Mountain Man,
At the recent boat show here I had the opportunity to talk with the vacuum sealer vendor at some length. I suppose in the context, this conversation sucked a lot of smoke out of my vacuum sealer bags.
Before I get to that let me mention, I have a Sinbo type that SmokinOkie mentioned. I also have a FoodSaver. I also have bought a couple other brands in thrift stores that I have not fully tested yet. Most of the stuff I freeze, I now pack in Ziplock freezer bags, push out all the air I can, and freeze. I only break out a vacuum sealer when I have a large batch of something that I think might be spending a long time somewhere before it is consumed.
Vacuum sealers are basically divided into two types depending upon the type of bags they use. Generically they are "plain" and "foodsaver type."
Foodsaver bags are double walled and the air is sucked out of the bags by the little ridges between the two layers of the bag. Foodsaver bags are limited in variety and are relatively expensive.
Plain bags are just that, sealed on 3 sides, your vacuum device sucks the air out either by some type of little tube stuck in the bag or a bag chamber. When you push the seal button on the tube type the tube is withdrawn and the sealing wires seal the bag. Plain bags are relatively cheap and come in any size you might want dependent on your sealing equipment. Just go to the supermarket and look at all the stuff that comes vacuum sealed.
My discussion with the vender was that if you are going to vacuum seal commercially go with the chamber type, not the tube type or foodsaver type. For sealing stuff for your own consumption or to share with friends it really doesn't matter. The problem I have with my tube type Sinbo, is sometimes the seals last forever, sometimes they leak over time. That problem is really a result of two little sealing wires rather than a sealing bar.
The VacMasters that Will linked is the only way to go for commercial sealing, basically because they are commercial units. They start at about $1400 US and go up from there depending upon the size of stuff you are trying to seal. The difference the vendor said in the $1400 (Model 10) machine and the $1800 (Model 15) machine is the vacuum pump alone. The more $$$ machine is faster and the pump will probably work longer without need of repair. In short you get what you pay for.
VacMasters are widely available, you can check them out a Cabelas online or SausageMaker.com has a full line also. They are also available at more local supply vendors that cater to butchers. These local venders many times stock a wide variety of bags also, both plain and foodsaver type.
If I could afford a VacMaster I would probably use it daily. From my experience don't waste your money on anything else. If you price your fish and jerky properly, it could be your day job in no time, especially a stones through out of Edmonton.
