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

Ok so years ago i had a #22 cabelas grinder, lost it in our house fire.
Wife picked up a lem #8 for some small meat grinding like ham salad etc.
With all the food shortage crap and the democrats not wanting us to have meat or much, getting back into hunting hard and processing more meat at home and also if SHTF want to be able to handle a beef or 1/2 at home
Would the 22 handle it or should i go to the 32? Also is there any better buys than the cabelas/bass pro?
Thanks

I have a 22 big bite LEM. I cant keep it loaded as fast as it grinds. Unless I was doing commercial work I cant imagine needed anything else. I started using it for stuffing ground meat bags. It works great for that. I cut the meat into long strips and run it through chilled very cold. Thinking about adding the foot pedal this year.
Had it for about 5 years. Totally happy with it.

not too steal the thread, but what would you recommend to process a deer or 2 a year type thing?

I got the old 2000 version of cabela's 22 ..the neck is smaller than what I think is a 22 and it likes to wrap silver skin...got to be really cold or it it ain't going to be fun ...

Just a heads up for anyone looking to purchase any equipment soon.
There is a 25% off sale going on from MEAT right now. They make some great products.

https://www.meatyourmaker.com/

I’ve got a 2005ish era Cabelas 3/4 HP (I think it’s a #12) and for a few deer a year it is plenty, bro in law has the same. Picked dad up the 1hp on clearance one time, he has said it’s almost too big, doesn’t get greased up by the time he is done.

We trim our grind meat pretty clean of sinew. I can’t think of a time it plugged up and didn’t work well.

The foot pedal is great. Just got it last year. Should have from the beginning.

That would be my vote too. 3/4 hp Lem # 12 would work just fine...

Bought this one last year, it chews like a sonafabitch. Go big or go home. On sale too. 👍

Was it this one
https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/cabelas-commercial-grade-3-4hp-carnivore-meat-grinder

or this one, both have about a 3/4HP motor
https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/cabelas-deluxe-meat-grinder

I have a Cabela's #12 grinder like the one above only an older model. It handles an elk and two deer just fine. Has for years.

Just used mine on a mule deer and antelope trim.

37 lbs in under 4 minutes. Specifically weighed and timed for this thread.

Thanks, I did not mean to detail the thread, guess I will order one today.

Just ordered one.

That’s what threads are for. To wear out.

Second grind of the same meat was 14 minutes. Both grinds through a 7mm plate.

Some sinew/silver skin upon tear down. But not bad. I trim pretty good though.

This is what I wanted to know. I will most likely grind a deer maybe 2 a year and thinking about grinding a turkey or 4 in the spring. I am not a butcher shop and don't need high production stuff but don't want a grinder that chokes down when you put a couple of chunks of meat in it either.
I know HP rating but I also know gearing to reduce the motor will play a bigger role that what the HP is.

Since you got a good grinder on the way you might want to keep an eye open for pork butts on sale to make sausage. When I started messing around with it I didn't have a stuffer so I just make bulk sausage. Once I started eating the sausage I made for myself I hated to have to buy a lesser product for five times the price.
You might find once you see how great your new grinder works you will go from two deer to forty pounds of Italian, Chorizo, fresh polish and breakfast sausage.

Just a tip:
First grind in any machine is pretty easy. But make sure when you do the second (finer) grind the meat is partially hard due to freezing. It will make more difference than going up a size on the grinder.

Thanks for the tips.
Boarmaster, I had the wife pick up 3 pork butts yesterday as the local Kroger had them on sale for .99/lb. After reading your post, maybe I should have gotten more as they went off sale yesterday.....

Will have to look that thread back up that was here a few weeks ago about making your own sausage and read thru it again.

HOLY CRAP that was fast, FedEx just dropped off my meat grinder that I ordered yesterday from Cabela's!
Dang that thing is heavy! I don't know what I was expecting it to weigh but when I went to get the box off the front porch, I had to do a double take to pick it up.

Yep, I have the #8 (1/2 horse) and it is a handful to lift and move around.