# Vacuum Machine Issues?



## olecrosseyes (Dec 3, 2019)

Are any of you having any issues with your vac machine and if so what or how is it not working correctly?


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## tallbm (Dec 3, 2019)

olecrosseyes said:


> Are any of you having any issues with your vac machine and if so what or how is it not working correctly?



Currently i do not have any issues BUT I had one of the higher dollar food savers that I started with and after 1 hunting season it basically crapped the bed.  It would not completely vacuum suction a bag and left air in it, etc.  

I moved on to a Weston Pro 2100 and haven't looked back.  It seems the Vac Master brand is very very popular here so if my Weston gives up on me I'll try the Vac Master brand.

Just know that vac sealers are NOTORIOUS for going to crap on people and doing so quickly.  This is why we all end up resorting to the much higher dollar units ($275-$325+) and a few select brands that are known to be work horses rather than failures.   I will never buy another food saver brand vac sealer no matter what!


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## Fueling Around (Dec 3, 2019)

I started with entry level Ziplok unit I got cheap from local box store. Pathetic performance and
It went a little more than a year before sealing element fried.
Got the step up Ziplok unit from same box store again very low priced.  I am very happy with his model.  I have tortured it for around 3 years.

Tried the food saver bags.  Went back to Ziplok bags.  Much better sealing results.


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## sawhorseray (Dec 4, 2019)

I went thru 4-5 Foodsavers over the years, each one a step up in price, the last couple were $200 a pop. They always seemed to crap out right in the middle of a project, like vac-sealing a batch of sausage, so my wife would run to Kohls and just buy another one so I could get the job done.  Those things can only seal and run for so long before you have to stop and let them cool down. I got this Cabelas commercial grade sealer a couple years back and it's performed flawlessly. I can seal one bag after another without ever having to stop and wait. I was seriously considering a Vac-Master before settling on this, ended up not wanting to deal with the weight and counter space lost with one. I have no idea of how long it'll last but I get a lot of use from it and love it. RAY






						Cabela's 12'' Commercial-Grade Vacuum Sealer | Cabela's
					






					www.cabelas.com


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## Steve H (Dec 4, 2019)

I've got a cheap food saver that I've had for 20 plus years. It has been used extensively and has yet to give me any issues. I also have my mother's foodsaver that she for god knows how long.  I can't get the vacuum port to except the tube. But other then that it performs better then mine. Vacuums faster.


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## fivetricks (Dec 4, 2019)

I'm so frustrated with vacuum sealers lol. I do enough that I want/need to have a good working one, but not so much that I can justify the cost of a good chamber sealer. Thought I bought a good one this last time. Sure enough a few months in a little plastic chip developed under the black material opposite the heater rail and it won't seal properly. Makes me so mad


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## mike243 (Dec 4, 2019)

the last 1 I bought is a auto food saver, it has a 5 year warranty , I don't plan to ever buy a manual  style again


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## archeryrob (Dec 4, 2019)

I process a lot of deer raw and finished products. Cut it for steaks, grind it and make snack stick and bologna, deer ham, goose pastrami to be sealed and so on. I have the Vac Master Pro 350 and I like it. it is adjustable on the suction which seems to be nice for most things. I don't need to suck all the blood out of steaks and attempt to crush whole chickens.

The biggest problem I had with all sealers was the sealing bar. Most of the Food savers would fry from me doing sealing over and over. They also didn't like anything wet and seals would fail. This 350 seals so good that when it is finished I lift the lid and wait 5 seconds to pick it up. I did a bunch in a row and maybe on the third I I hurried and lifted the lid and pulled the sealed package. The plastic stretched out like mozzarella cheese on a pizza.   It was still sealed, but I hit it again to be safe.


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## SmokinAl (Dec 4, 2019)

I have a VacMaster Pro 380. I went thru a couple of FoodSavers, and just bit the bullet & bought this one. It has a 16" sealing bar so you can seal 2 small bags at once or up to the big 15" bags.
Al


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## Steve H (Dec 4, 2019)

I'm pretty sure Santa is putting this under the tree. It will be a massive improvement for sure.






						MaxVac 500 Vacuum Sealer | LEM Products
					

The LEM MaxVac 500 Vacuum Sealer is a high-quality, durable vacuum sealer that works well for those who don't need the industrial output of a larger machine.




					www.lemproducts.com


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## dirtsailor2003 (Dec 4, 2019)

SmokinAl said:


> I have a VacMaster Pro 380. I went thru a couple of FoodSavers, and just bit the bullet & bought this one. It has a 16" sealing bar so you can seal 2 small bags at once or up to the big 15" bags.
> Al



I too have the Pro380. Wouldn't trade it for anything, well maybe a VacMaster Chamber sealer.

Before that I had an ancient food saver (which lasted 30 years of heavy use). When it died I was given a new Foodsaver. It didn't suck, really no suction, bad sealer. Sealed bags would open up after in freezer. Done. 

Proper bags make a big difference too. The ultra bags from Vac Unlimited when used with the VacMaster are the bomb. 

On a side note the charter fishing company that my family operates out of has a mega VacMaster chamber sealer. Last Halibut trip I paid them to pack  up my fish as I was traveling and didn't want fish goo rolling all over the inside of the cooler.  They use the VacMaster VP330 and run hundreds of packs daily.


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## old sarge (Dec 4, 2019)

I have been using the LEM MaxVac  since my FoodSaver Pro took a dump after many years of reliable use.  No problems getting a good seal


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## bdskelly (Dec 4, 2019)

I’ve got a vacmaster as well.   It’s solid. No issues at all . Well.... except  if I push the wrong button! B


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## olecrosseyes (Dec 4, 2019)

Out of the replacement vacs that you have purchased, have any of you had to deal with the manufacturer for repair issues? 

What happened?
How were they to deal with?
Did you get resolve?


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## fullborebbq (Dec 5, 2019)

I have had my Foodsaver  2244 for 10+ years and my FS game saver Outdoorsman unit for 2 years now. Both of these units will work well if used correctly. Buy GOOD quality bags! I have found some on Ebay made in Italy that work far better than the FS bags. That being said, If you are sealing anything that contains liquids, Soups, stews, etc you will need to freeze them first then put them in bags to seal. After 20+ years of using these fine machines I went to a chamber machine. THERE IS NO COMPARISON! I only went with an entry model VACPAC-IT  10" seal model with the oil filled pump. well worth the extra dollars if you do a lot of packing. 
In the long run you save on the bags to justify the machine cost. just my 2 cents.

Bags:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Sous-Vide-...PriorityMailLegalFlatRateEnvelope!14227!US!-1

Michine:
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/va...MI74-yuPCd5gIVAxgMCh20YAUIEAQYASABEgLpDvD_BwE


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## tallbm (Dec 5, 2019)

olecrosseyes said:


> Out of the replacement vacs that you have purchased, have any of you had to deal with the manufacturer for repair issues?
> 
> What happened?
> How were they to deal with?
> Did you get resolve?



FoodSaver was of basically no real help to me in my case.  I bought mine in 2011 (a $180-200 unit) it sealed about 200 pounds of game meat before it lots its ability to really suction and seal for me, didn't even last a year.  They just sold me more foam inserts and sealer strips and none of that did anything.  They were not technically helpful at all for solving the problems and I just moved on to a real unit and never looked back.


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