Meat band saw

[Apolonius]

Did anyone ever posted about band meat saws?What is the difference between a saw from home depot and a saw made for meat only?Is it possible to use a band saw from home depot just with a different band?Is it worth the money or just debone everything?Thanks.

[Xenomorph]

Did anyone ever posted about band meat saws?What is the difference between a saw from home depot and a saw made for meat only?Is it possible to use a band saw from home depot just with a different band?Is it worth the money or just debone everything?Thanks.

I'm curious about this too; slowly, slowly I want to add this to the personal butchering tooling I have at home. So far I just used a hand saw on big bones or straight out axe.

[Mikey Rafiki]

Just bought a Waring band saw a few weeks ago. Need to move into the new house before I can use it.

[goatdancer]

A regular band saw is not designed for easy cleaning of the gunk that will be everywhere.

[ruger#1]

I'm curious about this too; slowly, slowly I want to add this to the personal butchering tooling I have at home. So far I just used a hand saw on big bones or straight out axe. I use a sawzall on big bones.

[Apolonius]

I was thinking about T-bone steaks and ribs.I just find the taste that the bone gives appealing.Also hear some guys cut the meat frozen,faster and not much mess.Just kind of started thinking about it and want to see what the members have to say.

[Daybreak]

If you are going to buy a band saw for meat consider the real McCoy. Years ago I bought what I thought was a suitable saw and was disappointed. You need one with a fairly broad blade and a decent sized motor. Someone who posted about the cleaning aspect was right on the money. Those $ 300 saws from Home Depot et al are not intended for meat and quite simply do not do a good job. Nasty to clean. Problems keeping the narrow blade tracking correctly and junky little guides. Fine for building bird houses etc. but that's all.


I have a combination saw/grinder on loan right now from a friend and look fwd to using it in the next few days. It is old, but built to last and designed specifically for meat.

Meat is best cut just shy of frozen and keep a plastic spatula on hand for a quick scrape to remove any bone grindings. This will improve appearance and flavour. I agree with you. Some cuts are nice with a bone included. Butterfly chops are great.

[Daybreak]

I also find deboning everything a little labour intensive and tiresome. Nice to take whole bone-in rump roast or back rack and just lop it into steaks and chops. These present so well when cooking for company.

[Muliechaser]

We freeze the rear quarters and the spine section . We take all meat from neck front quarters and other little extras and make burger . After the quarters and spine section are frozen we buzz the spine in half and cut the chops . Then we take the rears and cut steaks 1/2 " to 1" in thickness and vacuum seal it all . Works great and its fast . Band saw is a must have .

Mc

[M.Dean]

We bought a meat band saw a few years ago, and I was having a bitch of a time trying to push the pork chop sections of meat directly onto the blade, seemed when I used the guides, the chunk of meat would push the blade to one side or the other, so bad a few times it cut into the top part? So, I said to heck with using the guides and simply held the chunk of meat and ran it through the blade, works great now! And, you have to read the instructions on how to clean the band saw when your done, Properly! It takes me about 20 minutes to strip it down, clean it and put it back together again when were done cutting, which isn't too bad. And yes, it's nice on some animals to have a T-bone steak look just like a T-bone steak, Bone In!

[Daybreak]

This is the saw I have on loan. It's sized at 10" and the grinder portion is driven off the sake shaft as the blade pulley. Can't wait to do some cutting and wrapping.

http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk300/logonphoto/IMG_3656_zps11wikurw.jpg (http://s283.photobucket.com/user/logonphoto/media/IMG_3656_zps11wikurw.jpg.html)

[tigrr]

Meat cutting band saw usually has a table that moves past the stationary blade/thickness measuring device. Meat cutting band saw has a lot of parts that come off easy for cleaning. Wood cutting band saw has a fixed table and no easily removed parts.
Nothing says you can't throw a bag over the wood saw motor and power wash the saw out. Then bleach the crap out of it.

[Ddog]

main difference is SPEED and one for meat cutting is generally made of Stainless Steel, i have had and sold several and wish i kept one that can no longer get. A meat cutting bandsaw has a slower speed so as not to burn and also the blades are a bit different from the ones i have had.

[Apolonius]

I do realise a meat band saw is easier to clean.And no contamination,or smell.Very good info Daybreak and all the rest.What do sizes mean?Like say 10" ,to what it relates?Thanks.

[Gr8 white hunter]

I bone the whole animal out no bone's on saw.

[Glenny]

I was thinking about T-bone steaks and ribs.I just find the taste that the bone gives appealing.Also hear some guys cut the meat frozen,faster and not much mess.Just kind of started thinking about it and want to see what the members have to say.

