Don't know how I ever made sausage without it. Had been using a KA mixer to grind, and stuff which required at least 3 hands and was slow and painful. With this stuffer, I was able to stuff 6lbs of bratwurst by myself in about 5 minutes.6lbs of meat fit into the cylinder without about 1 inch to spare, so it could hold close to 7lbs depending on density. Plan on 5+ to be safe. After ordering, I realized the difference between this stuffer and the Hakka Stainless Steel stuffer (other than the paint) is the tubes. This has plastic tubes while the other has stainless tubes. I thought that might be a problem, but the plastic offered no noticeable resistance when stuffing.If you're trying to decide between a horizontal or vertical stuffer, consider these points:1) The horizontal needs to be located near the edge of a table, or elevated on a platform several inches high, to allow rotation of the crank arm.2) The crank arm on the horizontal is lower, which might make it more comfortable for vertically challenged people, or those with bad shoulders.3) The horizontal has a lower center of gravity, so it is very stable. I did not clamp it to the counter when stuffing, and it did not move or wobble at all.