# Looking for Vacuum sealing machine recommendations



## hangmanli (Dec 20, 2017)

I know it’s not about smoking but I’m eventually planning on replacing my Costco Foodsaver machine.

It works however it doesn’t have the ability to keep working.  After @ 6 to 8 bags it has to be shut down and allowed to rest for 10 minutes.  Then it will work again for a while.

 I would like some advice on a really good machine that will keep going and last for years.

 I have plenty of the food saver bags and the other bags from Vacuum Sealers unlimited.   So I have to stick with something that can vacuum seal these types of bags.

 Thanks for any help for recommendations!


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## muddydogs (Dec 20, 2017)

Might not be what your looking for but my 15 year old cheapo food saver crapped out a year or so ago so I started the quest for something better. The prices on supposedly good units from say Cabela's and supply shops about gave me a stroke. One day I was in Shopko after Christmas and they had this unit http://www.shopko.com/product/Foodsaver-V2866-Flip-Vacuum-Sealer/141909.uts on sale like it is now with a bunch of bags for $99. I decided to give it a try and I have to say it does a wonderful job of sealing anything I put in it. I talked the unit up to a buddy who purchased one also and he likes his as well.


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## GATOR240 (Dec 20, 2017)

I just ordered a VacMaster Pro 350 last night from vacuumsealersunlimited.com

Denny


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## hangmanli (Dec 20, 2017)

GATOR240 said:


> I just ordered a VacMaster Pro 350 last night from vacuumsealersunlimited.com
> 
> Denny



How are the reviews on that machine?


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## zwiller (Dec 20, 2017)

I have been researching sealers. Reviews on the Pro 350 are great.  I think this is the best higher end sealer.  Myself being new to sealing and for light duty, I am going with FoodSaver FM2000 $60.


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## GATOR240 (Dec 20, 2017)

zwiller said:


> I have been researching sealers. Reviews on the Pro 350 are great.  I think this is the best higher end sealer.  Myself being new to sealing and for light duty, I am going with FoodSaver FM2000 $60.





What he said.


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## browneyesvictim (Dec 20, 2017)

I finally upgraded to the VacMaster 380 a while back from a foodsaver. So glad I did and never looking back!


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## SmokinAl (Dec 20, 2017)

I have the Vacmaster pro 380. It's well worth the money & it has a 16" sealing bar.
So you can use the 15" bags & rolls. It's a little more than the 350, but in my opinion it's worth every penny. 
You can even seal 2 bags at one time, & continually seal without it ever overheating & needing a rest.
If you can swing it, that's what I'd get.
Al


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## GATOR240 (Dec 20, 2017)

smokinal said:


> I have the Vacmaster pro 380. It's well worth the money & it has a 16" sealing bar.
> So you can use the 15" bags & rolls. It's a little more than the 350, but in my opinion it's worth every penny.
> You can even seal 2 bags at one time, & continually seal without it ever overheating & needing a rest.
> If you can swing it, that's what I'd get.
> Al




I kept going back and forth between the Pro 350 and the 380, finally settling on the 350. I never thought of sealing 2 bags at once. Oh well, it beats what I was using.


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## idahopz (Dec 20, 2017)

I have one of the Costco Foodsavers, and if I were to purchase again, I'd go with the Vacmaster. There is nothing wrong with the Foodsaver, but as has been mentioned, it is not designed to do many bags sequentially - the heating element eventually stays hot enough to cause premature sealing of the bag without completely creating a vacuum, so it needs a cool down period. Works great if you only need to do a few bags in a session.


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## zwiller (Dec 20, 2017)

Talk to me on sequential sealing.  Am I missing something?  You guys smoking really large stuff/batches and portioning?  Hard to imagine needing the throughput.


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## tallbm (Dec 20, 2017)

Lots of people report great results with the Vac Master.
I have been using the Weston Pro 2100 for about 6 years now and it is rock solid and no worrying about overheating or stopping due to heat.

My lessons learned with vac sealers are that they are NOTORIOUS for crapping out and doing so fast.  I think you gotta go to the $350'ish or higher price range to get something that is real and will last.

Avoid Food Savor brand, Black and Decker brand, or any Vac Sealing under the $350'ish mark.  They just don't aren't designed well and will dissapoint you.  Even the ones in the $200-300 range.  I have learned this lesson the hard way :(((


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## idahopz (Dec 20, 2017)

zwiller said:


> Talk to me on sequential sealing.  Am I missing something?  You guys smoking really large stuff/batches and portioning?  Hard to imagine needing the throughput.



