Food savers??

[Steve F]

I was just wondering what type food savers vacuum packs you guys have. I have gone threw 2 of them the last one stop going through the 2nd stage to seal the bag and I need to get another one. I have looked at the one that is upright and it does not look to bad. There are different models and I have looked at the V3840 and this maybe the one I might get. I would just like to get you ideas on what to get. Thanks for any input you can give me.

[crabby and son]

Steve, I have had a few of them and if I had to do it all over, I would buy the professional one from Cabellas for about $425.00. They all have worked about average but when you think about all the time you spend hunting, fishing, cleaning and processing the game........you want it to last in the freezer. By the time you buy a couple cheap ones and have the seal fail on your game, you could have done it right and bought the nice one. All of mine have been Foodsaver brand.............Gary

[drichitt]

Steve - I am on my second Food Saver 'Upright Mpdel', which is a POS. The quality has really gone way down on these products. Theupright model is suppose to make the process effortless, but basically it uses an extra inch of product/bag for each sealing job, over non-upright models. Our first one lasted about 16 months before it crapped out. We called customer service and got no help. Even if it had of been within their 12 month warranty window, we were still out of luck since we never registered it within 30 days. Our only saving grace was we had bought it at Costco. Costco refunded our money without question. Nothing out there that really competes with the Food Saver, in the under $200 price range, so we bought another one from Costco. We saved all of the paper work and box and will just retrun it at Costco when it dies. Great piece of equipment when it is working correctly. The Food Saver customer service rep said we should have bought their Professional model since we use it more than once a week; kind of tells you right there that it isn't intended for "heavy" use. Gary is right about the Professional unit at Cabella's, but $400+ is not my cup of tea for a seal a meal unit....Don

[Slayer]

I have a model from "Seal a Meal" and the thing has been great. Had it for 3 or 4 years now. I use their brand of sealing bags and haven't had one fail yet.

http://www.sealameal.com/index.aspx

[Rivercat09]

I forget the exact model number, but I have the middle of the road Foodsaver. It's the one that goes for about 140 bucks. I did a bit of on line research, including asking for, and getting some good advice at TF. I like mine a lot. The first mate got it for me for Christmas of 2008, and I've not had one bag lose its seal in the freezer, and the meat preserves very well. The only complaint that I would have, and it’s a minor one, is that it will shut down on the overheat safety a little quicker that I would like. I guess that’s a good thing in a way in that the safety kicks in before the unit burns out.

Don

[Steve F]

Thanks guys for the input and I did show the wife the one from Cabellas but she said it is out of our price range. I'm not going to get the upright one now I have read it was a POS so that one is out. I know you get what you pay for but I’m on a budget and the wife said if we can find something in the neighborhood of $250.00 we can swing it.

[crabby and son]

Ste, I can't get you a food processor buy if you tell me what size you are..........I'll get you a pair of pants..............Gary

[onefishnfool]

I have 2 of the food savers, the older one was a lower priced one and the newer one has the canister vacuum ability. The older one is close to 8 years old and works perfectly. If you buy the bargain bags you will suffer. Buy the better brand bags and you will have no problems with sealing.