As we’re talking about our favorite mixes for ground venison, I'm in the market for a new grinder.
I’d welcome your experience (good and bad) and your recommendations.
Had a cheap underpowered grinder which was painfully slow. Upgraded to a 1/4 horsepower Cabelas grinder, about $300 5 years ago, very nice, plenty fast. They make them considerably more powerful ( and more expensive) but for grinding 10-15 pounds at a time the 1/4 HP grinder is adequate.
I have a 1.5 hp Meat grinder. That is the name on the side of the thing. Had a light duty .5HP but it lasted only a couple years. So I went looking for a 1.0 HP or larger grinder. I could not justify $4,000 for a proper Hobart grinder and looked for a used one for a year or so with no luck. Most grinders, which call themselves commercial, are nothing of the sort like a real commercial unit. Came across this online and bought it. So far it has worked well and makes quick work of grinding meat. They claim 18 pounds a minute but I do not go that fast. It will do all the trimmings from a deer or hog in not too much time. I grind course twice, mixing the seasons in the second time and then grind a third time if needed depending on how fine I need it. It was $700.00 so it is not cheap but I figured it should outlast my cheaper $300.00 unit by two or three times so you get what you pay for. Now if my son or his wife would just kill a deer I would put it to work making some sausage or ground burger. Son missed a decent buck yesterday bow hunting and his wife has passed on several bucks that did not "measure" up to her standards. If those bucks were eating her beans they would all be shot on sight.
https://www.meatyourmaker.com/proce...SnIin-wIVsgp9Ch1ieg9UEAQYCiABEgIqq_D_BwE
Mine is a Gander mountain 1/3hp "industrial" #5. I have only done three deer with it, but I grind everything. It doesn't bog down. I will be grinding tomorrow. Oh! I grind everything but the Liver. That gets sliced and fried in butter with lots of onions. I have also heard that grinding meat that is close to frozen is best. I haven't done it.
With the advent of Chronic Wasting Diceise I stopped eating Venison.
HomelessjOe,
Just don't eat the brains or spinal cord and you should be ok. I don't think the spinal cord is much good anyway.
Mike
Interesting that this rose back to the top. Momma said yesterday, “No more research. Tomorrow you have to make up your mind.” So…
Decision Day.
OK, I went with a “MEAT” grinder from Columbia, MO. Thanks to you all and special thanks to Jon. I wouldn’t have known of this company except for you. I researched them last week and they made the short list.
An added bonus was that when I went back to their website this morning they had a Cyber Week sale going and I ended up saving $112 on the model I was looking at. Plus they offered free shipping.
Happy camper here.
You will be happy with that machine I’m sure. Wish mine was on sale but even full price it has been a great machine. Just finished grinding two does for my daughter in laws family. They deboned everything they wanted ground with a bit of pork fat and sent it over for the grind. It was partly frozen and the grinder took care of it effortlessly. I was done and cleaned up with a cold drink in hand in less than an hour. My old machine would have taken three times the time.