What's a good meat grinder?

We got done this passed weekend with grinding 45# of deer with one of the small hand grinders. Didn't take long and was easier then I thought. Wife's dad bought a large one at the Amish in NW Missouri and hooked up a motor to it.
It also helps if the meat is COLD when you grind it.

Just a thought here.... With all the beef recalls I would never grind any boughten "greaseburger" into my own meat! You can get steak trimmings at the locker usually for nothing

I'd never add any other meat to the deer! It cooks just fine for me without it.

We have a Chop-Rite #32 that we bought back when Countryside Magazine had a store selling and stocking things like this. I see that you can also buy a cheap Chinese imatation of this grinder, and the other sizes, if you want to send your money overseas instead of supporting American workers.
http://www.sausagesource.com/catalog/cr-no32.html
http://www.sausagesource.com/catalog/8.html
With the optional pulley, you can motorize it too.

for the number 32 grinders. I think I saw it for 67 dollars when we were there last week.

We bought the one from Cabela's two years ago, at that price (was a black friday special). I was worried DH was going to wear the Kitchenaid out.

It is much faster than using the kitchenaide (btw - Love my Kitchenaide)

Last year we got the matching slicer at half price - but I don't think Cabela's is offering them this friday . . .

Now if Menards doesn't have the ladders - I might be staying home on Friday.

Cathy

That's the one I'm using. Did have access to a commercial grade grinder (1/4 interest)... but it was a pain to operate, and too finicky, then it died... So I bought this grinder Stan mentioned, and my only complaint is it's noisy as a jet plane... have to wear hearing plugs.

I have several hand powered grinders.... if the grid ever dies, and my solar panels fail, I'll be a cranking sausage out by hand...

__________________
Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Seneca
Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival. W. Edwards Deming

WE grind alot of venzun here so we need a real tool and not a toy. I have the Cabelas 1hp grinder, that does a wonderful job without bogging down. We ground over 100lbs today and the large throat on the grinder makes life easier. Those smaller ones are ok for small jobs, kinda like a 5hp snowblower. It will work, but not pleasent to work with. The big 1hp grinder sells for 259.95/plus shipping, and worth every dime.

Hey Vicki,

We frequently butcher young goats and feed them whole to the dogs (we do cut them into shoulders, rump, back) ...why do all of that extra work when you don't have to? It is really good for the dogs to chew up the bones...both teeth and digestive tract.
There is a really good book called "Give your dog a bone" that helps outline the benefits of feeding this way.
By the way, this does not encourage the dogs to think of the goats (or older chickens either) as "food on the hoof".

Camille

__________________
Camille
Copper Penny Ranch
Copper Penny Boer Goats (home of 4 National Champions, 4 Reserve Champions)
Copper Penny Pyrenees
Whey-to-Go Saanens


www.copper-penny-ranch.com