As far as cleaning...there is a seal at the bottom of the cylinder that catches bits of meat . This needs to be cleaned out well. Kind of a pain reaching in there and getting it all out but, hey, I like it for the function. The casing tubes are perfect for my brats and Italian I make. Compared to my hand grinder and pushing meat thru that to stuff the sausage this thing is a real treat. Woosh ...out it comes. and It hold plenty more that my 3-4 ft casings will hold. I get perhaps 2 to 3 3 to 4 ft lengths from one fill.