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Meat! Looking for reviews

Pattywhacker

Active Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2019
Messages
102
Location
Vermont
Tribe,

I'm looking to get the #32 from Meat! once they finally come back in stock. I've been watching a lot of videos on how to process our own game and I think I'll get a grinder, stuffer, mixer and accessories from them. Anyone have any neg/pos feedback?
 
Tribe,

I'm looking to get the #32 from Meat! once they finally come back in stock. I've been watching a lot of videos on how to process our own game and I think I'll get a grinder, stuffer, mixer and accessories from them. Anyone have any neg/pos feedback?
Just a quick glance looks like overkill to me unless you’re doing a minimum of 4 deer worth of ground or sausage a year. How much meat are you planning on processing a year?
 
Between Meat, LEM, and Weston and I would put all 3 in the same category. Meat brand hasn't been around too long and is the newest of the 3. If you're looking at a #32 I'm assuming you are grinding hundreds of pounds of meat a year so I guess to that end, Meat's longevity hasn't really been determined yet. A meat grinder isn't really a complex device, stay away from plastic parts, don't abuse the thing, and it should do what you need it to.
 
My advice is to get the biggest, most powerful grinder you can afford. I've got a couple of cheap countertop ones I've used for years. My buddy has an almost-commercial grinder he processes his farm's beef on. It's just so incredibly faster and more powerful than my rinky-dink (that's what she said!) grinder.

While I've never used Meat! equipment, that one looks powerful and efficient. Make sure you have enough plates and blades. If you plan on stuffing off the grinder instead of using a stuffer, splurge for the steel stuffing horns. I can find LEM products at Scheels, L&M, Fleet Farm, Runnings, etc., so I'm inclined towards LEM for that reason. I had a plastic stuffing horn crack in the middle of 25# of snack sticks and had to sprint out to Fleet and get a steel one... not ideal.
 
I would be looking to do 3-4 a year. What I like about Meat! is there products mate with other products they have making it seamless.
LEM products mesh well together as well. My grinder and stuffer take the same stuffing horns. Beyond that there isn't much need for parts interchangeability. That said I can get Meat! products at a discount via Expertvoice, so they've got that going for them.
 
Agreed, they had some amazing pre holiday sales going on - I want to say it was nearly 40% off. They do a military discount year round and I assume that's similar to their Expertvoice discount.
 
My advice is to get the biggest, most powerful grinder you can afford. I've got a couple of cheap countertop ones I've used for years. My buddy has an almost-commercial grinder he processes his farm's beef on. It's just so incredibly faster and more powerful than my rinky-dink (that's what she said!) grinder.

While I've never used Meat! equipment, that one looks powerful and efficient. Make sure you have enough plates and blades. If you plan on stuffing off the grinder instead of using a stuffer, splurge for the steel stuffing horns. I can find LEM products at Scheels, L&M, Fleet Farm, Runnings, etc., so I'm inclined towards LEM for that reason. I had a plastic stuffing horn crack in the middle of 25# of snack sticks and had to sprint out to Fleet and get a steel one... not ideal.
Do you use LEM products? If so, what's a recommendation for someone getting into processing that's not wanting the 'starter' package but a package that'll be a buy once, cry one deal.
 
Do you use LEM products? If so, what's a recommendation for someone getting into processing that's not wanting the 'starter' package but a package that'll be a buy once, cry one deal.
I've got a hodgepodge of different brands. Some is LEM, some isn't, some that isn't, have the same size bore as LEM and thus accept LEM plates and stuffing horns. The grinder line is pretty basic; once you step up from the plastic-bodied countertop models - which IMHO are suited to a family dinner of hamburgers or meatloaf, but are overwhelmed by a 30# javalina - you're into the metal-geared models. More money = more power = faster production = the meat defrosts less while you're handling it. Buy the biggest your budget allows; if it's more than you need you can either grow into it or enjoy the surplus capacity. In that sense it's sort of like driving your buddy's sports car - you won't race it, but it's nice to know you could.

Edit: Also get a 5# stuffer. And a mix of stuffing horns. If you can't afford a bunch of steel stuffing horns, start with the smaller gauges. You can stuff brat casings off a 3/8" snack stick tube, but you'll never get snack stick casings on a hog casings tube. Hand crank is fine unless you're processing multiple steers or swine. Stuffing off the hand crank rather than the stuffer gives you more control over fill and pressure, even with the foot pedal. Plus if you have a buddy over for a sausage (making) party you can have one person grinding, one person mixing, one person stuffing, etc., and assembly-line it. So- boning knives, a way to quickly sharpen them while processing, biggest grinder you can afford, stuffer, steel stuffing horns, biggest cutting board you can wash in your sink, some meat lugs and/or dishpans.... assuming you already have some of this.
 
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Tribe,

I'm looking to get the #32 from Meat! once they finally come back in stock. I've been watching a lot of videos on how to process our own game and I think I'll get a grinder, stuffer, mixer and accessories from them. Anyone have any neg/pos feedback?
I have the low level grinder and the jerkey gun. Both are great but one complaint on the grinder. Only one of the models parts can be used in the dishwasher the other ones it will take the finish completly off and you have to scrup forever to get it clean of that coating to use again.

It does mention this in the user manual but its not front and center like it should be. I read the manual and somehow missed it. MEAT basically just said its somewhere in the manual so its my problem.
 
I have a full 1.5 seasons on the #12 and more than impressed. Only have used the grinder portion of it, it comes with sausage stuffing tubes too. But runs through deer and pork fat very easily
 
I have the 1HP model don't remember the number. I got it because I couldn't stand using my buddies cheap electric grinder that was crazy loud and barely got through the meat. I only have about 50 pounds through mine so far but I'm really happy with it. It chews through the meat like nothing, as fast as you can load it with the course grind plate.

Sent from my SM-G973U1 using Tapatalk
 
I just received the #8 Meat! grinder (1/2 hp), and plan on grinding ~50lbs. per year. I did make sure that it was fully dishwasher safe. It was between this one and the same size LEM. I know a few people with both, and opted for the Meat! brand.
 
I just received the #8 Meat! grinder (1/2 hp), and plan on grinding ~50lbs. per year. I did make sure that it was fully dishwasher safe. It was between this one and the same size LEM. I know a few people with both, and opted for the Meat! brand.
Out of curiosity, what influenced your decision? Price? Construction?
 
Out of curiosity, what influenced your decision? Price? Construction?

Both... The construction is basically on par with the LEM, according to specs. Reviews are about even. The LEM you can buy any part you want, and the Meat! is a lifetime warranty. I did base my final decision off price, but only because it seemed to be of the same quality as the LEM. Those two were the only ones that I was considering by the time I actually made the purchase. I've had everything else for butchering for years, but I always ground my stuff elsewhere, now I can do it at home, and it's only probably gonna be the chop meat of 3-4 deer a year most likely (so no real justification for bigger).

I haven't run it yet, but I'll have first hand knowledge of capability/performance in a week or two, as I have about 30 lbs. of chop meat in the freezer to thaw and grind.
 
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