7 Best Electric Meat Grinder Stuffing Tubes For Hog Processing Farmers Trust

You’ve done the hard work of raising the hog, the butchering is complete, and the pork is ground and perfectly seasoned. Now comes the final, critical step: turning that beautiful mixture into sausage. This is where a simple, often-overlooked tool—the stuffing tube—can make the difference between perfectly packed links and a frustrating mess of torn casings and air pockets.

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LEM Products #8 Stainless Steel Stuffing Tubes

LEM is a name you see in just about every farm supply catalog, and for good reason. Their equipment is built to be a reliable workhorse, and their #8 stainless steel stuffing tubes are no exception. This size is a common starting point for many hobby farmers, fitting the popular #8 electric grinders that offer a great balance of power and affordability.

The most important feature here is the material. Stainless steel is non-negotiable for food safety and longevity. Unlike plastic tubes that can scratch, harbor bacteria, and eventually crack under pressure, steel cleans up perfectly and will last a lifetime. A smooth, polished steel surface also allows natural casings to slide on and off with minimal friction, which is key to preventing tears.

When buying, the critical measurement is the diameter of the tube’s base flange, which must match your grinder’s retaining ring. LEM’s tubes are standardized for their grinders, but they often fit other brands as well. Just be sure to measure your grinder’s collar nut before ordering to ensure a snug, leak-proof fit.

Weston Pro Series #12 Grinder Funnel Kit

If you’re processing more than one hog a season, you might be using a #12 grinder. Weston’s Pro Series tubes are a noticeable step up in build quality, designed for higher volume and faster work. The wider throat of a #12 grinder allows you to stuff more sausage with less effort, reducing the risk of the dreaded "fat smear."

Fat smear happens when the meat gets overworked or warm, causing the fat to separate from the lean protein. This results in a dry, crumbly sausage. A larger #12 grinder and a well-designed tube minimize the pressure and friction on the meat, helping to keep it cold and its texture intact.

Weston tubes are known for their long, gradual taper. This design helps casings glide on smoothly and reduces the chances of them catching or tearing during stuffing. Remember, these tubes are part of a system. They won’t fit a smaller grinder, so choosing them is tied to your decision to invest in a more powerful #12 machine.

STX Turboforce 3-Piece Stainless Steel Set

The STX Turboforce grinders are incredibly popular for their impressive power at a very competitive price point. It only makes sense that their own branded stuffing tubes are the best choice for their machines. This set is a straightforward, no-nonsense stainless steel option that guarantees a perfect fit.

A common mistake is buying a "universal" kit for a branded grinder like an STX. A tube with a slightly loose base will allow meat to squish back out around the edges, creating a mess and wasting your precious ground pork. It’s a frustrating and time-consuming problem that is completely avoidable.

If you own an STX grinder, this is the set to get. It removes all the guesswork of measuring flanges and hoping for compatibility. You get three of the most common sizes—small, medium, and large—allowing you to make everything from breakfast links to larger kielbasa without any hassle.

Cabela’s Carnivore Series Hog Casing Tubes

Cabela’s Carnivore line is aimed squarely at the serious hunter and homesteader, and the design of their stuffing tubes reflects that. One of the most significant features is their extended length. A longer tube barrel means you can load a much longer section of casing at one time.

Think about the workflow. When you’re stuffing 40 or 50 pounds of bratwurst, every stop to load a new section of casing onto the tube costs you time and momentum. A longer tube might allow you to stuff an entire 6-foot rope of sausage without stopping, dramatically improving your efficiency.

These tubes also feature a high-polish finish. This isn’t just for looks; it creates an incredibly slick surface. Casings slide on with almost no resistance, and the stuffed sausage glides off smoothly. This reduction in friction is one of the most important factors in preventing casing blowouts.

Valley Sportsman Universal Fit Sausage Kit

Sometimes you end up with an older, hand-me-down grinder, or a model from a brand that no longer exists. In these cases, a universal kit like the one from Valley Sportsman can be a lifesaver. These kits typically include a plastic adapter that allows the tubes to fit a range of grinder sizes.

This versatility is both the biggest strength and the biggest weakness. The adapter provides flexibility, but it also creates an extra seam. This is one more place for meat to get trapped, making cleanup more difficult, and it can be a potential failure point under pressure.

Consider this a budget-friendly or problem-solving option. If you have a standard, modern grinder from a known brand, you are almost always better off buying a set of tubes made specifically for it. But if you’re trying to get an old machine running again, this universal kit can get the job done.

Hakka Brothers Heavy-Duty #22 Grinder Tubes

When you graduate to a #22 or larger grinder, you are moving into serious, semi-commercial production levels. A machine this size can push a tremendous amount of meat with incredible force. The equipment you attach to it must be able to withstand that pressure, and that’s where Hakka’s heavy-duty tubes shine.

These tubes are constructed from thicker-gauge stainless steel with robust welds at the base. A standard tube on a #22 grinder could potentially flex, warp, or even break at the flange. Hakka’s tubes are built to handle the torque and pressure without failing, which is essential for both safety and performance.

The larger diameter tubes included in these sets are also a key feature. If you plan to make summer sausage, bologna, or other large-format sausages that use fibrous casings, you need a wide tube. Trying to force that much meat through a small tube is impossible and will ruin the texture of your sausage.

KitchenAid Metal Food Grinder Sausage Stuffer

For many people, the KitchenAid stand mixer is their entry into the world of meat processing. The metal food grinder attachment is surprisingly capable, and the companion sausage stuffer tubes are designed to work seamlessly with it. This setup is perfect for small-batch sausage making.

The key to success with a KitchenAid is temperature. The machine has less power than a dedicated grinder, so the meat and all the metal components must be kept ice-cold—partially frozen is even better. This prevents fat smear and helps the auger push the meat through the tube smoothly.

Don’t underestimate this setup for processing a single hog’s worth of sausage. It’s more than capable of handling 10- or 20-pound batches of breakfast sausage, bratwurst, or Italian sausage. It’s slower than a dedicated machine, but it’s a fantastic, space-saving option for those not ready to invest in another large piece of equipment.

Choosing Tube Size for Different Hog Sausages

The stuffing tube you use is determined by the sausage you want to make, not the other way around. You must match the tube diameter to the casing you are using. A mismatch here is the number one cause of frustration for beginners.

Using a tube that’s too large for a casing will stretch it to its breaking point, causing constant tears and blowouts. Conversely, using a tube that’s too small leaves too much slack, making it difficult to pack the sausage tightly and consistently. This can lead to air pockets, which can cause spoilage in cured sausages.

A simple framework can guide your choices:

• 1/2" Tube (or smaller): For small sheep casings. Use for breakfast links and snack sticks.
• 3/4" Tube: The workhorse for most hog processing. This is the perfect size for standard 32-35mm hog casings used for bratwurst and Italian sausage.
• 1" Tube: For larger hog casings or for making things like kielbasa or larger smoked sausages.
• 1 1/4" Tube and larger: Reserved for large-diameter fibrous or collagen casings for making summer sausage, bologna, and salami.

Always start with your recipe, choose the appropriate casing, and then select the stuffing tube that fits that casing. This simple order of operations will save you a world of trouble on processing day.

A good set of stainless steel stuffing tubes is a small investment that pays huge dividends in efficiency and quality. It’s a simple tool, but the right one turns a potential struggle into a smooth, satisfying process, ensuring the final product is as good as the hog you worked so hard to raise.