# Looking for Heavy Duty Can Opener



## MichaelDMiller (Aug 23, 2011)

About $35 or less, but able to open the large Bumble Bee cans of tuna.
those cans are shaped like their regular ones, but hold 66 ozs and weigh about 4 lbs.


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## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

Just buy a Swing Away hun. Got mine at Bed Bath and Beyond. Was under $10. Heavy duty, opens everything and in an emergency you can beat somebody with it it's so heavy! LOL

Swing-A-Way Can Opener - Bed Bath & Beyond


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## horseman09 (Mar 2, 2010)

My better half swears by her Pampered Chef can opener because it cuts the side of the crimp instead of the lid. That means there are no sharp edges and the cutter wheel never contacts (or contaminates) the contents of the can, so there is no chance of food poisoning or cross contamination.


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## Genevieve (Sep 21, 2009)

yea well, that happens because people are too lazy to clean the darn thing. lol warm soapy water and an old toothbrush, rinse.dry,done. geesh, you'd think it was rocket science lol


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

Thanks Genevieve! I'm going to check into one of those.. they have really nice ones at Amazon..
Right now I have a nice one that I've had for about 3 years and it is just the $3 one from walmart! I had the cheaper all metal one and my daughter took it when she moved out so hubby told me to pick another one up at Wally world and they had the little one dollar all metal one but the bigger one which is mostly metal too (well the parts that are important) but has much bigger grip/handles and a bigger "key" that you turn to open cans with... with my hands starting to bother me more and more as the years go on I decided that I would go for the $3 one and see if I liked it... All the others that have the bigger handles and key(I think they were OXO and kitchen aid) looks really nice but were closer to $15 each.
It works so well that I went and picked up another one for our camper. I may go and pick up a couple more just for spares(or barter..)


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## lotsoflead (Jul 25, 2010)

buy a swing-a-way, they'll open anything


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## MichaelDMiller (Aug 23, 2011)

Thank you all for your suggestions.

I am only afraid of the thickness of the metal, diameter, and weight (4.x lbs) of the can. My new electric "heavy duty" just drops it after about an 1/8 of an inch.

I will check on both of those devices.

Michael


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## MichaelDMiller (Aug 23, 2011)

I happen to be a strict Constitutionalist, particularly in all matters of the 2nd Amendment.
I will send out Cicero's quote to everyone on my list.


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## commander (Sep 15, 2009)

*Can Opener*

Try a military issue P38 or P51 can opener. They are simple and easy to use and cheap. The P38 is the smaller one designed for regular cans. The P51 is the larger and designed for #10 cans. If you can't find a source for them, contact me. We keep them in stock in our store all the time.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

commander said:


> Try a military issue P38 or P51 can opener. They are simple and easy to use and cheap. The P38 is the smaller one designed for regular cans. The P51 is the larger and designed for #10 cans. If you can't find a source for them, contact me. We keep them in stock in our store all the time.


Already have them and they are a PITA to use if you have arthritis in your hands. sure they work but a cheap manual one is better to use than one of those P38's.. The P51 is a bit better but not much.


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## MichaelDMiller (Aug 23, 2011)

I ended up getting an Oxo, side cutting can opener and it did open the large can ok. Time will tell if the mechanics hold up.

The swing away's are all now made in China, as is the Oxo (we have a REAL PROBLEM with our manufacturing), and the badder reviews said the mechanics were flimsy and no where near what was made in America for the original can openers.

I had to try something fast, as I had partially opened the tuna and it was sitting in my frig.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

MichaelDMiller said:


> The swing away's are all now made in China


I didn't know that - thanks for the heads-up.


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## MichaelDMiller (Aug 23, 2011)

Thanks Emerald for the info on the military can openers.
I actually carried those back in the days of my Marine Corps service.

For that large tuna can, they would be very difficult to use.
It's not that the can is tall. It isn't. It's squat, and weighs 4.x lbs.

So far my oxo manual one worked. I will have to see how long the mechanism holds up. It is also a China product.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

MichaelDMiller said:


> About $35 or less, but able to open the large Bumble Bee cans of tuna.
> those cans are shaped like their regular ones, but hold 66 ozs and weigh about 4 lbs.


