I've had good luck with the Food Saver/bags from BiMart. The rare bag that leaks is the first one out of the freezer.

 

I also like the portability/convenience of a small counter top appliance. Open a bag, take out what you want, reseal. Done with it? Stash it out of the way under the counter.

No question the chamber vacs have their place and advantages.

 

Ultravac, but it ain't cheap. Commercial grade.

 

Just picked up another vacmaster 230. First one is still going strong, just didn't like sharing it. After over 25 years of the food saver battle wish I would have gone chamber sealer years ago. Worth the $$

 

I am currently using my old Food Saver. I’ve probably put up six Whitetail and three full elk and about 25 salmon. I am on my fourth set of neoprene seals and the vacuum is still as good as it was when I first started using it.
The last five years or so I have been using generic freezer bags bought through Amazon. They seem to work just fine and are pretty heavy duty. Make sure your fish or meat is dry, and I will sometimes double seal the closure at the end.

 

I’ve used and abused about 4 food savers over the last fifteen to twenty years. Not sucking fluids up to the top of the bag is key. I’ve been bagging my fish and freezing before I seal it. Works way better. I agree that the chamber sealers are the way to go but the food saver does ok for less money.

 

Pros of chamber sealers: last forever, bags are dirt cheap (7-8 cts each), don't have to worry about sucking fluids. Don't tend to overheat.

Cons: weigh a lot (70lbs and up). Cost a lot for initial purchase. Getting it repaired, if it needs it.

I gave up on Food Savers too because of reliability. Bought a Vacmaster 215 and a Lemco at Costco. The Vac is the better but it costs nearly twice as much.

 

I've had the same food saver for at least 15 years

 

We love our LEM chamber vac from Costco. Day and night difference from the smaller suck vacs.

 

That..bought ot yrs ago and still work like champ. Just packed about over 200 lbs of meat about 6-8 weeks back.

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I've been using our Food Saver for at least 25 years. There is a learning curve for sealing anything that has some liquid. I would get a better device if I was putting away as much product as some of you guys. But, ours has been a work horse.

 

I have 2 of the foodsaver gamesaver GM7xxx.. since 2015. use it for buoy 10, they have lasted for quite awhile, lots of use during the month just clean after each use. Been buying amazon bags

 

I have a vacmaster 230. I love it. It's easy enough to use that my wife loves it too. She would never use the foodsaver. Said it wasn't worth the hassle. Most importantly the quality of the fish you pull out of the freezer a few months or a year down the road is so much better. That alone makes it worth the purchase.

 

Unlucky you've had bad luck with the food saver, I bought one around 10 years ago and it sees regular heavy use and still works just like new. Maybe they don't make the new ones like they did the "old" ones? I source all my rolls of bags from Ebay in bulk, have to cut and seal the bags myself but I seal such a variety of different things I don't mind making custom sizes every time. As has been said when you're doing anything fatty or that has a lot of moisture content (like fish) you have to learn when to stop the suction. I've pulled bottomfish out of the freezer from 2 years ago that was still excellent quality with no leaks in the bags.

I use it so much I toyed with the idea of buying a chamber vac since I seal so much stuff, researched a few of them and even went to see a friends costco one in action. Cool machines for sure, but the food saver does everything a chamber vac can do. I ultimately settled on "if it aint broke, don't fix it" Perhaps someday if my food saver lets me down I will revisit the idea.

 

Put a bag of Potato soup in that foodsaver like I do in my Vacmaster and then tell me again your foodsaver can do anything a chamber vac can[emoji1]


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Probably sucked wind (moisture) but my food savers were not the best. Would like a chamber vac but for me, too heavy and no place to keep/use it without moving it Years ago bought a Cabelas "commercial vac" So far it has been the best for us. I take the gaskets out for storage and use the moist food seal for moist food. Probably less than one per cent vac failure on sealed bags. For me it has been good.

 

Upgraded to a Weston Pro 2300 last year. Already stopped sealing. Been trying for almost 2mo to get a response on a warranty claim from them and nothin.

 

I have been using a food saver for 20 years. The one I have now is probably 5 years old and works great. I do you good thick bags and make sure that the fish I seal is dry. Remember folks: don’t use water to clean fish! wipe off the fillets with paper towels.

 

I have both a LEM chamber bought from Costco and a food Saver. 4 of us bought the LEM to make it reasonable and we keep it at the Fish Shack. Little drive to use it and only when you have done well for the day of fishing. When I have small jobs I go to the Food Saver it is at home and does a good job. Between the 2 the Chamber is far easier, faster,simple and just a better machine. I take my fish all ready cut in portions and ready to go. Slide it in the bag, set it in the machine and press the button and start working on the next, out of machine, label and into the cooler. Before you know it is done. A short drive and into the freezer.

 

This is what goes in the styrofoam tray at most grocery meat counter's. It wick's moisture. A small strip in the neck of the bag works for me and dirt cheap.

 

Vacmaster 215 chamber sealer. Just bite the bullet and buy one. If you vacuum seal often you will save money on bags in the long run and they work sooooo much better.

 

I'm biting the bullet this year. I had a foodsaver that lasted 15 years before it went out. I got a new one that went out after a season and didn't work very well then last fall I got the cabellas version and it's a complete ***. It's about 50/50 if the bags leak over time.

 

Foodsaver works well for all my jobs but they're mostly small jobs.

