I need a new vacuum sealer.

[Enslow]

I’m definitely straight. Sorry to disappoint you enslow. You’ll have to find yourself a boy toy elsewhere.

I was just having fun a bit of fun talking about your favorite rifle caliber lol. Chill out it’s almost Christmas.

 

[Kentucky Windage]

I was just having fun a bit of fun talking about your favorite rifle caliber lol. Chill out it’s almost Christmas.

Me too. I still think you’re weird in a joe dirt Buffalo bill kind of way though.......

 

[Enslow]

That is so thoughtful and nice of you... anyways I have two friends with chamber sealers and they say they couldn’t survive without them so...

 

[CJR]

Next question.....I’m looking at vacmasters. I’m looking at models 215, 220, and 230. Main differences appear to be oil vs dry rocker piston, 10.25” vs 12.25” seal bars and 1/4 vs 1/2 hp. Which one should I get and why?

Personally I would go with as large as possible. With our 215, I cant double up 6 inch bags. That would be handy when running burger or sausage, where your portioning bulk items. I prefer the oil bath models. Knowing I can keep that oil fresh is nice. It really depends on how hard you are going to be running it. When we process deer and make sausage, we can easily go through 4-500 bags in a weekend. It runs darn near nonstop for much of that time.

 

[wjschmaltz]

I grew up working in a butcher shop. First job at age 4 was washing the kill floor, second job at age 5 was operating the chamber vac. I personally don’t see a need for a chamber vac in my life. I unfortunately just don’t kill enough stuff to justify it. On top of that, I don’t have a place to store it where I do my processing so I don’t want to have to move it or meat around to use it.

This year we did my buddy’s whole moose in an afternoon, 123 sockeye another afternoon, and about 250lbs of halibut/salmon/cod another day. VacMaster 380 pro was plenty for each job. 18 inch bar so we can do two packs at a time if needed and it’s air cooled. The only way a chamber sealer would’ve been more effective is if it was one that has room for 4 bags. I do whole bear hams, large packs (~12lbs) of deboned meat, and broth with mine too. It’s perfect for what little I’m doing. Maybe some day when the kids are older and we can get 500lbs of Fish a weekend and a couple moose a year we can justify a chamber!

 

[Kentucky Windage]

Talk me out of a vacmaster vp230 model. Ready set go

 

[LBrandt]

I grew up working in a butcher shop. First job at age 4 was washing the kill floor, second job at age 5 was operating the chamber vac. I personally don’t see a need for a chamber vac in my life. I unfortunately just don’t kill enough stuff to justify it. On top of that, I don’t have a place to store it where I do my processing so I don’t want to have to move it or meat around to use it.

This year we did my buddy’s whole moose in an afternoon, 123 sockeye another afternoon, and about 250lbs of halibut/salmon/cod another day. VacMaster 380 pro was plenty for each job. 18 inch bar so we can do two packs at a time if needed and it’s air cooled. The only way a chamber sealer would’ve been more effective is if it was one that has room for 4 bags. I do whole bear hams, large packs (~12lbs) of deboned meat, and broth with mine too. It’s perfect for what little I’m doing. Maybe some day when the kids are older and we can get 500lbs of Fish a weekend and a couple moose a year we can justify a chamber!

Do you need my address I can PM it. LB

 

[zoops]

If you routinely butcher big game or really pile up fish, etc. (or just really have money to burn) I can see going with the big time models. For the average weekend warrior I don't see much wrong with the foodsaver types (from experience). ~$70, they last a few years and I haven't had any issues with them, been using well over 10 years - think I' just bought my third one. For big processing jobs we take our finished meat to the butcher shop and they vacuum pack it same day for cheap. The old debate of buy the cadillac that (should) last forever or the more disposable version for 1/10 the cost...

 

[wslayer]

Talk me out of a vacmaster vp230 model. Ready set go

Big, bulky, heavy,expensive, limited size and length of what can be sealed. Bags are cheaper and can do liquids is the only benefit I could see. Went thru this same issue and finally ordered the Vacmaster 360.
Had the 16" seal bar, pulse mode, and marinate. Also will hold roll internally.
Only bad is, mid January for delivery.
I had it down to :
Vacmaster 360
Cabelas Commercial 12"
LEM 500
Weston Pro 1100

all in the $300 range

 

[NG3067]

If you use a chamber sealer enough it will pay for itself in just the cost savings of the bags. I have a vp215 and love it, use it weekly.

 

[Enslow]

Talk me out of a vacmaster vp230 model. Ready set go

Don’t buy it you don’t have enough meat to justify.

 

[guywhofishes]

we buy big bulk meats at Sams/Costco - cut them to size and bag em

savings are astronomical

 

[CJR]

Talk me out of a vacmaster vp230 model. Ready set go

Why would we do that...its a great decision if you process lots or buy in bulk

Now its time to get a sou vide cooker since you have the sealer.

 

[ItemB]

https://www.lemproducts.com/product/maxvac-pro-chamber-sealer/all-vacuum-sealer-products

Costco has this sealer(LEM maxvac pro) for $600 on and off if you watch for it. Haven't used it much yet, but the few bags I did have no complaints and seems to get good reviews

 

[johnr]

we buy big bulk meats at Sams/Costco - cut them to size and bag em

savings are astronomical

you are justifying your huge purchase. You and gal could never eat enough meat to pencil this out.

We buy half a beef about every 9-12 months, it comes packed and labeled already, fish go in a ziplock of water, as do my pheasant breast. I vac seal some bulk cheeses the mrs buys, and sometimes some smoked goodness. I believe our little sealer was 90 bucks, and we have 5+ years on it.

Iffn I had #guywithatonofmoney money I would probably have 3 of them...haha

 

[risingsun]

You freeze that smokin goodness so the dogs can't smell it?

 

[guywhofishes]

we’ve been burned on half beef buys - nothing sucks worse than chewing on a half a $hitty cow

 

[Petras]

After a couple failed cheap foodsavers we spent a little more on a Vacmaster 380 a few years ago.... well worth it... We buy the rolls off amazon for making bags. We do a fair amount of fish and wild game every year with it... I've never used a chamber sealer before so I can't really compare them, but the Vacmaster 380 has a nice wide seal bar so if I'm doing narrow bags with smaller steaks or ground meat in them I can seal two at a time which is nice. If this thing ever fails, I won't hesitate to buy another one....

 

[Migrator Man]

Been using the food saver game saver (camo one), been working great so far with no overheating or other issues, before that had the cheap food saver that lasted 5 years before it quit working, granted I only use it when packaging meat processing it has been great for the money so far.

 

[Rut2much]

https://www.bismanonline.com/food_saver_vacuum_sealer_for_sale