When I smoke cheese, I end up doing 8 racks on a Bradley which just about covers the entire counter with packages of cheese - this is usually once a year.  I'll also purchase large quantities of things like boneless ribeye, New York, or a number of other meats when the price is right and package for freezing. Quite often these will be in packages small enough and perfect for dinner for two - these work great with sous vide.

These days I usually end up using the sealer for larger quantities of packages more often than smaller batches.

In order to prevent the heating ribbon problems with the Foodsaver, I'll cut the bags to length and seal one end, then let the machine cool while I fill the bags. Then usually enough time has lapsed so that the machine has cooled enough to prevent sealing problems.


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## muddydogs (Dec 20, 2017)

My old food saver would act up if I was sealing bags to fast, with the newer model I haven't had a problem but I think about it when sealing and don't stack up a bunch of bags at once. I fill and seal as I go so the sealer gets a rest in between each seal job. Guess it just comes natural after dealing with my old unit. On smaller jobs I will do 5 to 10 seals back to back without an issue.
I've never used an expensive sealer but my $100 unit sucks the living snot out of stuff, I just don't see how a $300 unit is going to seal any better although maybe faster with less wait time. If this current food saver last another 10 plus years like the 15 year old $40 unit did I figure I will be ahead of the game. Heck for the price tag I could run 2 of the food saver units and still be money ahead over a $300 unit.
If you want a fancy unit go for it but don't be afraid of the food saver brand units, I wouldn't buy the cheapo food saver but there higher priced units seem fine to me.


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## browneyesvictim (Dec 20, 2017)

One of the biggest draws for me was the ability to control more of vacuum and sealing settings. The one I used to have was all automatic. Not only can vacuum and sealing be done independently, but I can set the vacuum level and seal bar time etc.  This is handy when different mil bags are used. The PULSE function is huge for finesse sealing when liquid is present or marinating. I now use the accessory hose with vacuum canisters quite a bit too. I found myself needing to double seal everything. Even then I had failed seals in the freezer. With the 5MM wide sealing strip of the VM 350/380 its a one-and-done. So me there were substantial feature upgrades with a better unit. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the cost is made up in the long term in no more freezer burn waste!


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## dward51 (Dec 20, 2017)

The best price I've seen on the Vacmaster 380 or 350 is at the Webstaurantstore.com   It's currently $299 for the Pro380 and $225 for the Pro350.  For the increase in durability over some of the Foodsaver models, that is not much of a price increase.  Also I've been buying my bags pre-cut from them for a number of years and am quite satisfied with both the quality and prices.  

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/ar...aging-machine-with-16-seal-bar/120VMA380.html
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/ar...aging-machine-with-16-seal-bar/120VMA380.html
One of the nice things about the Vacmaster Pro 350 and 380 models is you can buy a heating element maintenance kit for $10.  I'm also pretty sure if you have the Foodsaver wide mouth jar or regular jar (mason jars) vacuum accessory, it will work on the Vacmaster.


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## browneyesvictim (Dec 20, 2017)

dward51 said:


> I'm also pretty sure if you have the Foodsaver wide mouth jar or regular jar (mason jars) vacuum accessory, it will work on the Vacmaster.



Yes. I can personally attest to this. I have both sizes and it works amazing. Ahh! Pickled eggs!


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## dward51 (Dec 20, 2017)

Also I just did a quick peek at the Vacuum Sealers Unlimited site (sponsor of the forum) and they have the 350 for $224 and the 380 for $305, but they also include free shipping to the lower 48 states.  That edges them ahead of Webstrauntstore.com in total purchase price with the free shipping.

http://shop.vacuumsealersunlimited.com/VacMaster-Home-Use-Vacuum-Sealing-Machines_c12.htm
http://shop.vacuumsealersunlimited.com/VacMaster-Home-Use-Vacuum-Sealing-Machines_c12.htm
Current Vacuum Sealers Unlimited discounts for forum members (code for discount on bags & free shipping in this thread):

https://smokingmeatforums.com/threa...s-discount-coupon.119694/page-16#post-1779062


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## johnmeyer (Dec 20, 2017)

browneyesvictim said:


> Yes. I can personally attest to this. I have both sizes and it works amazing. Ahh! Pickled eggs!


That is extremely important to me. I would say that at least half -- probably 2/3 -- of all the sealing I do is to my various wide-mouth canning jars. So, when my 20-year-old Foodsaver -- which has been limping along for years, but still working OK as long as I stand on one foot and recite mystical incantations, backwards, for thirty seconds -- finally refuses to suck, I too want to upgrade, but only if the fancier model can also accept some sort of wide mouth canning attachment. It would be even better if it had attachments for the other canning jar sizes.

