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Risky purchase. Did I make the right call?

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    Risky purchase. Did I make the right call?

    I've recently been looking into vacuum sealers. Would love a chamber sealer, but the price just doesn't work for me right now. On their website, FoodSaver has their 5860 on sale, marked down from $370 to $246. Still more than I'd like to spend, so I checked it on Amazon, and that is a little less - $233 with free Prime shipping. But then I noticed the small "Used and New from $120" link and checked it out. For $120, they had one listed as "Used - Acceptable" with the note "Large cosmetic imperfection(s) on back or bottom. Item will come in original package. Package will be damaged."

    I have gone back and forth with this decision since yesterday and decided to pull the trigger and buy it. I figure if the unit doesn't work, it gets sent back during the return period. If it does work, I couldn't care less about cosmetic damage, especially on the back or bottom. The big concern is that it works now, but stops working a few months from now and I'm out the purchase price. For the heavy discount, seemed worth the gamble to me - high risk, high reward.

    #2
    I like you're thinking. The risk is limited since you can look and make some decision on its integrity. I have a Food Saver and love it.
    Last edited by Mudkat; April 9, 2019, 12:47 PM.

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      #3
      As long as the warranty is still in place I see no problem with cosmetic damage when the discount is high enough.

      My Food Saver died within a few months (I think) of having it, still within the warranty period and I had it replaced with no hassle. So far the replacement has been fine (knock on wood).

      I too, would love the chamber sealer version for wet foods, but the price and footprint make it a no-go for me.

      Comment


        #4
        Unfortunately in this life you get what you pay for. I've had 3-4 Food Savers, they're ok but eventually the vacuum pump doesn't do it's job and you're constrained in size. I invested in a nicer one, but you have to be prepared to spend a little more money than your budget seems to allow. I'd go for the $233 model on Amazon, used mechanical anything is indeed a big risk.

        Comment


          #5
          One other thought, and a real justification for spending more on a vacuum sealer. I seal everything, I mean everything. When I buy meat at the market, I tear it out of it's flimsy covering and seal it. When I buy meat in the butcher shop, I tear off the butcher paper and seal it. Fresh fish, seal it immediately. Freshly made soups, even guacamole which turns brown from oxidation within hours stays fresh and green sealed and put in the frig.

          I think you get the point. It's not only a convenience and a useful tool, it actually saves food from getting wasted or freezer burned. It lasts longer in the freezer. You can take it and plop it into a SV bath from frozen. It's so practical and useful that I could not live without it. Spend a little extra and see the difference it makes. Over time it justifies the added cost.

          Comment


          • N227GB
            N227GB commented
            Editing a comment
            That's a beast at that price point. If my FS machine gives out after the extended warranty, I'll have to give one of these a strong consideration.

          • Kevin_nj
            Kevin_nj commented
            Editing a comment
            That certainly does look better built. A tad bit lacking on detailed info, but if/when the FS reaches the end of its life I'll look into it again (assuming I remember it).

          • randy56
            randy56 commented
            Editing a comment
            I'm with you Troutman. I seal everything, had mine about 5 years, I'll go to sams, look for reduced meats. Chuck roast, Ribeye's, filet's, Strip steaks, Buy the large package's of 90% hamburger, Smash out a bunch of Hamburger pattie's, then package up several 1lb packages. The other day a local grocery had baby backs @ $1.99 per lb, so I bought 9 slabs, vac pac right away.
            When the wife makes Chile, she makes a big ass pot we eat want we want a Vac the rest.
            @ jumbo7676 You will use it.

          #6
          I picked up a factory serviced FoodSaver direct, and it failed to work out of the box. I spent an hour on the phone getting an RMA. They were fixated on getting the letters/numbers that were stamped on one of the electrical outlet plugs. Only one was visible, the rest were buried in the plastic. That threw a wrench in their process.

          I bought a replacement at a big box retailer and added an extended three year warranty for $5.

          Comment


            #7
            I have had my foodsaver for around 10 years and haven't has a problem with it. I use it quite a bit now that I am on AR, cause I cook a bit more. It doesn't do so well with wet foods, but I have learned to watch the vacuum and seal before the moisture reaches the sealing area.

            Comment


              #8
              I've had one for around 10 years too, and it's been fine. I would call my use moderate. I use it, but not all the time. Seems like maybe its wearing out (not quite as vigorous on removing air, maybe leaving a little behind) and I figure some of the seals and fittings internally are getting a little sloppy, but I'm just guessing here. Overall, I was happy with it.
              As long as you can test it out and have a chance to return it, I would take that risk.

              Comment


                #9
                I have used Food Savers for over 40 years. Am now on only my 2nd one. If anyone doubts the worth of their FS they should take to bananas that look alike and vac pak one of the and put the both on the back of the counter. The sealed on will last 10 times longer than the open one.

                Comment


                  #10
                  Thanks for all the feedback!

