# Meat cutting band saws



## travlnusa (Dec 12, 2004)

I am done paying for deer/hog processing. I am returning to doing my own.

I have seen many meat band saws for sale in stores and on the net. 

The one I see the most is for around $180. It is 3/4 hp, 550 watts, with build in grinder.

Does anyone have one such as I have seen?

Thoughts about it?


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## Nathan (Jun 8, 2006)

I dont have a bandsaw,while a sawzaw and portaband saw make for easy quartering of my deerharvests. Sorry if I done you no good.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

Personally, I see no reason to have the bandsaw. I would not want to clean it up either. I debone all my meat to minimize the work the wife has to do (she does the wrapping) and to reduce the area in the freezer. When deboning all the scraps end up as burger so there is less waste. I suggest you spend the money on a better grinder or possibly a cubing machine. Cubing machines are expensive but IMO are well worth the expense. I keep the knives for the cuber in the freezer between uses to reduce have to thoroughly clean the blades.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Them $200 jobs are junk. I have a comercial bandsaw, but with deer I always do it boneless.


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

If you're just doing deer, get a good stainless steel hacksaw and a couple bone blades. There's not much saw work needed on a deer unless you're really getting fancy. Then, the meat should be almost frozen for even clean cuts. About all I use mine for is making 3" neck roasts and cutting the lower legs off.

Martin


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## tyusclan (Jan 1, 2005)

Save your money on those bandsaws. I had one and hated it. The table is too small, and they are a nightmare to clean. I only used it once, and finally gave it away to get rid of it. Others here have given good advice for alternatives.


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## travlnusa (Dec 12, 2004)

Thank for the feedback. In the past I would cut my deer boneless. I was thinking of the saw more for hogs.

I was thinking using the saw would keep cut more uniform. Based on what was said here, I will rethink that plan.


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

We have the Northern Tools bandsaw with grinder. The blades are junk, zero kerf. I make my own and that's no problem. The grinder is junk, they cut the male threads minimum and the female threads minimum so the big end pops off under any load of meat. It has never ground a thing. We debone deer. But for hogs, we love that bandsaw. Before we start we line everything inside with aluminum foil and then I start sawing hog while DW vacuum seals. Used to be with a handsaw and cleaver, she kept up with me. Now, there is no chance. I cut for 15 minutes then we wrap for a few hours. Then we throw away the foil liners and cleanup is pretty easy. 

Some day, I want to change the 4 bolts connecting the base with motor to the upper part with saw and pulley, to some kind of quick release system. Then we could drop the motor belt off, disconnect the upper, and haul it out in the yard to be cleaned with a pressure washer.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

not that many people listen to what they should do or to the drn but 
you are not supposed to saw anywhere other than the knee joints and just enough to get the head off and you to minimize contamination to brain and spinal tissue where the prion for cwd is carried.

and you are supposed to keep a seperate blade for those cutts that you don't use on other butchering jobs 

any meat proccessor in wis that butchers deer is to bone them out to comply with the new regs 

also i think you could bone a deer in the time it would take to clean up the band saw


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

I can shin debone a Deer in 15 minutes.If I was going to buy anything it would be a good Grinder.

I've got one of them Saws,had to do some modifying.It did ok on Beef.

big rockpile


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## jross (Sep 3, 2006)

Bone dust makes meat taste bad, spinal tissue is where CWD comes from as Pete mentioned.


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## oldcj5guy (Jul 24, 2006)

I grew up with a butcher, and I think I am the only person here that caught the part about the hogs. We had a couple from Grizzly. You should be able to find their webpage no problem. One of these we basically mounted into a table much as a woodworker would to provide a large surface for sides and such. I would never buy a bandsaw just for the yearly deer, but if you have other animals to break down it is well worth the money. Plus you may be able to make a little money or meat by helping friends out.


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## travlnusa (Dec 12, 2004)

Thanks for the replies. 

Yes, I bone out my deer. 

The hogs will be the main use, and in time I might choose to do my own beef. I currently have beef done at the locker simply due to the size of the sides. 

Thanks again.


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## 2story (Apr 6, 2005)

I do 5 hog a yr I have used the Northern band saw for cutting chops, shoulder steaks, breaking down ham ect for 10 yrs, I would not butcher without it, the grinder is too slow but the saw is good for the price.


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## OkieDavid (Jan 15, 2007)

I've got one that I picked up at an estate sale for $25.00. Never used it on deer as I debone for them. I have used the grinder attachment - pretty cheap/low end for that. Clogged easily and frequently. As to the bandsaw function - the only meat I've cut with it was slicing up some frozen Blue and Gold sausage.....worked like a charm for that.

I figure I'll keep it around just to have for those rare "I sure wish I had a bandsaw" moments.


