Cabelas Carnivore meat Grinder

[El Carnicero]

Hi Guys, I know a few of you have these grinders and I do as well. I am having a problem with mine and wondered if anyone else has experienced this.

SO I have the 1HP #22 Grinder. I've had it for almost 2 year and only use it during hunting season and even then it doesn't get used that much.
This year I used it the first time and within 30 or 40 pounds of elk meat the auger started smoking at the joint between the screw and the plastic flange in the head. But I had no loss of power or push.

When I looked t the screw it had become so hot that it was actually cooking some of the meat and blood to the back of the screw, and showing some wear on the flange.

I thought maybe I'd gotten it too hot from excessive use, but the next day I used it to grind 20 lbs's of fresh elk, and the same thing happened within 5 minutes of starting up.

I can see what would be causing this as last year it worked like a dream with no issues, it has been stored in a consistent temperature in the house. I have never dropped it or put the gears or motor in water. So I have no idea what had happened or what would cause this to be happening.
My only guess is that the splines on the back of the screw look ever so slightly twisted, but I have no way to tell if this is normal and if this is what would cause the grinder screw to smoke and over heat.

If anyone has one of these grinders and has seen this happen to theirs or if anyone is knowledgeable in this area that could give me some input that would be great.

[Jeron Kahyar]

Sounds like your gear box is overheating. Is their any way to check the oil level? If so you may be a bit low. Either that or your bearing has gone. If you can try spinning the bearing and see if it move smooth and free. If it is not a sealed bearing it would be worth replacing with a sealed one. Washing the front of the unit could be washing the grease out of the bearing causing it to fail.

[El Carnicero]

The gear box was definitely hot when I touched it. Didn't seem to be like that last year.
I'll check the oil. I'm not sure if it's a sealed unit but that's a good start.

I don't wash any parts on the main unit itself, just the head unit, with the blade, screw and top loading shelf.
I also noticed that it has a bit of a squeak to it in the gear box. I don't recall there being any squeaks there last year when I used it. It ran smooth and quiet.
How would one find out if I can add oil to the gear box? I have searched google and the instruction manual and found nothing for info.


Thanks.

[Unregistered user]

Knife may be dull or the plate worn too much. I always coat mine with mineral oil before use, bushing and knife/plate area.

[El Carnicero]

Knife may be dull or the plate worn too much. I always coat mine with mineral oil before use, bushing and knife/plate area.

Yup, coated with lots of food grade oil before starting.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Take it back they have a 5 year warranty.

We had a motor quit on us and they replaced the whole unit.

LC

[The Fisherman Guy]

I second Lefty's advice, take it back and explain.

Makes a guy wonder what will happen with the famous Cabela's brand warranty now that BPS acquired them.

[FellSwoop]

Please post an update when you find out what happened. Mine is also the 1 hp and it has worked flawlessly. But only two seasons old.

[El Carnicero]

Please post an update when you find out what happened. Mine is also the 1 hp and it has worked flawlessly. But only two seasons old.


Hi Guys, sorry for the long delay. Long weekend an all.

So after I started this post I looked at my warranty. Looks like I was supposed to fill out and send in a little card to the company that does warranty work on Cabelas machines. Well, I apparently didnt do that. and in the manual it says that if work is needed "do not return to store, call 1800 blah blah blah.
Well that blows.

TO the individual above that returned it. did you take it directly back to the store??

Anyway, on with the out come.

I opened up the gear box to check the level of grease and gears. they were all good to go so I sealed it back up, ran it dry with no plate to auger on it.
The squeaking noise dissipated after a few moments of running the motor.

Next I stopped the motor, put the auger all together Oiled the hell out of every connecting piece and put the 3 pronged sausage thing on against the plate and thightened the head only finger tight.

Flipped the switch and waited to see if there was any friction or overheating in the inside end of the auger.......nothing.

"Okay, Maybe it needs some resistance" So the next day I had a whole deer to grind. SO I followed the same steps as the previous day. Oiled like hell (yes food grade oil from Cabelas), put all the pieces together, and ran a good 80 lbs of deer through it.

Not a squeak, no over heating, no blood or meat cooking to the back end of the Auger/bushing area. and no motor slow down.
Ran like the day I bought it!

SO 2 things that I determined might have been user error.

1. Though I oiled the parts when I first put it together, Maybe I used the oil too sparingly. So now I make sure the oil drips form each part. (yes gross, but it's food grade.)

2. I only use my grinder during hunting season. Otherwise it sits in my heat controlled garage, in the box, closed, covered and protected the rest of the year.
Again, this might have been personal error as I maybe needed to give it time to wake up and maybe the grease in the gear box had settled to much and my flipping the grinder on its back end to open the gear box casue the grease to shif position and give the gears the coverage they needed to function properly.

Last Saturday I ran a 300 lbs elk through the grinder with out over heating or squeaking or any issues at all.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Yes took it direct to customer service (after cleaning and putting back in original package) and had it replaced on the spot.

LC

[El Carnicero]

Delete.
Question answered before I posted.

Thanks.

[El Carnicero]

Yes took it direct to customer service (after cleaning and putting back in original package) and had it replaced on the spot.

LC

That's good to know.
Thanks for telling me. I was afraid if the thing did go implode on me that I would have to mail a 75 + lbs box through the mail. I can't even imagine how much that would cost.