Not all bags are made for safe immersion in boiling water with food, check the food rating of the bag that you intend to use.
As far as the sealer, if you plan to seal whole briskets and whole butts, Weston is probably the better choice simply because the width of the sealer is over 15.5 inches. Common bags for large items are 15 X 18, and they even sell rolls 8', 11" and 15" wide material. If you are slicing/pulling the meat in advance then you can probably get away with 11" bags and get a cheaper unit.
I chose the Weston because it has dual piston pumps rather than a singe pump. Although a perfect vacuum is 0 psi, the food saver draw is -7 psi whereas the Weston is -14 psi. We all realize that neither will ever reach a vacuum state as water would boil. However the Weston unit does evacuate the air in the bag with more consistency over a shorter period of time with a stronger seal. It has both manual and automatic seal functions, so one can manually seal wet foods with "manual" operations or let it automatically seal with dry operations.
The Weston also has user serviceable parts readily available so you can repair the unit if need be, or you can send it back for repair. Some manufactures do not repair or sell parts, they consider them disposable and in the long run this generates future sales. I have had my Weston for 3 years now and only recently I replaced foam seals and heater bar for less than 30 dollars. It took less than 10 minutes with minimal effort. Although the unit was still working properly, I felt preventative maintenance is also part of caring for the unit.
While there are many makes models to choose from, I chose the Weston Pro-2300 model because it had a stainless steel shell, the 2100 is identical but has an enamel finish for about fifty dollars less. Weston now has the Pro-3000 model which is the Po-2300 with a visible vacuum gauge and an adjustable seal timer. Vac-Master also makes some lesser priced heavy duty vac-sealers like the 1100 series for a little over $200.00.
I have had the Weston for over 3 years now without incident, sealing 10 to 20 bags a week depending upon activities for that week. The downside of the Weston is that it has a very large footprint and weighs about 40 (or more) pounds so it does not store easily unless you have a second kitchen or private prep area where you can leave it out all the time.
The Weston unit seals appears to be twice as wide as FoodSaver, and it seals flawlessly with liquids or food residue present. I have never had a weak or faulty seal with the Weston Pro-2300. The Weston bags are rated food safe for use in boiling water and they are also dishwasher safe. I have never reused bags, but many others have said they have washed and reused bags.
