# Need a new sealer, hunter style duty



## archeryrob (Jan 25, 2019)

I had a Food saver V3240 my wife got and they say this thing needs a 20 second break between seals and the board probably fried. I sealed 10 bags in a row after making bruanschweiger. I need something that can handle sealing processed game and not being really expensive.

Delete, I am getting the Cabelas Commercial model, I got points to use.
*Cabela's Commercial-Grade 12" Vacuum Sealer*

Compact 12" dual heat-strip sealing bar for an airtight seal
Intelligent Sealing Bar monitors and adjusts heat level
*Smart Heat Technology for nonstop use with no waiting periods*
26 in. Hg of pressure keeps food fresh five times longer
Crush-resistant, replaceable foam seal gaskets


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## Murdy (Jan 25, 2019)

I'd be interested in hearing how you like it.  Kind of in the market for one myself.


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## rexster314 (Jan 25, 2019)

Take a look at the Foodsaver Gamesaver Titanium. I have one and it's built like a tank. I took the optional 5 month payout with no interest. 
https://www.foodsaver.com/titanium-landing-page-mobile.html


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## archeryrob (Jan 25, 2019)

Ouch, but it still says food saver on it and is more expensive than other models out there.

I seal many things at a time. I male 20# or more, of bologna, hotdogs or kill deer and may butcher chickens soon. I'll report back, but the sealer duty is why most die for me.


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## tallbm (Jan 25, 2019)

I'm in the camp that you just have to buy a good quality one (not FoodSaver brand) which means you will pay the money.  Vac Sealers are notorious for crapping out so you just gotta fork over the money and bite the bullet.

Let us know how the Cabela's one pans out.  It SUUUUUUUUCKS to have the sealer crap out when you have put all that work into processing your game animals and then you have to scramble to handle storage issues while the meat has been in and out of the cooler for days now.  It is unnerving lol.


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## baboy (Jan 25, 2019)

I went with one of the vacmaster chamber vacuum sealers. It works so much better than the foodsaver type. Over a couple of years we packed north of 2,000 bags out at my friends farm when we butchered some pigs and chickens. They liked it so much that when i moved away they bought one and the neighbor also got one so they didn't have to share. At the rate they use it the cheaper cost of bags will pay for the unit over time. For me I like the fact that you can seal wet products without an issue although I wasn't paying attention when I was packing pig lungs and they expanded to fill the entire chamber.


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## tallbm (Jan 25, 2019)

baboy said:


> I went with one of the vacmaster chamber vacuum sealers. It works so much better than the foodsaver type. Over a couple of years we packed north of 2,000 bags out at my friends farm when we butchered some pigs and chickens. They liked it so much that when i moved away they bought one and the neighbor also got one so they didn't have to share. At the rate they use it the cheaper cost of bags will pay for the unit over time. For me I like the fact that you can seal wet products without an issue although I wasn't paying attention when I was packing pig lungs and they expanded to fill the entire chamber.



If I could dedicate the room for chamber vacuum sealer I would surely love to have one.  Maybe someday if I end up with a dedicated enclosed (like screened in) outdoor kitchen area.  I would add a chamber vac sealer to that setup.
I can see it sitting next to the island/table area opposite of the sink area.
Oh how I can dream of the day :D


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## flatbroke (Jan 25, 2019)

I just got the Cabelas sealer, haven't had a chance to give it good test yet. I got the 15 inch and it is pretty big.  Im thinking the 12 inch will be nice


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## tallbm (Jan 25, 2019)

flatbroke said:


> I just got the Cabelas sealer, haven't had a chance to give it good test yet. I got the 15 inch and it is pretty big.  Im thinking the 12 inch will be nice



With the bigger ones you can sometimes seal 2 bags a time if you wanna get cute with it :)


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## archeryrob (Jan 25, 2019)

I don't have the room for a chamber one in the kitchen, nor the approval for that outlay of coin. That is much higher end than I could get approval for.


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## old sarge (Jan 25, 2019)

I have been very happy with the LEM MaxVac I purchased.  28HG piston pump and rated for 10 hours continuous use, not that I will ever come close to even 5 hours of continuous use. But it was a good selling point as was the 5 year warranty. Enjoy whatever you get!