Glass is such a wonderful substance in which to store food (never takes on a smell) and jars are great for things like soup that I don't want to freeze. I can keep soups for 30+ days in the fridge, and they still taste perfect a month later.


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## motocrash (Dec 20, 2017)

Yeah my bargain basement model Foodsaver had the audacity to crap out on me this year.It wasn't even old,I only had it for a short 23 years.So I went out and purchased one of these new fancy models.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/FoodSave...75035&wl11=online&wl12=40483841&wl13=&veh=sem


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## old sarge (Dec 20, 2017)

I'm real happy with the LEM 1088a that I purchased.  No roll bag holder built in but the 'b' model has one attached to the exterior. But the vac sealer itself is a beast.  Very solid; just not well known.


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## red sled (Dec 29, 2017)

zwiller said:


> I have been researching sealers. Reviews on the Pro 350 are great.  I think this is the best higher end sealer.  Myself being new to sealing and for light duty, I am going with FoodSaver FM2000 $60.



Have you tried your new FM2000 and how do you like it ?  Thanks.


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## schlotz (Dec 29, 2017)

So, with the VM380, are you capable of sealing foods with their liquid i.e sauces etc.?


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## browneyesvictim (Dec 29, 2017)

schlotz said:


> So, with the VM380, are you capable of sealing foods with their liquid i.e sauces etc.?



Yes. It can be done but it does take some finesse. For example if you had a bag with some soup in it, you would want to use the MANUAL "Pulse" function to draw out just enough air so that it does not draw out any liquid, then push the "Seal" button to seal the bag. This is of course with the level of bag positioned below the vacuum sealer so that the liquid is well below the vacuum. There is a catch tray inside if a little bit gets in, but if any liquid gets sucked into the inlet tube (sticks up on the inside right hand side) it can damage the pump. Also if liquid is left in the seal area, you may not get a good seal, when the seal bar melts the plastic together, so that can be a bit temperamental in this case. But this can be an issue with all suction sealers. With the powerful 5mm seal bar of the VM380 this can put up with a little bit more contamination at the seal.

I have used my sealer for sealing fish fillets a lot. Because they are kind of gooey and the vacuum can squeeze out moisture and will draw some liquid in I prefer to freeze the fish fillets in the bag first, then vacuum seal them so liquid is not an issue. So what I am getting at is if you can freeze your liquid or sauces first, then that is the best option.


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## GaryHibbert (Dec 29, 2017)

I'm more than happy with my Foodsaver.  It's just one year old but has never given me any problem.  It has a wet/dry setting and accessory attachments.
I just did up a 400 pound pig I had butchered.  Worked perfectly. When I seal a bag I always wait 10 secs before I remove the bag (just for insurance on a good seal).  This seems to prevent overheating and I did the whole pig pretty much nonstop.
The only thing I miss is the ability to use the real big bags.
Gary


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## rexster314 (Dec 29, 2017)

I've had some model of Foodsaver since 1995. No matter which one, they would last about 2 years or so and I'd get another one. The 4800 model we have now is about 3 years old. I got tired of fooling around with them this past spring and got THIS 
Slight overkill but it will outlast me I'm sure.


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## johnmeyer (Dec 29, 2017)

schlotz said:


> So, with the VM380, are you capable of sealing foods with their liquid i.e sauces etc.?


I started two threads a year ago that were mostly about resealable bags, like Ziploc. The original thread had nothing to do with vacuum sealers. However, in my quest to find resealable bags that actually retain their seal, I ended up buying two different hand-vac sealers, one by Foodsaver and the other by Waring. The Foodsaver hand-vac is a bad product and should be avoided, but the Waring is absolutely brilliant and works phenomenally well.

The reason I bring this up in this thread is that the way the Waring works, you can vacuum seal really juicy meats, etc. and not worry about the liquid ruining the seal because no heat is involved. Instead, it uses a little valve that is built into the bag. As long as the liquid is not fully of small particles, the seal works great. It has a little cup at the end of the sealer gun that can easily be emptied if liquid gets into it.

Here is what I bought:

Waring Sealer

I use it several times a day, mostly to store breads, coffee, flour and other items that will stay fresher in a vaccum, but which have to be opened and closed many times before they are used up, and which don't easily fit into canisters.


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## bregent (Dec 29, 2017)

red sled said:


> Have you tried your new FM2000 and how do you like it ?  Thanks.



