[nihicib2]

hello all just looking some advice on mincers, so many to choose from, whats a good make? we have scobie and junior here in ireland but its all big stuff for butchers we only kill a few pigs at a time we were lokoking to spend around 500 to 600 hundred and the same on a vac packer.
thanks all

[Hilarysmum]

Try here

http://sausagemaking.org/

and then look on the forum for recommendations  http://forum.sausagemaking.org/

[sheepish_too]

Have a look at http://www.nisbets.co.uk
Very good service. I have the Buffalo Mincer which they have for £399+VAT at the moment, although I had it for £100 less in one of their sales last year. Very solid, minces a couple of pigs in minutes. Just don't put the corkscrew bit in the dishwasher. It's plated with something dishwashers wash off! Still works fine though.

For £500 ish you won't find a chamber vac machine which is what I'll be buying when I win the lottery. Chamber machines have cheaper bags and can cope with liquid in the bag. Cheaper machines work with ribbed bags and suck out air and liquid, and when they do that the bags don't seal. Anyway I have a Lava machines from here - http://www.lava-vacuum-packing.com/machines.htm. I have the cheapest one, the V100. Does me for about 6 pigs and 10 sheep a year with no problem at all. If you only do a few animals in a day I can't see the need for anything much better.

[Hilarysmum]

I bought a supermarket bag sealer for 60 euros which sealed anything.  It didnt suck out air though, it may have been that my technical skills failed.  It died after 4 years of heavy use, have bought a 100 euro on promo one from the DIY store.   Its very fiddly have to make up the bags from expensive material which is difficult to source, it sucks out wonderfully and seals well.


So if ever you are in France ....