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## SmokinAl (Jan 26, 2019)

Vacmaster 380 Pro is what I have. It pulls 27.5, & has a 16" sealing bar.
It has a cooling fan that keep it cool enough, so you can do continuous sealing.
You can seal the big 15" bags with no problem.
Al


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## InThePittBBQ (Jan 26, 2019)

old sarge said:


> I have been very happy with the LEM MaxVac I purchased.  28HG piston pump and rated for 10 hours continuous use, not that I will ever come close to even 5 hours of continuous use. But it was a good selling point as was the 5 year warranty. Enjoy whatever you get!


I put their model 1000 maxvac into service a few months back, and we give it hard daily use. 

Hands down the best sealer I have ever used at any price, more money than most consumer grade machines but it seals so much faster and reliably I can't see ever using anything else. 

Plus it will reseal any commercial packaging, from potato chips to bags of frozen peppers and onions it has resealed any foil or plastic packaging perfectly. Anything with a pleated seam just needs that side pointing up.


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## sweetride95 (Feb 6, 2019)

Vacmaster Pro350 here. Great machine, size is very manageable. Price is reasonable considering it isn't a full on commercial unit.


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## smokemgood (Feb 25, 2019)

I'm a vacuum sealer machine hoarder .  Currently own 4 machines and am considering another.  

I own 3 external sealers which are a used original Foodsaver (still perhaps the best Foodsaver model made, in my opinion), a Sinbo nozzle type sealer, and a Food Shield nozzle type sealer which works like a more automated Sinbo model.

I also on a Vacmaster VP120 chamber machine.  This is my go to for the most serious vacuum sealing.  It fits on my counter top and works fine.  The biggest dislike however is the thing is LOUD.  I  have to wear ear protection when the machine is running or else I get a headache after a few runs.  I live in a condo and can actually hear the machine running when I'm out of my unit and down the hallway.

I'm looking at a Waring Commercial WCV300 Chamber Vacuum sealer which I understand isn't so loud.


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## old sarge (Feb 25, 2019)

Here is a model/brand  you may not have heard of before.  Made in Italy, but the dealer is in the US and made this video:


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## archeryrob (Feb 26, 2019)

My first try with the cabelas one did not go very well on very wet goose breasts. I soak for a week changing water to drain blood and such. I wonder if it helps much any more. Wounding from killing them makes blood trama around the meat many times. Anyways, I did 4 breasts in a bag and it suction was not strong enough to remove the air pockets in the back. It sealed two breasts in a bag.

I think I need to try freezing them right away or par freezing them and then sealing. I was not terrible impressed with the vacuum on the cabelas model. The sealer works great, but the vaccum seems weak. I plan to try it again, but we shall see. It used several more inches of bag than the food saver did also for the same size of meat. I can handle that, but it just seem wasteful.


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## flatbroke (Feb 26, 2019)

The vac  on mine seems a little underpowered as well. I wish it good be adjusted


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## old sarge (Feb 26, 2019)

Pumps do go bad. Maybe the company can send a replacement. If shopping for s new machine get one with a high rating in the mid to high 20’s of mercury, read hg. Prepare to spend a couple of hundred dollars or more. 

Wet food- Get some absorbent pads from a meat company or somewhere like LE M. You can also use paper towels. Or freeze before sealing.


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## chopsaw (Feb 26, 2019)

The paper towel trick works . I have a Game saver deluxe plus . Has a moist setting and a tray to catch the liquid . I roll a paper towel and put it across the bag at the end to be sealed .


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## tallbm (Feb 26, 2019)

archeryrob said:


> My first try with the cabelas one did not go very well on very wet goose breasts. I soak for a week changing water to drain blood and such. I wonder if it helps much any more. Wounding from killing them makes blood trama around the meat many times. Anyways, I did 4 breasts in a bag and it suction was not strong enough to remove the air pockets in the back. It sealed two breasts in a bag.
> 
> I think I need to try freezing them right away or par freezing them and then sealing. I was not terrible impressed with the vacuum on the cabelas model. The sealer works great, but the vaccum seems weak. I plan to try it again, but we shall see. It used several more inches of bag than the food saver did also for the same size of meat. I can handle that, but it just seem wasteful.



