Grinder review - Cabelas Pro Grinder 450

[streaker69]

LEM and Weston both make good, robust, dedicated grinders for less than $1k, but it's still going to set you back at least $450. I'm currently running a Smokehouse Chef meat grinding attachment on my KitchenAid. The KT works OK for small batches, but I can tell the larger batches are starting to take their toll on it. New gears are in its future. I use mine weekly, so I will probably kill it dead (as in parrot) eventually. When that happens, I might suck it up and buy a Weston #32 or LEM #32.

When the KA's fail, this is the component that goes, except what's in there is a BTA06, which is a 6A version. You can put in a 12A and you should never burn it out again.



It's on a small PCB that's behind the speed controller.

[fallenleader]

When the KA's fail, this is the component that goes, except what's in there is a BTA06, which is a 6A version. You can put in a 12A and you should never burn it out again.



It's on a small PCB that's behind the speed controller.

doesn't heat primarialy kill mosfets? is it really an amperage issue or just overheating?

walleye, if you duckduckgo a "model xxx mixer teardown" you shouldn't have much trouble finding a step by step. i bought a toothpaste tube of the food safe grease as well and if i recall it was enough.

mind you, replace the xxx if you actually want mixer results... or you might find a different type of mixer than you expected.

[streaker69]

doesn't heat primarialy kill mosfets? is it really an amperage issue or just overheating?

walleye, if you duckduckgo a "model xxx mixer teardown" you shouldn't have much trouble finding a step by step. i bought a toothpaste tube of the food safe grease as well and if i recall it was enough.

mind you, replace the xxx if you actually want mixer results... or you might find a different type of mixer than you expected.

Too much current == too much heat. You can't have one without the other. The mosfet does have a heatsink, but not a very good one. When I took it apart, it didn't even have heatsink grease on it. That is a mistake of course. If the mixer continually draws the max current the mosfet is able to produce, it's eventually going to fail. Basically the bean counters at KA decided they could save a few pennies by putting in the 6A version instead of the 12A.

[Walleye Hunter]

doesn't heat primarialy kill mosfets? is it really an amperage issue or just overheating?

walleye, if you duckduckgo a "model xxx mixer teardown" you shouldn't have much trouble finding a step by step. i bought a toothpaste tube of the food safe grease as well and if i recall it was enough.

mind you, replace the xxx if you actually want mixer results... or you might find a different type of mixer than you expected.

Thanks for the info. I found a service manual online today and downloaded it. It would take a pretty big tube of grease for this puppy, it's got between a pint and a quart of grease in there and I doubt that this vintage lube is food safe. Of course I'll use food safe, I wouldn't want a sausage maker to get poison grease in his toxic snausages.

[streaker69]

Thanks for the info. I found a service manual online today and downloaded it. It would take a pretty big tube of grease for this puppy, it's got between a pint and a quart of grease in there and I doubt that this vintage lube is food safe. Of course I'll use food safe, I wouldn't want a sausage maker to get poison grease in his toxic snausages.

https://www.amazon.com/Kitchenaid-W4...chenaid+grease

[Ronin]

When the KA's fail, this is the component that goes, except what's in there is a BTA06, which is a 6A version. You can put in a 12A and you should never burn it out again.



It's on a small PCB that's behind the speed controller.

Thanks for the info. I'm going to order a replacement now, because that day is coming.

[fallenleader]

https://www.amazon.com/Kitchenaid-W4...chenaid+grease

i recall mine being clear. but yea, thats the sticky stuff.

i think when "food safe" oil wasn't a thing, they just used animal fat.
then again mineral oil and vaseline are very old and i'm sure can be modified for viscosity.

[streaker69]

Thanks for the info. I'm going to order a replacement now, because that day is coming.

If ya need help replacing it, stop by. You will need to realign the mechanical speed controller once you take it off. There's YT videos out there on how to do that.

[hunterdan]

Just to throw this out there, but my dad had this one
https://www.cabelas.com/product/CARN...5.uts?slotId=0
We've been doing atleast 5 deer a year for the past few years and never had a problem. Well built, solid machine. I've used older, much older Hobart equipment that was 3xs heavier and this is just as strong and easier to pick up and put away. It's pricey, but being able to do 8-10 pounds a minute really minimizes the time you spend grinding.

[Walleye Hunter]

Just to throw this out there, but my dad had this one
https://www.cabelas.com/product/CARN...5.uts?slotId=0
We've been doing atleast 5 deer a year for the past few years and never had a problem. Well built, solid machine. I've used older, much older Hobart equipment that was 3xs heavier and this is just as strong and easier to pick up and put away. It's pricey, but being able to do 8-10 pounds a minute really minimizes the time you spend grinding.

That machine looks like it's ready for work too.