A handheld dehider comprising: a pair of cutting disks (12, 14); a drive mechanism for driving the cutting disks (12, 14) in opposed cutting oscillations including: an eccentric shaft having an eccentric shaft portion between cylindrical shaft portions at each end thereof and an integral first counterbalance mass, the eccentric shaft being mounted in bearings (32, 34) engaging the cylindrical shaft portions at each end of the eccentric shaft; a main drive gear mounted on the eccentric shaft and connected to rotate the eccentric shaft, a pair of pushrods (18, 20), one for each cutting disk (12, 14), each pushrod (18,20) being connected between the eccentric shaft portion and its respective cutting disk (12, 14); the first counterbalance mass being located on a first side of the pushrods (18, 20); and a counterbalance cup mounted on the eccentric shaft, the counterbalance cup including a second counterbalance mass located on an opposite side of the pushrods (18,20) from the first counterbalance mass, the first and second counterbalance masses (48, 52) cooperating to provide counterbalancing acting at a location between the first and second counterbalance masses (48, 52) to provide effective dynamic counterbalancing of the dehider; a motor for driving the main drive gear; and a housing having the drive mechanism and motor mounted therein, the housing including a removable blade cover and a removable drive cover, the drive mechanism being removable without removing the motor when the blade cover and drive cover are removed. a pair of cutting disks (12, 14); a drive mechanism for driving the cutting disks (12, 14) in opposed cutting oscillations including: an eccentric shaft having an eccentric shaft portion between cylindrical shaft portions at each end thereof and an integral first counterbalance mass, the eccentric shaft being mounted in bearings (32, 34) engaging the cylindrical shaft portions at each end of the eccentric shaft; a main drive gear mounted on the eccentric shaft and connected to rotate the eccentric shaft, a pair of pushrods (18, 20), one for each cutting disk (12, 14), each pushrod (18,20) being connected between the eccentric shaft portion and its respective cutting disk (12, 14); the first counterbalance mass being located on a first side of the pushrods (18, 20); and a counterbalance cup mounted on the eccentric shaft, the counterbalance cup including a second counterbalance mass located on an opposite side of the pushrods (18,20) from the first counterbalance mass, the first and second counterbalance masses (48, 52) cooperating to provide counterbalancing acting at a location between the first and second counterbalance masses (48, 52) to provide effective dynamic counterbalancing of the dehider; an eccentric shaft having an eccentric shaft portion between cylindrical shaft portions at each end thereof and an integral first counterbalance mass, the eccentric shaft being mounted in bearings (32, 34) engaging the cylindrical shaft portions at each end of the eccentric shaft; a main drive gear mounted on the eccentric shaft and connected to rotate the eccentric shaft, a pair of pushrods (18, 20), one for each cutting disk (12, 14), each pushrod (18,20) being connected between the eccentric shaft portion and its respective cutting disk (12, 14); the first counterbalance mass being located on a first side of the pushrods (18, 20); and a counterbalance cup mounted on the eccentric shaft, the counterbalance cup including a second counterbalance mass located on an opposite side of the pushrods (18,20) from the first counterbalance mass, the first and second counterbalance masses (48, 52) cooperating to provide counterbalancing acting at a location between the first and second counterbalance masses (48, 52) to provide effective dynamic counterbalancing of the dehider; a motor for driving the main drive gear; and a housing having the drive mechanism and motor mounted therein, the housing including a removable blade cover and a removable drive cover, the drive mechanism being removable without removing the motor when the blade cover and drive cover are removed.