 

I too struggled for years with a Foodsaver, eventually giving up and getting better results with two layers of commercial poly film and freezer paper. I kept looking at the chamber sealers at the Sportsman show each year, as a local guy had a booth. Two years ago started looking serious and found one on Craigslist. It is a Promax and at the time I worried I was spending a lot on a white elephant or a boat anchor. I couldn’t be happier, I use it at least once a week, and with low bag costs ( I bought boxes of 5000 online) I use it for short term storage too. The unit came with a sticker from “Macgregor Marketing” in Portland for service. It is built in US and headquarters is in Los Angeles. I had a question on if it was working properly (did not come with a manual) and I looked up the company and called. I got voicemail for customer service and left my info, I about fell over when I got a return call in less than 15 minutes. The individual was knowledgeable and helpful and gave me his direct number if I ever have anymore issues or need parts. Given the price of food now, I seal everything to avoid waste and the quality is much better.

I even bought a sous vide machine off Craigslist and you can drop meat in there set the temp and walk away. Chicken wings for example; put 4 lbs of chicken wings in bag with seasoning or sauce, seal it up. Drop in water and set temp to 155F timer for 2- 2 1/2 hours. Take them out and meat is falling off bone done, onto sheet pan under the broiler to crisp up the edges. Leftovers get vac packed and go on boat as a snack.

I started sealing up paperwork for the boat with a rigid cardboard back so it can’t get wet. I seal up extra packs of hooks for long term storage away from moisture. I have sealed garden seeds and meds I bought in Mexico for storage. When I camp or hunt I have sealed up packets of coffee, sugar, or spices to reduce the amount of packaging and weight. Bottom line it is one of my best Craigslist or purchases in general ( I could list quite a few on the thread “DumbestThings You Bought on Craigslist “).

 

I can completely relate to your experience. I struggled with a Foodsaver for years as well, and eventually resorted to using two layers of commercial poly film and freezer paper to get better results. I had been eyeing chamber sealers for quite some time, especially at the Sportsman show where a local vendor had a booth each year. About two years ago, I decided to get serious and found a Promax vacuum sealer on Craigslist. Initially, I was concerned that I might be investing in a white elephant or a boat anchor, but I couldn't be happier with my decision.
I use my Promax vacuum sealer at least once a week, and with the low cost of bags (I bought boxes of 5000 online), I even use it for short-term storage. The unit came with a sticker from “Macgregor Marketing” in Portland for service, and it's built in the US with headquarters in Los Angeles. When I had a question about its functionality (since it didn't come with a manual), I looked up the company and called customer service. To my surprise, I received a callback in less than 15 minutes from a knowledgeable and helpful representative who provided me with his direct number for any future issues or parts needs.
Given the current price of food, I seal everything to avoid waste, and the quality is noticeably better. I even bought a sous vide machine off Craigslist, which pairs perfectly with the vacuum sealer. For instance, I can prepare 4 lbs of chicken wings with seasoning or sauce, seal them up, and cook them in water at 155°F for 2-2.5 hours. The meat comes out falling-off-the-bone tender, and a quick broil crisps up the edges perfectly. Leftovers get vacuum packed and make great snacks on the boat.
The versatility of the Promax vacuum sealer extends beyond food. I seal up paperwork for the boat with a rigid cardboard backing to keep it dry, and extra packs of hooks for long-term storage away from moisture. I’ve even sealed garden seeds and medications bought in Mexico for safe storage. For camping or hunting trips, I seal packets of coffee, sugar, and spices to reduce packaging and weight. Bottom line: the Promax vacuum sealer is one of my best Craigslist finds and one of the smartest purchases I've made in general.

 

Went through 4 or 5 food savers. I got tired of babying them along to get them to work, expensive bags even when I make my own off of rolls, overheating which stops production and inability to vac liquids. So, when the last one stopped working I bit the bullet and bought a Vac Master 215. This created a big regret. I should have done it years sooner. They take up room and aren't very portable but for me, this is a small inconvenience relative to the PITA of the foodsavers.

 

Yeah That !.

Same here. Wish I would have purchased my Vac Master 215 sooner.

 

Good Info. Thanks

 

Ive been using a weston pro for 18 years and have only replaced the heat strips once

 

Food saver also makes canisters for liquids, and has an attachment that can vac seal a wide mouth canning jar.

 

It is an added step, but when I want to vac seal chili, soups, cured salmon eggs et.al. I slightly oversize the bag, place wet items (or roe that you do not want the berries crushed) in the bag and seal it shut (no vacuum) freeze overnight then cut open and vac/seal the following day.

 

Spend the grand and get an Ary VP215. I have had mine over 12 years, used for over 6k bags now, oil changed once, seal bar strips changed once, still going strong. Bags are cheaper, the vacuum level is higher, the seals are superior, retort bags possible, 6mil bags possible, the list of advantages goes on and on and on.

Any mason jar that fits in the chamber can be vacuum sealed with a chamber sealer with the lid it came with. For a 215 that's quarts on their side (won't work for liquids) or pints standing up.

You will not regret the chamber packer. It weighs close to 100 pounds and I drag it to the beach any time I go for more than a week. If mine burst into flames and turned to dust, I would order another immediately.

 

$849. Cheapest I've ever seen. If I didn't have my JVR VAC110 (roughly equivalent), I'd jump on this:

VP215 on sale