Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation Meat grinder.......

In order to make short work for an elk (for example) how much power does one need?

I borrowed my old boss's 1HP grinder from cabelas, I couldn't feed the meat fast enough to it to bog it down. I ground up 2 deer and 1/2 of a mountain goat in less than a half hour.

wow fast

That was a once pass through the course plate, 8mm if I remember right.

Timely post for Me Fotis. Over the weekend I did a lot of online research on grinders. I found a lot of hunters were very happy with 1/2-3/4 hp grinders but they all said if they had to to it again they would go at least 1 hp. I pay a lot of attention to those "if I had to do it again" comments. So yesterday I ordered a 1 hp from LEM. $509 on their site plus shipping. Not sure if I got the best deal out there but I bought my stuffer from them and was pleased with the purchase quality and operation of that. Although "if I had to it all over again" I would get a bigger stuffer than the 5 lb
I purchased.

cabelas 1 hp works great for me.

Boarmaster, everyone that I know who owns the LEM has said that they wouldn't have it any other way.

My cousin bought a 1/2hp from Gander Mountain, and while he likes it, he wishes he'd have gone at least 3/4hp.

I went with this one A bit over 1 HP



Meat Grinder

well not the type grinder that's been discussed in this thread but maybe it'll work for you.

My LEM #22 1 horse is supposed to be here tomorow. Must be a beast. Shipping weight is 67lbs boxed. LOL.

I bought a 1hp grinder from Cabela's four or five years ago with the optional foot control. It seemed like a lot of money for something that was only going to get used a few times a year but now that I have it I wish that I would have bought one sooner. Money well spent in my opinion.

I have had a $120 one from Northern Tool for at least 20 years. Every year it has ground up at least one elk,1 deer and 1 antelope. This would be all trim meat that can't be made into steaks.It usually ends up about 50-60 pounds per elk. It grinds as fast as I can feed it.Many years it has done 2-3 elk. It still runs fine and works fine.

If and when it goes,I will buy another just like it.Can't see spending $500 on one that I use an hour or two a year.

We bought a Cabela's commercial grinder in 2004 or 2005.. Great grinder, but I seldom use it any more..

3/4hp old cabelas for me , wish it had a #32 neck tho ....I have the biggest sausage stuffer with motor and foot control ,greatest thing since sliced bread

Cheap underpowered grinders are a waste of time and money. Spend what's necessary and get a 1 HP It makes the job much less of a chore. The foot switch is an excellent suggestion as the grinder only runs when actually grinding and not when switching the pan full of ground meat.

My wife hunts and I have processed up to 80 pounds of meat at a time with this STX INTERNATIONAL STX-3000-TF. It is a real work horse and a Best Meat Grinder

I use Cabelas 1/2 hp works fine

Those LEM grinders ARE beasts! I have a #5 "big bite" grinder which is the smallest model, and it is all I need to grind 3 or 4 deer (shoulders, neck, flank and trim meat) a year. I probably use it an hour a year if that. Don't know how that would translate to elk. It is like anything else, speed equals mo money.

The trick with all grinders is to have the meat semi frozen before you run it through. I put all the parts of the grinder, except of course the motor, in the freezer and leave them there an hour or so before I get started...to keep things cold as possible.