Best Vacuum Sealer under $300

[moog5050]

Our food saver is biting the dust.   We use ours a fair amount.  Cabelas had a commercial version for 299 that looked decent.   Any recommendations on a sealer that will suck a golf ball through a garden hose?  Enter @Pygmy.   

[Five Seasons]

this is what I own. I bought it last year after using the cheaper model for years. For me, the built in bag cutter is non-negotiable, it's a huge time saver to cut and seal separate. nice 2 handed press too and a fair price. Did 3 deer last year, 2 this year and a bunch of kings over the summer without issue.

https://www.foodsaver.com/vacuum-sealers/foodsaver-fm5480-2-in-1-food-preservation-system/FM5480-026.html#start=3

Edited December 12, 2019 by Belo

[goosifer]

23 minutes ago, moog5050 said:

Our food saver is biting the dust.   We use ours a fair amount.  Cabelas had a commercial version for 299 that looked decent.   Any recommendations on a sealer that will suck a golf ball through a garden hose?  Enter @Pygmy.   

I have that one, and I like it. It's lasted longer than any of the Foodsaver branded ones I've ever bought over the years. It is rather large and clunky, but it is heavy duty, for that style of food saver. When/if mine dies, I will upgrade to a small chamber style vacuum sealer.

Another option I'd consider is https://www.sausagemaker.com/Commercial-Vacuum-Sealer-p/25-1021.htm As far as I can tell, it is comparable to the Cabela's performance-wise, but $70 cheaper. Plus they run 15% off sales from time to time if you are not in a hurry. In general, Sausagemaker equipment is of good quality.

[blackradio]

I had an $80 food saver that lasted me about a dozen deer.

 

Just bought a cheap $50 chinese one off amazon that seemed to handle two deer no problem.

[The_Real_TCIII]

Boy a chamber one would be nice to have and not hard to justify when butchering is $80. My foodsaver crapped out last year after at least 7 or 8 years

[moog5050]

6 minutes ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

Boy a chamber one would be nice to have and not hard to justify when butchering is $80. My foodsaver crapped out last year after at least 7 or 8 years

Mine is 7-8 too.   Why a chamber?  That much better?   They seem expensive. 

[moog5050]

15 minutes ago, goosifer said:

I have that one, and I like it. It's lasted longer than any of the Foodsaver branded ones I've ever bought over the years. It is rather large and clunky, but it is heavy duty, for that style of food saver. When/if mine dies, I will upgrade to a small chamber style vacuum sealer.

Another option I'd consider is https://www.sausagemaker.com/Commercial-Vacuum-Sealer-p/25-1021.htm As far as I can tell, it is comparable to the Cabela's performance-wise, but $70 cheaper. Plus they run 15% off sales from time to time if you are not in a hurry. In general, Sausagemaker equipment is of good quality.

Good option but now you have me looking at chamber units. 

[The_Real_TCIII]

1 minute ago, moog5050 said:

Mine is 7-8 too.   Why a chamber?  That much better?   They seem expensive. 

i THINK THEYRE QUICKER AND EASIER AND YOU DONT GET THE BLOOD SUCKING UP AND RUINING THE SEAL HALF THE TIME AND IM NOT YELLING IM JUST UNWILLING TO GO BACK AND RETYPE THIS THE CAPS LOCK WAS ON

[moog5050]

Just now, The_Real_TCIII said:

i THINK THEYRE QUICKER AND EASIER AND YOU DONT GET THE BLOOD SUCKING UP AND RUINING THE SEAL HALF THE TIME AND IM NOT YELLING IM JUST UNWILLING TO GO BACK AND RETYPE THIS THE CAPS LOCK WAS ON

WELL SCREW YOU TOO!

[The_Real_TCIII]

4 minutes ago, moog5050 said:

WELL SCREW YOU TOO!

THATS FAIR.