                  On the one hand, I definitely want a vacuum sealer. Wouldn't go quite so far to say I NEED one, though Troutman makes a pretty convincing argument. On the other hand, I don't want to spend $200+ on a new one right now (I've recently spent a lot of money on other cookers/accessories) and I don't want to risk spending $130 on a used one and have it crap out in a few months, as a lot of online reviews indicate, since I don't see any mention of a warranty on the used and damaged item. So I compromised, cancelled the order of the Used 5860 and bought a new 4400 on Amazon for about the same price. May not have all the bells and whistles of the better model, and I think it is an older model (the FoodSaver website has a 4440, not 4400) but it does have a 5-year limited warranty.

                  Comment


                    #11
                    The bags for chamber vacs are cheaper since they don’t have air channels and you don’t need a specific brand.

                    the cost difference takes 3-5 yrs to offset if you are a heavy user 20+ bags a week.

                    Big difference is throughput and reliability. No waiting for the element to cool no matter how many you do in a row and out of over 1000 bags I’ve had only a few failures to vac or seal (due to sharp foods) VS a 20% failure rate on the multiple food savers I had (due to no idea why).

                    I seal everything. Avocados etc. repackage meats. The vac bags prevent freezer burn that freezer ziploc bags won’t.

                    seal leftovers flat and the reheat in a few minutes.

                    Comment


                    • Troutman
                      Troutman commented
                      Editing a comment
                      Yea but size and price. Sounds like he's struggling at $200 bucks.

                    • Polarbear777
                      Polarbear777 commented
                      Editing a comment
                      It would be hard to pass up a 120$ one if it works.

                    • jumbo7676
                      jumbo7676 commented
                      Editing a comment
                      Yeah, I have to keep this one as cheap as possible without going so cheap that I wind up with a piece of junk. Been spending too much recently on used cookers to fix up and accessories for them.

                    #12
                    I've had great luck with everything I have bought from Amazon Warehouse, we got a Dyson that had a damaged box and no issues; I've got multiple computer parts and only 1 time had a problem where someone had bought a high end part and returned it with a low end part that your average customer service person never woulda noticed... Amazon made that one right. Most recently I bought a huge monitor for my PC for half the price because it was open box and damaged... showed up and there's a scratch on the back of the monitor that affects absolutely nothing. Also got my beer fridge from there, it has dents in the SS cladding on the door but it's 100% cosmetic. As long as it is sold by Amazon warehouse you are probably good to go.

                    I have zero input on the brand as I don't have a sealer yet either, too many MCS related things I need first

                    Comment


                      #13
                      For those that have the chamber sealer, here is another use to consider. Today we are taking a road trip to our daughters home and will be gone for several days. Plenty of good food in the fridge that otherwise would go to waste so it is sealed and into a cooler it goes just prior to leaving. Now here is the difference between a FS and a CS. Rather than buy bagged ice that when melts is a mess, I simply put water into some of my larger CS bags, ran then through the sealer and placed them in the freezer. Sealed ice bags that can be used over and over. I did use 4 mil bagging material so it should hold up just fine in the cooler.

                      In an effort to stay on the original subject, I can appreciate the hesitation to purchase a VS as the price is up there. I personally had very poor luck with the multiple FS machines I had unlike a few here that claim otherwise. I'm glad it's been working for those folks. What tipped me over the edge to spend the extra for a CS was the ROI (return on investment). Bagging materials are so much less than FS, you have a selection of thicknesses you can choose from, have a more reliable and robust machine that can be trust and frankly it is just easier to use. All that being said the only way to justify a CS over a FS is how much you use it. Occasional users, IMHO, can benefit greatly from FS but if you are a power user the FS is costing you more than it should simply in bagging materials and failure rates. At least from my experiences with FS.

                      Comment


                      • Troutman
                        Troutman commented
                        Editing a comment
                        Although I think the ice bags are a great idea, they can be done with any kind of sealer, little tricky with a FS but I've done tons of soups and whatnot with a FS. I do agree however in the ROI. If you look at the real cost of FS bags, you spend 50 cents to a dollar on each bag, even in bulk rolls. Chamber vac bags are pennies, like 2 pennies !! Over time that's a significant savings and justified the cost of the unit.

                      #14
                      I also use it for ice bags in the coolers. Keeps everything dry. They are reusable but disposable if need be.

                      Another use. If you freeze them flat you can put one under and one over your leftovers to cool them faster for fridge storage. Sometimes I even put this "sandwich" in the fridge. It keeps the warm leftovers from warming up the rest of the fridge.

                      Comment


                        #15
                        I use this "freezer pack sandwich in the fridge" technique too when first storing warm items in the fridge and it works like a charm. I keep them there overnight and then put the freezer packs back in the freezer. There is hardly a blip in the refrigerator temp when I put a warm item in there with a freezer pack above and below that warm item. Sometimes if I have room on the refrigerator shelf, I put one on each side too, making a little freezer pack house for the warm item.

                        In the wintertime when temps are well below 40°F I use my deck as a fridge until the warm item is cold enough to put into the fridge, but when outside temps are warmer, the freezer pack "sandwich" or "house" works great.

                        Kathryn
                        Last edited by fzxdoc; April 10, 2019, 07:30 AM.

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