If you want a manual opener,yellow pages the local restaurant supply,they sell those that open 8" cans!


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## MichaelDMiller (Aug 23, 2011)

I am going to use the Oxo for now. They restaurant suppliers did have a really heavy duty opener, but they were bolted to the edge of a worktable and had a height adjustable vertical piece and a large hand crank. I think those were very expensive.

Thanks for the info.

Michael


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## Beanie (Aug 26, 2011)

commander said:


> Try a military issue P38 or P51 can opener. They are simple and easy to use and cheap. The P38 is the smaller one designed for regular cans. The P51 is the larger and designed for #10 cans. If you can't find a source for them, contact me. We keep them in stock in our store all the time.


P38!!! That's what I was going to suggest.


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## pinqlady57 (Mar 5, 2011)

MichaelDMiller said:


> About $35 or less, but able to open the large Bumble Bee cans of tuna.
> those cans are shaped like their regular ones, but hold 66 ozs and weigh about 4 lbs.


restaurant supply and gander mountain had one online a couple months ago opens gallons also


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

I have a couple of hand-crank can-openers that are fairly heavy-duty - I haven't found a can that I couldn't open with them. I have purchased mine from the local CanadianTire - kind of expensive (when compared with DollarStore crap) but they have lasted years!

Like Genevieve suggested - wash the things and they will give you years of good clean service. I do all my dishes by hand (no dishwasher for me), so, when I am washing my cooking implements (flippers, whisk, spoons, chop-sticks, tongs, etc) I also wash my can-opener, if it was used that day.


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## MichaelDMiller (Aug 23, 2011)

Thanks, Nae.

Thanks for the good info.
We also wash certain implements by hand.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

MichaelDMiller said:


> Thanks, Nae.
> 
> Thanks for the good info.
> We also wash certain implements by hand.


I know that you probably already know this but we take our old toothbrushes(the ones that are getting worn) I steam them and then we use them for cleaning around the house.. there are two in a cup by the kitchen sink and they work wonders for cleaning the can opener.. I kinda prefer the hand cranked can openers as they are sooooooo much easier to keep clean. 
I also keep a pump aerosol oil sprayer in the kitchen (think "Pam" but with your favorite oil) and I spray the can opener every so often lightly to keep any rust away. still food safe.


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## MichaelDMiller (Aug 23, 2011)

Thanks again Emerald. Excellent ideas. The last time I used a toothbrush for cleaning was in Marine Corps boot camp, cleaning my rifle and bayonet and for scrubbing the wooden deck (floor). I never thought of steaming them now and using them for cleaning.

I LEARN something NEW every single day.

Michael


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

MichaelDMiller said:


> Thanks again Emerald. Excellent ideas. The last time I used a toothbrush for cleaning was in Marine Corps boot camp, cleaning my rifle and bayonet and for scrubbing the wooden deck (floor). I never thought of steaming them now and using them for cleaning.
> 
> I LEARN something NEW every single day.
> 
> Michael


That is why I love forums too... all these different people with different views and angles on some of the same problems.. I've learned so much here and I enjoy passing along some of what I've picked up down the line. Hehehe I am a chronic learner tho! I hear about something new and just HAVE to do it.

Another good tool for the house is those teeny tiny brushes that you see by the plastic tooth pic flosser things... those little brushes(meant for bridgework or braces cleaning) can really get into tiny places.. I even use one for cleaning the shower head(we have pretty hard water), cleaning my jewelery, cleaning the nose piece of my glasses(don't look but those areas in my glasses get grossy..) I have tons of hand powered kitchen gadgets and they all seem to have tiny holes that get stuff stuck in them.. that kind of thing. I have to put them on my grocery list cuz I know I am down to just one... bad side to them being tiny-they tend to disappear.


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## MichaelDMiller (Aug 23, 2011)

I am the same way. Love to learn new stuff. I am heavy into photography and the web is the best thing since sliced toast for learning about other photographers. While I have learned a great deal, simply over 50+ years of shooting, the web has increased my knowledge and refined my knowledge exponentially.


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