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## dkhern (Nov 30, 2012)

i quarter and de bone deer wknife. hogs i do are wild and usually not too large. i use dewalt cordless sawsall with bimetal blade (keeps bone meal down)


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I recently bought an old craftsman band saw at an estate sale with about 15 blades I plan to eventually use for meat cutting. No way was I going to use my old good saw... Nothing a pressure washer can't clean up after cutting. Got it cheap enough that I'm not worried about washing it down.


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

agmantoo said:


> Personally, I see no reason to have the bandsaw. I would not want to clean it up either. I debone all my meat to minimize the work the wife has to do (she does the wrapping) and to reduce the area in the freezer. When deboning all the scraps end up as burger so there is less waste. I suggest you spend the money on a better grinder or possibly a cubing machine. Cubing machines are expensive but IMO are well worth the expense. I keep the knives for the cuber in the freezer between uses to reduce have to thoroughly clean the blades.


Got to agree we had a Band Saw sold it went with just a Grinder.Love it.

Never sawed Deer Bone anyway.

big rockpile


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## WestFork (Dec 20, 2012)

We used to cut pork chops by hand, when I was a kid. We had a good butcher's hand saw. It didn't take very long at all to cut up pork chops - just some muscle and a good sharp blade. We cut up the chops and hams, then boned out the rest for sausage and bacon. If you have a new blade it's pretty slick.

We bone all of our deer out. Make steaks & burger, sometimes a roast or two.


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## Spotted Owl (Jul 5, 2010)

If you want a saw go with a good saw. Biro, Hobart, Butcher Boy. You will be much more pleased. The older saw combos you speak of were much better than what they are now. Now they are crap. Watch the local list and keep a look out. We just recent found a Biro 22 for $200. It took a couple years to find it for a good price but patients paid off. Next we are looking at a big heavy slicer. But we pull down a couple steers, 3 or 4 big sows, countless deer/elk/bear a year. That is just us, the kids have friends that bring their stuff here also.

A side note, if your gonna do this a weighted tape dispenser for 10 bucks is a huge convenience.

If you don't have one I side with the folks here, get a good grinder first. It's a pain in the butt, but you can make do with a hand saw and rethink your cutting.



Owl


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Ed Norman said:


> . Before we start we line everything inside with aluminum foil.


What a excellent ideal Ed. I think I was the one that turned you on to the northern tool band saw. My meat grinder broke within a few days but the saw done real good for me when I was cutting up deer for people. I still have it and only use it for one deer per year but dont cut for other people anymore. Any extra deer I put in my freezer I grind it all up for burger to make sausage or ground jerky with. 



OkieDavid said:


> As to the bandsaw function - the only meat I've cut with it was slicing up some frozen Blue and Gold sausage.....worked like a charm for that.
> .


Well now, that's an excellent ideal too! Never thought of that, I'll have to dig out a stick of my Blue & Gold and try that. But I think I'll just use my hacksaw instead.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

travlnusa said:


> I am done paying for deer/hog processing. I am returning to doing my own.
> 
> I have seen many meat band saws for sale in stores and on the net.
> 
> ...


It'll save you a lot of money! I basically just use mine on deer hindquarters and make what I call "Round Steaks" with a bone in the middle. But anymore I only cut one deer up using the bandsaw. Any extra deer I put in the freezer I usually grind the whole thing up to use for sausages, ground jerky, or chili fixins. 

I use the northern tool brand also. Like said, the grinder is trash, so I bought a real good brand. Torrey! It cost a purty good chunk of money but so far it's grinded some 200 plus deer. I use to cut up for other people, reason why so many. The saw works good on deer and and pigs, but it was hard to use on bigger animals such as elk. It just didn't cut straight enough for such a thick peice of meat. If the saw blade starts slipping off the pulley quit often, that means it's getting dull and needs replacing. 

I hope this helps you out on whatever you decide.


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## Silvercreek Farmer (Oct 13, 2005)

I've been splitting carcasses for several years with the thought that leaving the bone in saved meat, and while it does save some, if you do a good job when you bone, you really do not lose much meat, it just happens to look like a lot due to the surface area exposed. Just take your time and use a sharp knife! A hog comes apart the same way a deer does.


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## Tubby (Dec 14, 2012)

May upset a few people with my opinion, but here goes:

Band saws are a crutch. Knives and cleavers do the job just fine. The only time I use a saw of any kind (reciprocating FWIW) is to cut the rib cage from the spine. 

To make steaks off the hind quarter I cut on the top of the meat to the bone, then on either side down to the table. Flip it over and connect the lines, then slide off the bone. Easy.


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## Marcintosh (Dec 30, 2012)

think about buying used equipment from a butchers or restaurant closing or used equipment dealer. You can save about half to 2/3ds.


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