Grinder / mixer selection advice?
12-15-2022, 01:46 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2022
Posts: 1
Grinder / mixer selection advice?
New member hoping for some advice from experienced home venison processors.
I've been making venison bacon and sausage at home for a few years, just getting my feet wet. Things have gone well enough that I am looking at potentially upgrading my equipment. The problem is that I'm having trouble determining the worth of some features and hope experienced folks have some recommendations.
I'm looking at upgrading to a #22 or #32 grinder, and I want to have a mixer that attaches rather than hand cranking a stand-alone as I do today. I'd also like to fit at least 25 pounds in the mixer as that is usually my batch size. There are several makes (Cabela's, LEM, Guide Gear) that appear to have mixers that attach to the grinder. The only grinder that I've seen that clearly states it has a reverse feature is Cabela's, I would probably only use the reverse when attached to the mixer. So I guess I have lots of questions:
Is going all the way to a #32 worth the investment when doing limited processing per year?
Is there a good lower cost option for grinders and mixers or do you generally get what you pay for?
Does a reverse feature really matter for grinding or mixing?
How important is a tilt feature on the mixer (seems pretty important for unloading)?
Finally, is a stuffer a better investment than an upgrade to the grinder and mixer? (not a fan of my little grinder's stuffing operation)
I've seen a ton of reviews and videos and advertisements but not a real recommended grinder / mixer combination. Any help is appreciated!
I've been making venison bacon and sausage at home for a few years, just getting my feet wet. Things have gone well enough that I am looking at potentially upgrading my equipment. The problem is that I'm having trouble determining the worth of some features and hope experienced folks have some recommendations.
I'm looking at upgrading to a #22 or #32 grinder, and I want to have a mixer that attaches rather than hand cranking a stand-alone as I do today. I'd also like to fit at least 25 pounds in the mixer as that is usually my batch size. There are several makes (Cabela's, LEM, Guide Gear) that appear to have mixers that attach to the grinder. The only grinder that I've seen that clearly states it has a reverse feature is Cabela's, I would probably only use the reverse when attached to the mixer. So I guess I have lots of questions:
Is going all the way to a #32 worth the investment when doing limited processing per year?
Is there a good lower cost option for grinders and mixers or do you generally get what you pay for?
Does a reverse feature really matter for grinding or mixing?
How important is a tilt feature on the mixer (seems pretty important for unloading)?
Finally, is a stuffer a better investment than an upgrade to the grinder and mixer? (not a fan of my little grinder's stuffing operation)
I've seen a ton of reviews and videos and advertisements but not a real recommended grinder / mixer combination. Any help is appreciated!
