Great price, not sure how long those nylon gears will last.
---------------------------------------------------
I plan ahead, that way I don't do anything right now.
---------------------------------------------------
KCBS CBJ
I've been using a Northern Tool version of that same stuffer with nylon gears to do snack sticks for about 5 years. No issues.
The trick for me was to with an empty stuffer crank the plunger all the way to the bottom and take a sharpie and mark the threads. Now I have a visual indicator of when I'm getting close to bottoming out and can proceed carefully. Bottoming out the plunger seems to be the main cause of nylon gear breakage from what I've read.
Also Northern Tool has a black steel gear version of that same stuffer on sale for $79.99 which would be $69.99 after applying a $10 off $50 purchase coupon code. You will need to order online to use the code but if you have a local store, it's free shipping to store. Current $10 off code is 255831.
Do the 5lber put that much stress on them making sticks or is it just a pain in the ass to use? I'm wanting a stuffer soon and mainly for sticks.
No, IMO it does not. But you can get the one from Northern Tool for $10 less and it has black steel gears. But back to my experience with the white nylon/plastic gears...
I have the LEM 3/8" tube (1/2" outer diameter) and a 9mm tube I bought on eBay. I use the LEM tube all the time and the 9mm tube is basically the diameter of a #2 pencil and it works with casings down to 14mm. The 9mm tube takes noticeably more pressure to get the meat to flow, but it's a 5lbs of meat in a pencil thin tube sort of thing. The LEM tube is fine for 19 and 21mm collagen casings (or natural sheep casings) and I have no problem cranking or controlling the flow with the LEM tube. Part of the trick is to not use meat that is too thick or bound up. I add phosphates to my sticks and just before stuffing, I add a little more water or beer to loosen up the mix and it flows with no problems. The phosphate will bind that extra water up with no problems and I do not have issues with shrinkage. There is a reason commercial sticks have phosphates (which is a natural and organic compound) in them.
If you have problems, you probably have too stiff a mix, so try loosening it up some with liquid.
But, I've been using the 5lb Kitchener stuffer which is a clone of the Grizzly for about 5 years with no issues and no broken gears.
This is mine. Set up to run some summer sausage in one of the plastic tubes that came with the stuffer.
Snack sticks using the LEM 3/8 inner diameter tube and 19mm casings. I was cutting the stuffed casings to length and smoked them laying flat on the WSM grates instead of hanging them.
And this is the LEM 3/8" inner diameter tube compared to the 9mm tube (3/8" on the left and 9mm on the right). Both are laying on top of the back card for the LEM tube packaging.
Dave
I love coming home. My back porch smells just like a BBQ joint.....
Wow Dave, thanks for that post! Very informative especially the pictures. Where did you get your 9mm tube from?
Anybody stuff any breakfast sausage links? What size tube and casing do you use for that? The warden is kinda "meh" about sausage patties but she likes links and I might try that too. Once I get a stuffer of course.......
Wow Dave, thanks for that post! Very informative especially the pictures. Where did you get your 9mm tube from?
Anybody stuff any breakfast sausage links? What size tube and casing do you use for that? The warden is kinda "meh" about sausage patties but she likes links and I might try that too. Once I get a stuffer of course.......
I'd say something between 24-28 mm for links, just kind of guessing. But for fresh links you don't really need casings. Just crank them out and cut to size. Like a Hormel sizzler.
I'd say something between 24-28 mm for links, just kind of guessing. But for fresh links you don't really need casings. Just crank them out and cut to size. Like a Hormel sizzler.
But then again without a casing the texture wouldn't be the same and maybe the issue she has with patties.
Comment