The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Equipment => Topic started by: suziequeue on December 18, 2010, 07:15:49 pm
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What are people's thoughts and recommendations about bacon slicers?
We have got through a couple of second hand ones from eBay and, as a result, have decided that we need to get a new one really.
Can't really afford big name ones like Berkel and Omega.
Anybody got any ideas/recommendations?
Susanna
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northern tools do two slicers thats where we got ours very good
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Thanks Lilian
Looks very reasonable and well within the price bracket I am looking at.
There's a review on the website about poor after-sales service....... but no negative comments about the machine itself :-))
Did you have any problems?
Susanna
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none
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We managed to get a Berkel 800S for £245 on ebay fairly recently - it worked after changing the fuse and needed 2 days of cleaning to get rid of the fossilised meat rests (was cleaning screws with bits of kitchen towel over the tip of a sharp knife), but it was so worth it!
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Definitely go for the biggest one you can afford / find/
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I've just been on a course run by QMS on direct meat sales. There were a number of butchers and they said by Berkel or Hobart secondhand rather than cheap makes new.
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I have burntout three cheaper slicers motors and finally bought a secondhand Berkel off Ebay - if you can afford to bide your time you can get a proper bargain now and then. Be prepared for much cleaning/shuddering at food hygiene standards, as mentioned previously. I bought mine from an old people's home that was closing down. looking at the meat slicer I couldn't help wondering if all the residents had died of food poisoning.
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the thing to remember with this type of equipment is the motor is not that big and you cant force it that much as is true with most electrical eqp :wave:
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We got a Northern Tools one in the end and it's been fine.
We only use it for slicing bacon and so it only gets used each time I make a batch.
I have also acquired an old manual one from my Dad which must weigh at least seventy kilos. I understand they used to construct the machines on the premises - not designed to be moved.
It's a Berkel..... of course. Must be at least 60 years old.
It still works beautifully but needs a pretty hefty stand to get it operational.
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No idea what make ours is, but it is huge - came from a bakery that was closing down. Paid £50 for it. Same at the ones that they used to have on all the deli counters 25 years ago.