Large 20-Inch Heavy-Duty Chicken Defeathering Plucker Machine (SAK35879)

I put through 30 meat birds on the first day and it cut the time in half compared to my old unit. The design loans itself nicely to fast and thorough cleanup!

This is a must have for processing your own poultry. 99% of the feathers came off in about 60 seconds. Some of the wing tip feathers you'd have to pull off but that was effortless.The instructions were a little unclear, but we'd watched enough Youtube videos and done enough research that we could fill in the blanks.The amount of birds we've processed ourselves just in one season and the savings on a butcher bill has already paid for this plucker - it's definitely worth the investment. Not having to pluck birds by hand was such a joy.

I did 11 birds this past weekend. This was my first time using this plucker and I have to say, all went smoothly. The reviews about the switch being poorly located are correct. It is certainly doable but I’m glad I went in with the knowledge from reading reviews. I did have to scoop out feathers that built up along the side and bogged the motor down. Next time I will know to keep a better eye on possible build up. My meat birds were a good size so I only did one at a time but the machine only took seconds to get almost all of the feathers off. I wish it would handle bigger birds but again, I bought it knowing I would only be able to do my chickens with this machine. Over all I am pleased.

Yes, the machine does work it cleans the birds rather nicely However here is a list of issues I found with this unit. edges are not finished the chrome rim on the top on the inside it curves under it is not finished its a sharp edge all the way around as for the bottom of the drum it also is unfinished very sharp the plate with the fingers when you go to remove it or put in place after cleaning can and will cut you disk is unfinished and very sharp edges , the power switch is 3" away from the drain at the bottom for feather's and water run off also the motor is in the center of the bottom tray inches from drain hole , the power plug is not long enough and could end up in the water runoff I zip tied an extension cord to the fence then zip tied the plug so it was up in the air away from any water . you had to get on one knee almost and squat down to find the off and on switch on the side of the motor these are all simple fixes and would impact price very little if any a power conduit coming up the side of the drum could have power switch mounted and the power cord could come up same conduit add 10 ft of cable or let it plug in at end of conduit that is 2' above the tub curve edges under on the tub top and bottom finish moving dish yes it does do the work however I will not be buying this unit again.

We processed 60 chickens weighing about 8-12 pounds each with this unit. It took us a few birds to find the right combination of scalding temperature and time, but once we zeroed in on 150-155 degrees for 30 seconds it took about 15 seconds in the plucker to completely remove all the feathers. A few tips:We were plucking only one bird at a time so we had to be watchful of the bird because occasionally they would not flip over. Start your plucker before dropping in the bird. Use a hose to spray in water as you drop the bird. Place a five gallon bucket under the discharge chute with a few holes drilled in the bottom of it to collect the feathers but allows the water to drain away. A few negatives:The location of the on/off switch is not ideal underneath the machine, as it is right next to the feather discharge chute. You might see some small feathers stuck between the fingers and the stainless steel housing during cleanup.

Great machine to use. Does what you need to pluck your chickens and does it well. I was a little pessimistic about it but bought it anyway. So easy to use and cleans easily. A little pricey but well worth it if you do your own chickens.

Before you use the plucker, ensure the water temperature on boiling water remains between 140-160. It was nice to have a test bird to test your timing in the plucker. 30 seconds did it for us. Went a lot faster then originally understood. We found that the larger bird we had to flip it over for an additional 30 seconds. Spray water constantly. Make sure feathers are cleaned after each bird. We used a medium size planter bucket to collect feathers. The holes allowed water to drain out. Overall keeping the wives arm un-injured was a huge success. Made the processing time less. 5 minutes per bird now makes it 30 seconds. I love this machine.

Iv used it to do three batches of broilers. It's worked every time! 100% worth the money so far. Takes all but maybe some of the butt feathers off it ten seconds!! Night and day difference between this and hand plucking! I'd say if you plan on doing any broilers you should be getting a plucker.