I bought a factory reconditioned FM2000 from Groupon for $38 and it's been working great for the last 2 years. I probably seal 10-20 bags a week with it. I routinely seal 10 bags at a time and have not had a problem with overheating or failed seals.

I had a Foodsaver that I got from Costco that lasted me about 15 years. When it died, I was about to pull the trigger on a Vacmaster 350, but then realized how big and heavy they are. The FM2000 fits in a drawer in my kitchen with its accessories and bags and I can lift it with one hand. If it lasts me 5 years I'll be happy and buy another just for the convenience and small size and weight.

If I had the space to permanently dedicate for vac sealing, I'd probably get a more heavy duty unit, or even a chamber sealer.


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## motocrash (Dec 29, 2017)

johnmeyer said:


> I started two threads a year ago that were mostly about resealable bags, like Ziploc. The original thread had nothing to do with vacuum sealers. However, in my quest to find resealable bags that actually retain their seal, I ended up buying two different hand-vac sealers, one by Foodsaver and the other by Waring. The Foodsaver hand-vac is a bad product and should be avoided, but the Waring is absolutely brilliant and works phenomenally well.
> 
> The reason I bring this up in this thread is that the way the Waring works, you can vacuum seal really juicy meats, etc. and not worry about the liquid ruining the seal because no heat is involved. Instead, it uses a little valve that is built into the bag. As long as the liquid is not fully of small particles, the seal works great. It has a little cup at the end of the sealer gun that can easily be emptied if liquid gets into it.
> 
> ...


Can you set it to stun? :eek:


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## motocrash (Dec 29, 2017)

bregent said:


> I bought a factory reconditioned FM2000 from Groupon for $38 and it's been working great for the last 2 years. I probably seal 10-20 bags a week with it. I routinely seal 10 bags at a time and have not had a problem with overheating or failed seals.
> 
> I had a Foodsaver that I got from Costco that lasted me about 15 years. When it died, I was about to pull the trigger on a Vacmaster 350, but then realized how big and heavy they are. The FM2000 fits in a drawer in my kitchen with its accessories and bags and I can lift it with one hand. If it lasts me 5 years I'll be happy and buy another just for the convenience and small size and weight.


Right on.People get carried away with these things,like they're professional butchers or something...To each his own.I'll stick with my FM2000 also.


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## johnmeyer (Dec 29, 2017)

motocrash said:


> Can you set it to stun? :eek:


I set mine to overload, so it blows up the starship.

And yes, the "gun" is just as cool in person as in the picture.

BTW, I have a Foodsaver that is twenty years old and going strong. I use it 2-3 times a day, both for sealing pouches as well as cans. When I finally can't repair it anymore, whatever I get must have a canning attachment. Putting leftovers in glass containers is amazingly useful and effective.


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## motocrash (Dec 29, 2017)

johnmeyer said:


> I set mine to overload, so it blows up the starship.
> 
> And yes, the "gun" is just as cool in person as in the picture.
> 
> BTW, I have a Foodsaver that is twenty years old and going strong. I use it 2-3 times a day, both for sealing pouches as well as cans. When I finally can't repair it anymore, whatever I get must have a canning attachment. Putting leftovers in glass containers is amazingly useful and effective.


That's why i'm holding on to my old one,heat sealing strip doesn't work but vacuum is strong as hell still.Will do jars and containers all day long.I'm liking my new cheapo a lot too.


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## red sled (Jan 1, 2018)

After reading and watching lots of reviews and user recommendations, we purchased a new Foodsaver FM2000 a couple days ago at Walmart. It's a reasonable price and we had a lot of smoked meat to get in the freezer this Holiday weekend. We vac/sealed two laundry baskets of meat and veggies and so far it's worked great. And cutting bags from the bulk rolls is pretty simple and saves money.


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## motocrash (Jan 1, 2018)

red sled said:


> After reading and watching lots of reviews and user recommendations, we purchased a new Foodsaver FM2000 a couple days ago at Walmart. It's a reasonable price and we had a lot of smoked meat to get in the freezer this Holiday weekend. We vac/sealed two laundry baskets of meat and veggies and so far it's worked great. And cutting bags from the bulk rolls is pretty simple and saves money.


