I have an older foodsaver, probably 15 years old. I do about 150 bags per year average, I'd guess. Some years more, some years less. It's really good, have to watch really wet stuff but for most fish, game, fowl, etc., it works really well.
Also, buy good bags. I bought some knock offs one year and almost all of them broke seal. The food saver or westin brand are good quality. I'm sure there's others, just what I've used.
Yes cheap bags suck. And yes again juice running up towards the seal as its compressing is the enemy. I read somewhere or someone gave me the idea just take about a 2 inch strip of clean white paper towel as long as the opening of the bag, fold it in half twice and put it in the bag just clear of the seal area. Juice getting to the seal point is reduced big time.