According to this guy the chamber is $0.03 per bag vs $0.50 for the Foodsaver ones. And that is not the hairstyle of a man that lies

 

 

[Rack Attack]

Just go and buy a Vacmaster VP215 and be done with it.  You will never want to use a non-chamber type ever again.  They seal so much better, you can buy premade bags for a fraction of the cost, it has an oil filled pump that will last forever.  I went that way a few years back and have never regretted it.  The only time I use a regular type sealer is when I travel down south fishing and that's due to portability.

[BizCT]

You can take my approach and just buy a lot of zip-lock bags for under $300. 

[reeltime]

per Judy our 2 vacuum sealers wont see much use anymore.   finally after 16 years i talked her into cold packing venison  and now she wants very little going into the freezer. Actually both buck I shot this year are in canning jars and are dwindling fast. lol

 

Edited December 12, 2019 by reeltime
ooopsy

[Nomad]

3 minutes ago, reeltime said:

Actually both buck I shit this year are in canning jars

Sounds painful , one time a button buck may be preferable though .

Edited December 12, 2019 by Nomad

[reeltime]

4 minutes ago, Nomad said:

Sounds painful , one time a button buck may be preferable though .

lol. fat finger typing error.  no button heads for me.

 

[airedale]

I have gone through two fairly expensive Food  Savers in a short time, a friend of mine has the expensive Cabelas and it crapped out after relatively little use.

I got on Amazon and took a look at what they had, looked over the verified purchase ratings of all their models and picked up this cheap one that rated good. Did up my whole Deer with it plus a bunch of other things and it worked fine. If it craps out tomorrow I will be "WAY" ahead of the game money wise compared to what I paid for those Food Savers, I am done shelling two to three hundred bucks for these things.

Edited December 12, 2019 by airedale

[dbHunterNY]

I have the Cabelas Commercial one that works just fine. multiple deer a year plus other stuff like garden veggies and store bought meat to change it up from eating venison so much. i've used an ARY chamber vac that was free standing at a butcher shop. the vp215 that someone mentioned might be good but not entirely needed.

Edited December 12, 2019 by dbHunterNY

[mowin]

I also have the Cabela's commercial vac sealer.  Had it about 8 yrs.  Great VS.  

I also have a commercial chamber unit.  It's a older model from the '70's and has seen a tremendous amount of use. It's getting old, and parts are very hard to get, and expensive.  

I'll definitely buy another chamber unit when this one dies.  

 

[Marion]

Cabela's is fantastic! Had mine for probably close to 12 years of hard use now. It's great!

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[Lawdwaz]

Being the ODD man out, all I can add to this is all the venison I butcher (4 deer so far this year) gets commercial plastic wrap then Reynold's Freezer paper and lasts well over 18 months.  The only time I use my vacuum sealer is when "drumming off" the bulk link sausages I have made.  They are a ROYAL pain in the azz to wrap the standard way...........the slippery little bastdis are going every which way and I'd spend too much time chasing them down.

Good luck in the search B.....

[moog5050]

1 hour ago, Lawdwaz said:

Being the ODD man out, all I can add to this is all the venison I butcher (4 deer so far this year) gets commercial plastic wrap then Reynold's Freezer paper and lasts well over 18 months.  The only time I use my vacuum sealer is when "drumming off" the bulk link sausages I have made.  They are a ROYAL pain in the azz to wrap the standard way...........the slippery little bastdis are going every which way and I'd spend too much time chasing them down.

Good luck in the search B.....

Maybe I should give the double wrap a try. Bet it’s faster than vacuum sealing. 

[Lawdwaz]

Tools of the trade seen here......(and the even work in the event of a power failure.

 

[Nomad]

Idk. For 25 years I’ve done the plastic wrap and freezer paper on my Costanzas stuff, I find working with the wrap a pain . As Moog knows I used his vacuum sealer for  two years , and this year I bought my own for $49 , works great . I’d dont know if it’s faster or not, but seems easier to me . 

 

[The_Real_TCIII]

Tools of the trade seen here......(and the even work in the event of a power failure.
 

Fermented mares milk in the pewter tankard?


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[grampy]

Times Two, on the double wrap.

Been doing all our deer that way for decades now, and never had a problem.

Fast, easy, cost efficient, and will last in the freezer long enough until it's gone.