Any guys on here run a deer processing shop ..looking for tips an tricks ...equipment options

Don’t run a shop but butcher all my deer I have a Hobart 220 volt grinder and a National brand cuber or tenderizer. I don’t make sausage but for hamburger , steaks and roasts this all you need. LEM probably has decent equipment my stuff is old and bought from a grocery store going out of business back in the 80’s . Cubing steaks is the only way to go IMO.
As far as sausage making there are plenty of people on this site that can help you out.

There are several places around me that butcher/process deer for a fee. I'm sure all do a good job but the price continues to rise. I understand they are running a business and need to make a profit and all the best to them. With that said, we process our own deer. Several each year. Here is what we have for equipment;
Plenty of skinning/butchering knives.
Knife sharpeners
Meat grinder
Stainless steel meat mixer
Sausage stuffer
Vacuum sealer

That's all the equipment we use. Now, when we process a deer I hang them in my fur shed, skin them as soon as we get them. Process within a day or two. (Depending on temperature)
We first quarter them then bring them inside the house to cut up. We have clean sheets of cardboard to put on the table. The cardboard keeps the meat from sliding and absorbs any blood. Plus it protects your knife when you cut through the meat. Once done cutting, just throw cardboard away or burn. We do basic cuts. Backstraps are cut into about 6 inch lengths, meat that will be used as burger is cut up in manageable chuncks. Some meat is cut up into cubes to be used in stews, stir fry, or set aside for canning. We may put a small amount aside cut in straps to use fir jerky. We do add about 15% beef fat when we mix and grind our burger.

We don’t run a shop but every year we process 6-8 whole beef 12 hogs 200+ chickens and whatever deer/elk/moose and bear we harvest. We bought a commercial band saw and grinder from auction and everything else came from LEM we also bought a walk in cooler from a subway and let me tell you that sure is a game changer if you have the space for it by far the best purchase for cutting meat. A sharp knife is also very important if your not the best at sharpening and steeling knives I suggest to learn that skill very important
Thanks Alex

You may want to get a good vacuum sealer also . Chamber vacs are the way to go if you do as much as Alex processes in a year . If you build a cooler use a cool bot on a window unit air conditioner that little cool bot is a game changer for a do it yourself walk in.

Yeah I'm looking into a cooler right now for sure going to have one ..heading to look at a band saw after work guy wants 225 for it

^^^ We use a chainsaw for splitting moose down the spine in the field. It works very well.

I don't run a shop have done a good many deer , a few sheep and 3 cows now

this video is my favorite I go watch it as a refresher from time to time, this technique sure makes for meat off the bone fast , with very little operator fatigue.

a good high winch and some bolts in the concrete for skinning

in WI DNR has recommended bone out now for 22 years , no cuts other than the knee joints

I cut bone of the cows , no one ever tells you there is a enough soup bones in every cow to have soup every week of the year

I tried a few meet hooks and for me the Dexter 4 inch is the perfect size for deer , saves so much hand fatigue

Good tip on the meat hooks. That is another tool I have grown fond of, for in the field and handling meat for processing.

You guys think a 1/2 hp meat grinder say a number 12 would be a good starting point or do I need to step it up an get the 1hp #22 think the thing runs off 220 the 1hp guy has he wants 700 for it the head looks good but the body it neat up pretty bad might be a old Hobart idkeveryrhing is rubbed off....or there the 1/2 hp from is it cableas or bps for 400 brand new

dewalt battery-powered reciprocating "sawzall" saw is a great tool (with cleaned blades of course). You can really break down in a hurry if you have much to do.

I butcher somewhere between 10-30 game animals every year in addition to a domestic pig or two and a couple hundred chickens.If you’re planning on doing more than a couple a year I’d go with the 1hp or better. The first year or two I made due with a smaller grinder before upgrading to a 1 hp. In hindsight, I already wish I would have gone bigger. I just found a really good deal on the 1 horse so I went with it. I try to upgrade a piece of equipment every year. This year I bought a chamber vacuum sealer which has really been a good purchase so far. Other than that, I have a hand held meat saw, several boning/filet knives, a sharpener, a large cutting board.

Hobart is good stuff overall. Commercial.

I run a 3/4hp #12 LEM big bite , good size for me and a some friends and family getting together to do deer , but if I was trying to make money butchering I would be going much bigger

I think I got my #12 big bite around 2007 or 2008 it was a huge improvement for deer and for 2-3 deer at a time does well

when I did the cows it took a LONG time to grind 208 pounds of burger I got from the one cow.

look at that hobart , outside case means about nothing , all the paint rubbed off probably means it was cleaned a with every use , the gears and bearings matter , the motor windings matter

maybe ask if you can take the case off and see , then get model and SN# check what parts are available

also you say 220 , is it 3-phase 220 and do you have 3 phase ? and if you do , what type ask your eclectic utility. Wild leg is common around here so you have to make sure any relays are wired not to the wild leg it is 208 volts to ground where the other legs are 120 to ground.

the smallest I would go is the #32 1.5hp LEM big bite if I was planning to do more than deer for family.

the #12 head uses a nylon thrust washer , the #32 head uses a thrust bearing

also I would have a spare head , with plates and cutters when you finish some ones order I would start the parts soaking in very hot water to reduce clean up time and keep grinding the next order.

also it may pay to have spare grinder if you rely on it a lot , you have a small window to work with so even a few days down time is a big issue on the processing game.

you can also get meat mixer tubs to run off the grinder motor if you plan to make sausage

Get several, I mean more then you think you'll need good quality meat lugs and a couple of heavy scrap barrels.

You can build your own cutting tables if you know how to weld, make sure you have a really good hot water supply for clean up.

I don't cut meat for $ as too many people don't understand what it takes to do it correctly and complain that their 100 lb deer didn't equal 100lb of meat.

I do the ranch stuff and elk for friends.

My set up

Hobart meat grinder $250 from craigslist
meat tenderizer $ 100 clist
butcherboy band saw $600 from clist

still working on getting a cooler set up

Interesting video. I like the hook idea.

good mention on meat lugs even just for my little personal setup I have 6-7 lugs the 35# type they are more useful with the lids and still have to break out my big stainless bowls when doing a cow because I run out of room and that was doing a half at a time.