Rob try squeeze the back end of the bag together in kind of a crumpled manner. This creates folds/creases up and over the meat as you vacuum seal and the folds/creases allow the vacuum to suck over and behind the meat until it sucks the folds/creases down all the way to the meat.

This little technique may help you get a better seal but if it doesn't then you may be back in the market for a sealer.  Thanks for the user report though.  Vac Sealers are such a notorious pain unless you get in with a few brands at a high $$$ for them.  Best of luck!


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## archeryrob (Apr 28, 2019)

Man, my wife tried to use this cabelas sealer again today on dry ham chucks we use for breakfast and other meals. It would not develop the pressure to seal on Auto. We tried manual vacuuming and manual seal and there was a ton of air in it. Cleaned the gaskets and still it won't work. $300 and this is the worst POS sealer I have ever bought! I tried to upgrade and got trash.

I am not recommending the cabelas sealer. at this time. Cabelas is sending me a replacement to try as this one is defective and if it is still weak, I am sending it back for a refund. Their customer service reps were great and I told them I would try another unit to be sure and they said I can send that one back also if it doesn't work out.


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## daveomak (Apr 28, 2019)

Rob, Try adding water, drop wise, to the sucking nozzle...  don't add too much at a time...  you could hydraulic the pump...   I found particles of stuff screwed up the vacuum and after several drops of water, the vacuum line and stuff got cleaned out just fine...


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## daveomak (Apr 28, 2019)

The get a vac-master from Vacuum Sealers unlimited on the forum....   Here's Foam's thread..    I have one and love it, as do most of the members here...  And Lisa gives us a discount...  and Her bags are better than Food Saver also...

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/vac-master-pro-350-foamheart.242342/


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## old sarge (Apr 28, 2019)

Rob - If you do what Dave suggests with the water, and it does not improve, and since it is not working, disassemble and manually clean from the vac port(s) back to the pump. You have nothing to lose but some time and who knows, you might locate the offending crud and bring it back to life. At the worst you will be throwing away pieces rather than an in tact unit.


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## archeryrob (May 20, 2019)

I returned it and Cabela's did not send me another unit to try again. I just clicked on Lisa's link and the VacMaster Pro 350 is $289 right now and cheaper than the Cabela's models. Sounds like a better unit to try with better reviews. Just placed my order and I'll review it later on.


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## old sarge (May 20, 2019)

Good luck and enjoy!


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## daveomak (May 20, 2019)

I really like my vac master...  Warning....  there is MORE suck...  could cause a problem with any vacuum canisters you may have...  I cracked both of mine...


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## archeryrob (May 21, 2019)

Thanks Dave, I look forward to having a nice device. I guess I could use pulse if it's too strong, but I'd rather deal with that than the weak one I just had from Cabelas. The unit I got from them didn't even seem to have the pressure the cheap food savers have from Walmart, just a really nice sealer.

I have not been using any canisters. I was considering using them for jerky, but I have not been making any with exploring other stuff. Maybe I'll kill an extra deer this year just for getting back into jerky. The wife likes a think Worcester/soy marinade to cover the Gamey taste of game.


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## tallbm (May 21, 2019)

archeryrob said:


> Thanks Dave, I look forward to having a nice device. I guess I could use pulse if it's too strong, but I'd rather deal with that than the weak one I just had from Cabelas. The unit I got from them didn't even seem to have the pressure the cheap food savers have from Walmart, just a really nice sealer.
> 
> I have not been using any canisters. I was considering using them for jerky, but I have not been making any with exploring other stuff. Maybe I'll kill an extra deer this year just for getting back into jerky. The wife likes a think Worcester/soy marinade to cover the Gamey taste of game.



If you haven't tried ground meat jerky that may be something for you to check into.  You could simply grind up your deer and you have ground whenever you want and you can just take that lean grind and roll into jerky strips.  Ground meat jerky is softer on the teeth as well.  All wins and it is my preference since I process my own deer and changing the setup to make jerky slices would be a major time sink to an already laborious week of work when you have 7-12 animals to process :)


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## sweetride95 (May 22, 2019)

+1 on the Vac Master 350. Great machine.
I also have their vp112 chamber sealer for the juicy stuff.
I am an average home user and have had zero problems with either machine.


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