STX Turboforce II "Platinum" Heavy Duty Electric Meat Grinder & Sausage Stuffer: 6 Grinding Plates, 3 S/S Blades, 3 Sausage Tubes, Kubbe, 2 Meat Claws, Burger-Slider Patty Maker - Black

I have had it for two days and used it once so I can't speak to the longevity of this product. I used to grind raw meaty chicken backs and chicken feet with a cast iron hand cranked meat grinder and with my well known electric mixer meat grinder attachment. the plastic body of the electric meat grinder attachment broke from a chicken foot and the hand cranked meat grinder didn't have a wagon wheel disk so it was kind of a nightmare, very labor intensive, it took several hours to get through a 10 lb back of meaty backs. Chicken feet were even worse. Ultimately, the cast iron grinder started wearing its coating off and, I have to imagine, contaminating the final product. That was what prompted me to buy this product. I'm thinking I should have bought it a long time ago.So I just ground up 9.7 lbs of semi-frozen raw meaty chicken backs in about 30 minutes and that includes the learning curve associated with using this machine for the first time. It took maybe 10-15 minutes to clean all the parts per the instructions. This machine spared me at least two hours of miserable physical labor with a hand cranked meat grinder and it produced a much better end product.I cut the backs up into three pieces to stuff down the machine and quickly observed that the high setting was the appropriate setting for this task. It ground the semi-frozen backs up quite easily. It may have bogged down a little bit on some of the larger pieces but it never jammed up. I ran the initial coarse grind through a second time using one of the appropriate burger disk and it came out exactly how I wanted it-perfect. Changing disks in the middle of the project was quick and easy. I actually did it a few times as I was learning how to make best use of this new tool. It was much much easier than what I was used to with the hand cranked grinder in this respect and in every respect.So it should be pretty obvious that I'm liking this meat grinder. It is a 5 ★device IMO. If it fails prematurely from normal use, I will update this review.

UPDATE:After three uses (chicken only), the buttons for settings (high, low, stop and reverse) are stuck in the down position and it is inoperable.. I am still waiting for a response from the company on how to fix this issue. What a bummer.After a lot of research I selected this grinder to prepare my pet food. . Metal parts, foot pedal, air cool, reverse option, easy to clean and grinds chicken bones really well make this grinder a good choice for pet food. Most important thing to remember is the meat and bones must be at least at 34 degrees or below otherwise the machine gets mucked up clogged. Don’t leave your meat on the counter while grinding or it may get to warm. I put batches to be ground in bowls in the fridgeYou need to use the wagon wheel first, then freeze, then grind a second with the smaller plate you want. Get the pedal. It’s worth it. You will need to make sure your meat pieces are cut to fit the hole. I cut my meat into smaller pieces when I bring it home thawed, then freeze the small pieces in ziplocks. That’s a pain and a time suck. But the grinding process really does not take that long. I ground 60 pounds in 2 and a half hours. Don’t grind outside when it’s warm.. Your meat and machine will get too warm and clog. I have only ground bone in chicken. I doubt I will try other bones since that voids the warranty. Chicken Drumsticks and thigh quarters were easy. Only cons so far is the power cord should be longer and the plastic tube push thing. I will order metal one if I can find one.

Perfect Grinder for Pet Food!I got this grinder to make pet food, and it’s been great so far. It handles everything—meat, organs, and 10 lbs of chicken leg quarters—without any issues. It came well-packaged with several grinding plates and sausage attachments, plus a 3-year warranty, which is awesome. Definitely get the foot pedal—it’s worth the extra cost! It’s not dishwasher safe, but that’s to be expected. I looked at LEM and Weston grinders but didn’t want to pay the high price, and this one has been a perfect budget-friendly alternative. The instructions are easy to follow and include details for making dog food.