Broke My Cabelas Grinder

[COEngineer]

My wife and I were grinding a couple of elk yesterday and we took a break to go have lunch at the neighbor's. I thought, "Let's just set the grinder outside (about 20 degF) and it will stay cold until we get back." Well, we got back a couple hours later and turned it back on. It made a loud 'bang' sound, but then ran fine for 20 minutes, then started making a rattling sound. I think the little bit of meat left in the feed tube, plate, knife area was frozen and created too much torque on the motor and something (gear?) broke.

Don't do what I did.

 

[COEngineer]

BTW, this is an old grinder (Weston brand), not the new ones which are Blue Sky Technologies(?).

 

[Dave N]

Does it still grind?

 

[crock239]

Y

My wife and I were grinding a couple of elk yesterday and we took a break to go have lunch at the neighbor's. I thought, "Let's just set the grinder outside (about 20 degF) and it will stay cold until we get back." Well, we got back a couple hours later and turned it back on. It made a loud 'bang' sound, but then ran fine for 20 minutes, then started making a rattling sound. I think the little bit of meat left in the feed tube, plate, knife area was frozen and created too much torque on the motor and something (gear?) broke.

Don't do what I did.

yep, pretty sure i killed a grinder a few years ago doing the same thing

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

My wife and I were grinding a couple of elk yesterday and we took a break to go have lunch at the neighbor's. I thought, "Let's just set the grinder outside (about 20 degF) and it will stay cold until we get back." Well, we got back a couple hours later and turned it back on. It made a loud 'bang' sound, but then ran fine for 20 minutes, then started making a rattling sound. I think the little bit of meat left in the feed tube, plate, knife area was frozen and created too much torque on the motor and something (gear?) broke.

Don't do what I did.

Did you check the end of the assembly to see how the gears looked? Might be just as simple as needing to replace the stripped out gears

 

[COEngineer]

Did you check the end of the assembly to see how the gears looked? Might be just as simple as needing to replace the stripped out gears

I have it almost disassembled, but I think the last bits are pressure-fitted and not sure I'll be able to put them back together. Also searched online for the parts that might be broken (Cabelas/Weston 08-2030 and 08-2032) and have zero results. Also called Weston and they were like, nah, that's too old, we don't have parts for those. It's a #22 (1 hp).

 

[Dave N]

If you can't see anything wrong, put it back together and run it until it dies. Time for an upgrade.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

I have it almost disassembled, but I think the last bits are pressure-fitted and not sure I'll be able to put them back together. Also searched online for the parts that might be broken (Cabelas/Weston 08-2030 and 08-2032) and have zero results. Also called Weston and they were like, nah, that's too old, we don't have parts for those. It's a #22 (1 hp).

Hmmm that stinks. If it's still running, run it until it blows up?

 

[Gellar]

If you can't see anything wrong, put it back together and run it until it dies. Time for an upgrade.

That’s normally my philosophy too but I’d be dam sure I’m not going to get metal fragments in my grind meat.

 

[Dave N]

That’s normally my philosophy too but I’d be dam sure I’m not going to get metal fragments in my grind meat.

Same. But it sounds like the problem is in the motor drive and separated from the auger section. If it does grenade, I would think that it would quit turning before anything got past the seal.

 

[Jnasa]

If you can't see anything wrong, put it back together and run it until it dies. Time for an upgrade.

One risk is if it doesn’t have enough power to grind cleanly. Hate to make mush that is poor texture.

Make sure it is nothing that would get past the seal on the drive and that it has enough power to grind.

Luckily Waltons is having some sales if you want. Cabelas and other places as well.

 

[Forelix]

Never, ever leave meat in the grinder. The clean-up is part of the job. When you take a break, even in the summer, fully disassemble and clean the head (knife, plate, auger, feed tube). The few minutes of cleaning will save you hours of repair and hundreds of dollars.

 

[brymoore]

I’ve stalled my 1hp Cabela’s grinder with frozen fat. It still works after a serious cleaning.