# What The ?



## ronp (Dec 15, 2009)

I just opened my new, old Food Saver. It must be here 6 - 8 months or more and never used it.

I couldn't get it to work at first to make a bag, then couldn't get it to seal. I guess there is a learning curve at least for me. I guess if I could use Photo Bucket I should be able to figure this out. 

I think I was trying to save bag material and wasn't allowing enough room to insert in the opening.

After 20 minutes I got this.

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Lesson learned? Don't skimp on the bag material, not worth the time to fiddle around with it.


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## allen (Dec 15, 2009)

Hey ronp, I have a Rival food sealer but use Food Saver bags and have had no problems with them,   1 side has to have a sort of rough texture on 1 side and a smooth texture on the other side, as air is being vacuumed out it needs a way to come out of the bag as to why one side rough and one side simooth


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## beer-b-q (Dec 15, 2009)




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## ronp (Dec 15, 2009)

That seems too easy, why didn't the video say that. So, which side in on top? Directions say it should go in so it curves downward is all. After making the bag it gets distorted.

Shame on you Paul.


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## rickw (Dec 15, 2009)

We had trouble with ours once, it wouldn't take all the air out, and what it was is the seal around the edge needed cleaning. Took it out, cleaned it off and it was good to go.


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## allen (Dec 15, 2009)

I was messing around with my Rival and found out if I put the end of the bag just over the heat tape but not the vacuum tray itself it will just seal the bag and not vacuum, if the end or edge of the bag is in the small drip tray it should vacuum and then seal, I would show you but Photobucket and me are having it out.I hope this explains it.


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## mossymo (Dec 15, 2009)

ronp
My Golden Retriever suggests that the FoodSaver works best with the "ruff" side up !!!


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## ronp (Dec 15, 2009)

Well it was brand new, never thought to check that.

Well I can't see anything once I put it in.

That is the answer I was looking for, thanks, and give your retriever a pat on the head for me.


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## k5yac (Dec 15, 2009)

Hope you get it going... I love mine.

I normally do rough side down, but I'm not sure if it matters.


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## mulepackin (Dec 15, 2009)

Yeah Ron, you can't skimp on material. No matter how frugal I try to be, it comes back to bite me in the a#@. I just did a big load of sausage tonight, and like you, hadn't used mine in about 6 mos. I tried sealing smooth side up and down and couldn't find any difference. Couldn't find anything in the literature either. I can't make out what lights are lit on your machine so not sure what the prob. there is. When I make my first seal, I go about a 1/4 in. past the heat strip. That seems sufficient. My first bag is usually a sacrifice bag, so if I'm doing multiples of similar sized items, I go a bit large then can get a pretty good sense of how big I can get away with. Still have to leave enough flap for it to lay flat across the strip and sag into the well. If it wrinkles some, and you aren't sure it sealed, seal again about a 1/4 up from the initial seal.


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## oneshot (Dec 15, 2009)

Which side you have up makes no difference, as long as you put it in the hole right......


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## oneshot (Dec 15, 2009)

Paul, you are cruel sometimes...But yer crackin me up!!!!  lol


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## redneckchef (Dec 15, 2009)

ron i tuna and salmon fish from the greatlakes to louisanna  walleye in between rival has not held up for me food saver has been a very good to me   i caught a130lb tuna plus two 80 to 90lbs laster year  the rival died after a few bags  it was fairly new 1 yr  had to make dash cabelas get new vac seal bought afoodsaver good buy never lost any fish    two weeks latter went salmon fishing  out of luddington mi.  went 24 out 30   lost no fish from foodsaver   12 mounths tuna is still good smoke salmon  is good  i have 50 to70lbs yet to smoke still in vac  looked at today no freeze burn going to smoke some in a week   i am still trying to get photobucket down  when daughter slows down maybe she teach me   if not maybe grandson will    4weeks old on friday 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





   got to love to the em  future redneck chef


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## abomb (Dec 15, 2009)

I have the FoodSaver brand and I have trouble sealing the smaller bags only.  The larger bags seal just fine but for some reason I have not had success with the smaller bags. It's a hit and miss.  Anyone else have a problem with the smaller bags?


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## chefrob (Dec 15, 2009)

my girlfriend says that about me sometimes!


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## nwdave (Dec 15, 2009)

No Problem with smaller.  I've found that if you place the left or right edge of bag to the edge of machine and all the way in, you'll hit the electronic switch which triggers the pump and sealer.  ONE THING I have noticed about the Food Saver precut bags is that you've got to keep an eye on all the edges.  I've found a few, not a lot mind you, but there were some where the sealing on some of the "sealed at factory" edges were leakers.

However, sometimes it just seems you gotta hold your tongue just the right way somedays.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I have the new Vertical Food Saver as pictured above and I know it's far superior to previous editions of the Food Saver.


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## mossymo (Dec 15, 2009)

A tad off subject but pertinent; these individually cut bags are much less expensive compared to FoodSaver brand bags and are also reusable, but are more difficult to clean because of a thin layer of material that is inside the bag. But, we have found them to work well in our FoodSavers.

The following links are for retailers of the same manufacturer of the bags. The retailers carry some different sizes than the other retailer.

http://www.sausagemaker.com/non-chamberbags.aspx

and 

http://www.vacnsac.com/index.php?crn=318


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## mballi3011 (Dec 15, 2009)

I use mine for just about everything so we can buy our meat in bulk to save money and them just seperate it out and use the suckem up to store and freeze them. the such almost be a required purchase when you buy a grill or smoker. Mostly a smoker cause you end up doing larger cuts of meat.


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