Yeah,it's amazing what you can accomplish even without the intermittent wipers and rear window defrost huh.:D


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## ab canuck (Jan 1, 2018)

I have researched this over a ton, I decided to call Lisa directly at vacumsealers unlimited. I ended up ordering the 380. It is capable of doing 15" bags or 2 smaller ones at a time. This is what we use as we do our own butchering etc. so big bags help. the 350 is for 12" or smaller. They are great machines and worth every penny, Buy what you need for size or think you will need.
 I have went through 2 food savers so far and it was a tossup between vacmaster or weston. I went with vacmaster and wouldn't turn back....


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## zwiller (Jan 2, 2018)

red sled said:


> After reading and watching lots of reviews and user recommendations, we purchased a new Foodsaver FM2000 a couple days ago at Walmart. It's a reasonable price and we had a lot of smoked meat to get in the freezer this Holiday weekend. We vac/sealed two laundry baskets of meat and veggies and so far it's worked great. And cutting bags from the bulk rolls is pretty simple and saves money.


Lucky!  None in stock around me.  I would Amazon but need to use some gift cards.


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## red sled (Jan 2, 2018)

That stinks.  I don't recall for sure, but we may have purchased the last one at our store. We weren't' 100% committed to buying the Foodsaver but while we were looking at them someone came along to buy bags for theirs. After chatting with them for a few minutes we decided it would work for our limited use.

I think the lady who sells here ( Lisa ? )  has some really good items and vac sealers. Just not sure we can justify the extra $$ for our limited use.


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## mosparky (Jan 2, 2018)

For what it's worth, Foodsaver has some really good deals on remanufactured units( including FM2000), for those more budget minded. I almost pulled the trigger but life happened.


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## zwiller (Jan 4, 2018)

Finally got my FM2000 a few days ago!  Plan to use tonight to vac seal some smoked cheese.  Totally will use Lisa/VM350 if I get more into it later on.


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## Victor (Jan 4, 2018)

I just purchased a VacMaster Pro 380 right before Christmas.
I purchased it through the vacuum sealers unlimited web site.
Should I have went through Lisa, instead of the web site?


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## old sarge (Jan 4, 2018)

victor said:


> I just purchased a VacMaster Pro 380 right before Christmas.
> I purchased it through the vacuum sealers unlimited web site.
> Should I have went through Lisa, instead of the web site?



If you purchased it through the web site then you purchased it from Lisa.  I think.


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## zwiller (Jan 8, 2018)

Vac sealed my smoked cheese and I think the FM2000 will work fine for my needs for now.  I did 6 blocks back to back and no issues.  I kinda expected a learning curve but was pleasantly surprised how simple it went.  I also tried a few double seals that I plan to use for SV and that went just as easy too.  We all had a good laugh at the sound!


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## SonnyE (Jan 9, 2018)

Well, I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg on this aspect of the process, so I went with a simple Ziploc Vacuum Sealer.
At $50, I felt the price was right for my penny-anty use. Danged bags are costly though.
But it has a hose attachment, which I wanted. I have delusions of grandeur with dry vacuum canning in Mason jars. Maybe even some wet work, like vacuum marinating.

But... if I was to have my druthers....
I'd druther have a Chamber Vacuum machine.

Shotgun Red has his take on it.
Quite the charicture, but makes sense.


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## old sarge (Aug 20, 2018)

I went with a sealer from LEM. So far so good. Doesn’t even get warm during use except for the sealing bar. Pricey but should outlast me.


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## old sarge (Aug 21, 2018)

bregent said:


> Yep, spam. Folks please don't quote the links in spam posts - when the spam gets deleted, their link is still there.


Got it and thanks.


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## tallbm (Aug 21, 2018)

old sarge said:


> I went with a sealer from LEM. So far so good. Doesn’t even get warm during use except for the sealing bar. Pricey but should outlast me.



I wonder if LEM sealers are rebranded VacMaster sealers.  Anyone know?


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## old sarge (Aug 21, 2018)

Somehow I doubt it.  Single pump and no handle on the lid.  No display. But, could be manufactured by the same company to different design and specs.  From Alibaba:

https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...galleryofferlist.normalList.11.6c8a6cdaZU36Cx


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## tallbm (Aug 21, 2018)

old sarge said:


> Somehow I doubt it.  Single pump and no handle on the lid.  No display. But, could be manufactured by the same company to different design and specs.  From Alibaba:
> 
> https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...galleryofferlist.normalList.11.6c8a6cdaZU36Cx


Ah, I thought they looked the same for some reason.  Must have confused myself lol


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## old sarge (Aug 21, 2018)

There are some minor similarities but there was enough of a difference that I went with LEM over everything else on the market. I gave serious consideration to a machine made in Italy called Vacupack but in the end the LEM seemed the better buy.


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