634670 Tue Jul 07 12:45:54 -0700 2009 9 41 Cookware 0 4837015 I'm on my third FoodSaver, and it's about to go kaput again. I've had this one for about a year and a half. My last one I've had for about two years, and my first one I've had for about a month. I've been reading reports about it lasting anywhere from a few months to seven to eight years. I don't think I'm mistreating my machine -- all of my other appliances last for quite some time. But I just don't seem to have good karma with my damn Tilia FoodSaver. I'm not willing to shell out the big bucks for a super duper commercial one. But I'm willing to pay a bit more (up to $400) if it will last me about 10 years. Any recs? And as I use mason jars more than I use the bags. So it must have an attachment for the wide mouthed mason jars. Tue Jul 07 12:45:54 -0700 2009 10763 Miss Needle 1 4837562 Hey I've had the problems with the food saver as well. I happened to have purchased mine from BB&B and save all of my receipts and they have an unlimited return policy so I would just change out my broken ones for new ones. eventual I got tired or returning them and for paying top dollar for the bags. I ended up going with a "Sinbo" http://www.sorbentsystems.com/sinbosealer.html it seems to be branded as the snorkelvac on that site. It's a snorkel type vacuum sealer that has a tube that goes into your bag and pulls out all the air at the products. you can use significantly cheaper bags that aren't the channel type vacuum bags. it also has a better sealing strip which is what failed on most of my foodsavers causeing air to come back into the bag. Most vacuum packing in food industry use either a snorkle type or a vacuum chamber type packer because they're reliable and cost effective. and the sinbo only runs for 100 bucks Tue Jul 07 15:48:41 -0700 2009 4837015 45329 Loki 2 4841680 Loki, The 6 month warranty is not reassuring. How long have you had your Sinbo/Snorkelvac? Wed Jul 08 19:18:34 -0700 2009 4837562 53530 Zeldog 1 4837620 I looked into foodsaver and the research found that there are reliability problems with the product. So you are not an isolated instance. I use plain old zip lock freezer bags, fill them up and submerge them in water to get as much air out as possible then seal. Tue Jul 07 16:16:15 -0700 2009 4837015 251532 bgazindad 1 4838272 No kidding! I've had mine for 3 years or so. Use it all the time and I can't say I've ever had a problem with it. Do you put it away with the latch securing the lid? That's supposed to be a no-no. Don't know what else could go wrong because it's a simple machine. Hope you have an alternative like taking it back to BB&B. Tue Jul 07 20:10:56 -0700 2009 4837015 17969 rainey 1 4838684 I have a Pro 2300 ( http://www.provacuumsealers.com ) Excellent machine, last sealer that I will ever have to buy. All metal construction, this really is a commercial machine, but it falls right at the top of your price range. The 2300 is just over your price point ($419) but for $20 dollars less you can get the 2100 which isn't stainless steel but enamelled white. We use it here in the studio to package leftovers for the crew to take home, and I use it at home to package sausages etc that we make for our family. G. Wed Jul 08 03:52:48 -0700 2009 4837015 120112 legourmettv 2 4838900 True, I never invested in a Food Saver because I thought it was overpriced and way too bulky, but I did use a Seal-A-Meal for several years until I got tired of buying all those bags which never fit exactly and spending all that time sucking the air out, only to have it sneak back in while lounging in my freezer. Then I had an epiphany that requires the same effort at a fraction of the cost. I place portions on freezer wrap, fold securely, label with sharpie, and stick in large freezer bag. It works just as well as any other method. For more liquid items, I store and freeze in pyrex containers. Wed Jul 08 06:14:23 -0700 2009 4838684 1088155 Ambimom 3 4839718 I am able to store vacuum-sealed frozen food much longer than carefully-wrapped-then-bagged items. There is never freezer burn or deterioration of product in the vacuumed bags - not so for other storage methods. Wed Jul 08 10:07:54 -0700 2009 4838900 159317 greygarious 4 4840214 I'll second that. Even just storing vac sealed stuff in the fridge, you get a much longer shelf life. G. Wed Jul 08 11:56:42 -0700 2009 4839718 120112 legourmettv 1 4842629 I picked mine up at Tuesday Morning. It was about $65, IIRC. Have had it for 2 years now without any issues. The only time I have problems sealing is when I try to scrimp on bag size and get folds in the seal. At one point, they also had a box of bag rolls that was $16 or so. Same box is $40 at Costco. Keep hoping to see more of those at TM. Thu Jul 09 07:06:07 -0700 2009 4837015 12626 ted