How do you work this Foodsaver made by Tilia?

I bought this thing at a yard sale for like $2.00. It seals the bags, but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to get the damn air out of the bag using this machine. I thought the thing was supposed to suck it out, and then seal it at the same time. Do you know where I can get these rolls cheaply? Do they make a generic kind?How do you work this Foodsaver made by Tilia?
Hey David





I've had a couple of their machines, reason being I wore them out.





First off about the bags. You can use the cheaper Black and Decker bags (get at Wal-Mart), but their well, cheaper. They don't seal as well as the Foodsaver bags. I've settled on using the Foodsaver bags only, they seem to be the best choice in the long run.





Make sure you reuse the bags if possible. Do not wash them in the dishwasher, it destroys them. By destroy, I mean that the bags end up curling on you and you have to cut the curled edge off to use it. Just wash them by hand and let them air dry.





To use the machine; After you sealed the bottom of the bag, fill with food and make sure the bag is laid flat, absolutely no wrinkles. Newbies make the mistake, of not having enough bag exposed, they try to cut the bag too close to the food.





Just make sure the open end of the bag, is in between the oval rubber seal and laying flat. If you do that, it should be OK. When the machine evacuates the air, you'll hear a high pitched hum, it will draw down to a low pitch, as the air is sucked out. Keep holding the bar down (if you see the bag shrink around the food) until it seals, the function light will go from red to green.





Failing that, have you tried contacting the company? They can be very helpful.





My first machine was an original and so old they couldn't get parts to fix it. For the price of postage, they sent me a new machine and they paid to get my old one.





Anyway, if you need more info, just email me.





Later %26amp; good luck.How do you work this Foodsaver made by Tilia?
You can get the bags at most Walmart stores but they aren't cheap, and you are right when you close the sealer and push the button it is suppose to suck the air out of the bag....they are great when they work right, you might want to check on line and see if you can find a solution to your problem even at two bucks if you have to send it in for repair it will be cheaper than a new one.... as far as I know there are no generic bags...you can use the Food Saver bags, I think that is what they are called, it will say that they are used for a vacuum sealer on the box. Good Luck