Looking into purchasing a vacuum sealer and my first thought is to wait for the Food Saver FM5480 at Costco to go on sale again.  Really only looking to seal up bulk meat purchases.  Any thoughts?

We have the older model Costco used to carry.  It works great.  The old model we have is more vertical and takes up less counter space.  These units are great for freezing leftovers like ribs and pulled pork.   

I have the foodsaver from Costco. I have not had a problem with it. We only use it for vacuum sealing bags. Not any of the attachment things. We too buy meat in bulk. I buy my chicken from Zaycon so I am doing 40-80lbs at a time. It works well and I feel good knowing I have the Costco guarantee if it does go south.

I have been looking at the same one.  Good to know other people like it.

how much would you be looking at spending, sealers are like most other things, they have a broad spectrum when it come to pricing.

I love my chamber sealer since I have bought one, other people like to come around and use it, bags are far cheaper than suction machine bags.

how much would you be looking at spending, sealers are like most other things, they have a broad spectrum when it come to pricing.

I love my chamber sealer since I have bought one, other people like to come around and use it, bags are far cheaper than suction machine bags.

I'd really like to stay on the lower end. The current Costco unit drops to $99 when its on sale. I can't justify spending $300 or more on something that I'll probably use 1-2 times a month.

I too have the FoodSaver from Costco.  It is much superior to my old food saver.  A great product IMO.

Another satisfied Foodsaver fan here. So far at least. I bought model FM2435 on sale around Christmas for $50 and it has worked great.

I have a cheap foodsaver, maybe v2244 that i got for 50 or 60 a few years ago. It’s nothing fancy but always works fine when i need it. I only do a few bags a month though.

I've got a food saver v4845 I purchased a few years ago from Sam's Club. Does everything I need it to do!

I have that one from Costco but bought it at Sam's.  I have probably run about 50 bags through it since December.  It does great on dry foods, but doesn't get a terrific seal with anything that has a little liquid like the pulled beef or pulled pork that I sealed today from my leftovers from the party on Saturday.  I have been using pint, quart, and gallon bags.  Have used the marinade function and was pleased with it.  Also, have used the resealable bag and liked that feature too.  I am happy so far for the $120 that I spent.  The next one will probably be a LEM.

I have that one from Costco but bought it at Sam's.  I have probably run about 50 bags through it since December.  It does great on dry foods, but doesn't get a terrific seal with anything that has a little liquid like the pulled beef or pulled pork that I sealed today from my leftovers from the party on Saturday.  I have been using pint, quart, and gallon bags.  Have used the marinade function and was pleased with it.  Also, have used the resealable bag and liked that feature too.  I am happy so far for the $120 that I spent.  The next one will probably be a LEM.

As soon as you see the juice get a couple inches from the top, immediately hit seal...I had this problem too until I learned that trick. IMO, when the juice starts sucking up the bag the air is gone.

A lot depends on how much space you have, how much you'll be using it, and what you using it for.

I had a Food Saver from Costco that lasted about 15 years. When it died I was considering a chamber sealer, or a Weston Pro 2300.  I ended up getting another Food Saver from Groupon for $39 and I've been using it every day for the past 2 years. If it dies I'll probably get another because it is so light, easy to handle and fits in a drawer.
You really need a dedicated space for a chamber sealer or it's too much trouble for small jobs.

if you go to vacmaster website they have their pro110 on sale for46 buck free shipping. not sure what features you are looking for.

Another thing you can do if you have foods with juice in them is put the bags in the freezer first freezing the food and then pull them out a day later and vacuum seal them.