ribs, vac seal it and have them pick it up. I need to work out the best way for them to heat them back up, but from the research I've done that seems to be in the oven at 250ish or so in a water bath for a couple hours... still working out the details on that. But either way I'm going to want to be able to use those large bags from vacuum sealers unlimited and the LEM's seal bar doesn't seem capable.

So... I guess I'll have to wait until the new Vac Master's come out. Hopefully that is soon.


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## hangmanli (Jul 31, 2020)

kevin james said:


> I was looking at the LEM and it looks really good, but then I noticed the seal bar is only 14", while the vacuum sealer unlimited bags are 15" wide. That's going to be a problem.
> 
> I have friends and family that keep hitting me up for BBQ and one of the prime reasons I want a vac sealer is so I can smoke a whole packer brisket or whole rack of ribs, vac seal it and have them pick it up. I need to work out the best way for them to heat them back up, but from the research I've done that seems to be in the oven at 250ish or so in a water bath for a couple hours... still working out the details on that. But either way I'm going to want to be able to use those large bags from vacuum sealers unlimited and the LEM's seal bar doesn't seem capable.
> 
> So... I guess I'll have to wait until the new Vac Master's come out. Hopefully that is soon.





kevin james said:


> As the thread titles says, I'm looking to purchase a vacuum sealer. I've been on the site long enough to know that everyone recommends the vacmaster's through Vacuum sealers unlimited who is a sponsor. I would love to go that route, but I've been watching their site for a while and while they used to have a couple different models, (2 or 3, I can't remember), now there is only one and it's sold out until Novemeber. I don't want to wait that long.
> 
> Any other recommendations? I'm not looking for Foodsaver or anything like that, looking for something of better quality like the Vacmaster.
> 
> Thanks!



I haven't been here in a while. My second Foodsaver is dying and I wanted to buy a vacmaster 360.  This was supposed to be a improved model but is back ordered until November.   So I’m in the same predicament.

How do the LEM vacuum sealing machines rate?


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## SmokinEdge (Jul 31, 2020)

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/cabelas-15-commercial-grade-vacuum-sealer

OR


The pleated bags from Food Saver are big. Whole turkey type big. But they fold down to seal on a 12” bar.


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## kevin james (Jul 31, 2020)

SmokinEdge said:


> https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/cabelas-15-commercial-grade-vacuum-sealer
> 
> OR
> 
> ...



I'm picky... I'll say that straight away lol. I was already set on the Vacmaster unit, but was intreaged by the LEM until I saw the seal bar is only 14". I've read to many complaints about the Foodsaver bags to be comfortable buying an expensive machine that I will need to depend on Foodsaver bags for larger items. Nope.


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## archeryrob (Jul 31, 2020)

I bought a VacMaser 350 last year from Diane and got it for about $280 shipped. I think the 360 will be more when it comes out. It holds the entire 50' rolls in it. The sealer element work great but you got to let it cool between sealing or your seems pull like string cheese.  

I hear guys like the 380 for it being wider, but I never yet have found a use for that yet. I have sealed entire venison front shoulders in 11" bags and just cut them longer for wanting to have a entire bone in roast.

I had the Cabelas unit last year and it was terrible compared to the VacMaster. They are using some other company out of Ohio and the machine was problematic to me. I sent that back pretty quickly. They offered to send me another one but I was like NO thanks.


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## old sarge (Jul 31, 2020)

kevin james said:


> I'm picky... I'll say that straight away lol. I was already set on the Vacmaster unit, but was intreaged by the LEM until I saw the seal bar is only 14". I've read to many complaints about the Foodsaver bags to be comfortable buying an expensive machine that I will need to depend on Foodsaver bags for larger items. Nope.


Yes, the bar is only 14 inches; LEMs largest bag is bulk 14 inch /20 ft roll.   I use bulk 8 and 11 inch rolls for large items and pre-made pint/qt/gal bags. The 14 inch bar has not been a problem for me.  But I can see where a larger seal bar could be an asset. Vacuum sealers unlimited will have newer/better machines this fall per Lisa.   Maybe you can get by with something cheap from Walmart, until the new machines come out or the back orders are filled.  Come fall, we will be in flu season, hunting season and maybe another bout of covid. I would expect good sealers to be as scarce as toilet paper was a few months ago.


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## pc farmer (Jul 31, 2020)

Foodsaver works great.  I have a vac master but my parents have a foodsaver.  They work great.


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## old sarge (Jul 31, 2020)

Here is a pricey machine made in Italy.  Has some nifty features. Just throwing this out there in case a large seal bar is not needed by someone.


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## Steve H (Aug 1, 2020)

I have the LEM MaxVac 500. And so far I can't say enough good things about it.  I guess you'd have to ask yourself just how often you think you would have a use for a bag over 14" wide. I use the vacuum sealer to portion out items to smaller amounts. So anything over a gallon bag, which  are 11" by 16" is plenty large enough for me.


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## SmokinAl (Aug 1, 2020)

I can honestly say I use the 15” bags quite often, at least a couple of times a month. For a few dollars more I would go with the 380. You can also seal 2 smaller bags at one time.
Al


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## radioguy (Aug 1, 2020)

I bought an Avid Armor from about $180.  It's been about 6 months  and so far so good.


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## kevin james (Aug 6, 2020)

Update... So I called VacMaster on Monday and they told me that the Pro 360 is the new machine which replaces both the 350 and 380, and there are no other new home machine's coming out, the 360 is it. 

Webstaurant.com had the 360 in stock for $299 so I pulled the trigger. It arrived yesterday, and while I haven't tried it out yet it does look to be really nice. Looking forward to testing it out.


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