If you’ve grown cannabis plants before, you know the hard work doesn’t end after harvest. In fact, the work only begins when you sit down to trim.
Trimming is a time-consuming and meticulous process, one many growers dread. So how can you make this delicate process faster and easier? By using a bud trimmer.
Well-trimmed flowers cut by hand are the gold standard for preserving the most smokable materials, but using a machine can help you get the job done faster (and with fewer hand cramps.)
Bud trimmers can be manual or electric and which is better for you is based on personal preference and the amount of weed you’re trimming. You also need to take into consideration whether you’re wet or dry trimming, as this will affect the machine you can use.
- Amount of time it takes: 15 – 30 rotations or a few minutes
- Design: circular/ salad spinner
- Price: $123
- Amount of time it takes: depends on amount of bud
- Design: electric knife
- Price: $399
- Amount of time it takes: 5 minutes for 1 pound, 60 minutes for 10 pounds
- Design: tumbler
- Price: $499
- Amount of time it takes: 30 minutes for ½ lb
- Design: stand-alone trimmer
- Price: $620
- Amount of time it takes: 1 hour for 12 pounds
- Design: tumbler
- Price: $1,229
iPower Bowl Trimmer
Number of pounds: n/a
Amount of time it takes: 15 – 30 rotations or a few minutes
Design: circular/ salad spinner
Price: $123
Special features:
- Clear top makes it easy to watch your buds
- Manual power can be used anywhere
- All parts are easily removable for cleaning
What the package includes:
- Silicone handle
- Transparent cover
- Plant tray
- Stainless steel bottom
This bowl does the work of 30 scissors in just minutes! The iPower is a manual trimmer, powered by a hand crank that has blades for wet and dry trimming.
With a clear cover, you can always see the state of your buds during the trim process. Easily remove twigs and leaves while preserving your buds.
Speedee Trim Corded Hand Trimmer
Number of pounds: no limit
Amount of time it takes: depends on amount of bud
Design: electric knife
Price: $399
Special features:
- Combines speed of machine trim with control of hand trim
- Swap out wet and dry trimming blades
- Electric knife is easy to use
What the package includes:
- Corded motor
- One blade
- One blade scrubber
If you love the precision of hand trimming but hate how long it takes, the Speedee is the weed trimming machine for you.
This handheld bud trimmer is an electric knife with specialty teeth that make it easy to trim leaves in tight spots while preserving the most smokable bud possible. You can also easily swap out the blades for wet or dry trimming.
Tom’s Tumble Trimmer Handcrank
Number of pounds: up to 10 pounds
Amount of time it takes: 5 minutes for 1 pound, 60 minutes for 10 pounds
Design: tumbler
Price: $499
Special features:
- No electricity needed
- Perfect size for home growers
- Can fit up to 10 pounds
What the package includes:
- PVC frame
- Aluminum drum
- MeshNet
- Clear catch bag
Tom’s Tumble Trimmer is a popular name with growers, and the hand-crank trimmer was their first machine. Perfect for home growers, it’s easy to use and small enough to fit on a table while tumbling up to one pound of weed in just 5 minutes.
This machine is meant for drying trimming but can be adapted to wet trimming with an adapter kit. Best of all, it’s easily disassembled for cleaning.
Risentek Electric Leaf Trimmer
Number of pounds: n/a
Amount of time it takes: 30 minutes for ½ lb
Design: stand-alone trimmer
Price: $620
Special features:
- Works best with dry buds
- Includes catch tray to contain mess
- Disassembles for easy cleaning
What the package includes:
- Motor with adjustable speed
- Silicone fingers
- Dry trimming grate
- Center grate
- Cylinder
- Outlet
- Netbag catch
If you want a bud trimming machine that does all the work for you, the Risentek is worth the investment. Larger than your average home trimmer machine, it’s a middle ground between small electric trimmers and industrial ones. It works best with partially or fully dry buds and can process one pound of weed every half hour. A clear cover ensures you can always watch your buds during trimming and the machine disassembles for easy cleaning.
Tom’s Tumble Trimmer 1900
Number of pounds: up to 12 pounds
Amount of time it takes: 1 hour for 12 pounds
Design: tumbler
Price: $1,229
Special features:
- Does the work of 6 trimmers in an hour
- Process 2 pounds of weed in under 5 minutes
- Includes a micron net for saving the pollen
What the package includes:
- PVC frame
- Motor
- Aluminum drums
- Mesh nets
- Micron net
- Clear funnel flow bag
- Dust cover
If you need to trim more bud than the average home grower, the TTT 1900 is the electric bud trimmer for you. Cover the work of six trimmers in one hour with 1 – 2 pounds of weed processed in under 5 minutes and up to 12 pounds processed per hour.
This machine works best for dry trims and can also separate the kief out.
Bottom line
Some trimmers are more intuitive than others, so always read your user’s manual before getting started; you don’t want to waste precious bud troubleshooting!
The hand crank trimmers require some manpower but little attention, and you can easily crank away while you watch TV. Other electric trimmers are all about “set it and forget it,” although most take under an hour to process several pounds, so you won’t forget it for long!
Always check whether your trimmer is best equipped for wet or dry trimming. These require different kinds of blades to deal with the moisture content in the plant.
Most trimmers come standard with dry trim blades, and you may need to purchase additional blades for wet trimming.
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