Maybe debone most and just get a proper meatsaw and make chops from spine n back straps. Cheap too and not a hell of a lot of work.

[Daybreak]

I do realise a meat band saw is easier to clean.And no contamination,or smell.Very good info Daybreak and all the rest.What do sizes mean?Like say 10" ,to what it relates?Thanks.

10" refers to the distance between the deck or table on which the product is placed and the overhead support that houses the upper idler pulley for the blade. This essentially determines how large a piece of meat can be passed through the blade without hanging up on the structure. 10" is a pretty good size as it will enable you to squeeze a deer hind quarter through in one large piece for those large platter filling steaks. I'm lucky to have a loaner, however when I buy, it will be a real meat saw. Imo the others are not worth bothering with.

[IslandWanderer]

Has anyone tried the.princess auto meat bandsaws? Has an integrated grinder which might be nice to have if there was ever an issue with my weston. They're currently on sale for $399.

[anytail]

I never did use the one I have, so I posted it for sale if anyone is interested.

[Arctic Lake]

As someone that was in the meat industry for hmmmm 25 years you are far better off with a REAL meat band saw if you want to cut steaks and chops . Buy a small Biro , Butcher Boy , or other name brand they make small band saws for cutting loins into steaks . You don’t need a huge saw that is used for Beef breaking for cutting major primals . You can pick them up at auction although they are pricey !

No offence but I cut up a few deer for a fella with one of those no name band saws that had a grinder and it did not work well at all !
You could learn to bone out your own game , you won’t be breaking any speed records or make a living at it but all of your meat will be there !

Arctic Lake

[Retiredguy]

Personally I would recommend boning game meat out completely and invest your money in a good grinder. I did cut meat professionally for a number of years and it is believed that leaving the bone in is one of the sources of a noticeable "gaminess" to the meat. Also remember that we have the CWD issues and in some places in Canada there is also a problem with Bovine TB. Those working on the CWD containment are requiring that any cervid killed in another state or province must not contain any of the spinal column and brain tissue.
This also became an issue with "mad cow".

I use to have a commercial saw and I sold it, deciding to just bone out all my game AND domestic animals as well. If you get good with a knife you can rip a carcass apart very quickly and you have way less mess to deal with afterwards, not to mention taking up some freezer space with bone in cuts. The "t-bones" and rib steak have spinal column bone attached and when you cut it all with a saw...even the initial splitting of the animal into sides/quarters...you are sawing through the spinal tissue and smearing the the spinal debris produced by the saw on everything as it sticks to the blade and transfers onto the other cuts as you carry on using the saw.

Anyways...that is my 2 cents on the topic and I am sure many will disagree, and to each their own.

[IslandWanderer]

As someone that was in the meat industry for hmmmm 25 years you are far better off with a REAL meat band saw if you want to cut steaks and chops . Buy a small Biro , Butcher Boy , or other name brand they make small band saws for cutting loins into steaks . You don’t need a huge saw that is used for Beef breaking for cutting major primals . You can pick them up at auction although they are pricey !

No offence but I cut up a few deer for a fella with one of those no name band saws that had a grinder and it did not work well at all !
You could learn to bone out your own game , you won’t be breaking any speed records or make a living at it but all of your meat will be there !

Arctic Lake

Appreciate the information. I'll hold off on buying one. I've ground my last three deer, and will likely just continue to do that as well as making some steaks too. It just seemed so inexpensive that I figured I'd see what others thought.

[IslandWanderer]

Personally I would recommend boning game meat out completely and invest your money in a good grinder. I did cut meat professionally for a number of years and it is believed that leaving the bone in is one of the sources of a noticeable "gaminess" to the meat. Also remember that we have the CWD issues and in some places in Canada there is also a problem with Bovine TB. Those working on the CWD containment are requiring that any cervid killed in another state or province must not contain any of the spinal column and brain tissue.
This also became an issue with "mad cow".

I use to have a commercial saw and I sold it, deciding to just bone out all my game AND domestic animals as well. If you get good with a knife you can rip a carcass apart very quickly and you have way less mess to deal with afterwards, not to mention taking up some freezer space with bone in cuts. The "t-bones" and rib steak have spinal column bone attached and when you cut it all with a saw...even the initial splitting of the animal into sides/quarters...you are sawing through the spinal tissue and smearing the the spinal debris produced by the saw on everything as it sticks to the blade and transfers onto the other cuts as you carry on using the saw.

Anyways...that is my 2 cents on the topic and I am sure many will disagree, and to each their own.

Thanks for your post. I too was thinking about the spinal cord, and was grossed out. Bone dust doesn't sound very appetizing either. After reading your and Artic Lakes posts I'll steer clear of bandsaws.