Why Should I Use a Cannabis Trim Machine?
Again, for 90% of the product on the shelf, a trim machine is well suited to process these buds. If you are making oil there is no need for a clean tight trim. Pretty much any trim machine in this instance would be well suited for this application.
Say you have 100,000 pre-rolls to make, a trim machine is perfect for this task too. Since you will never see the inside of the preroll, it really doesn't matter if the buds used are perfectly trimmed or not. Paying a trim crew to process buds to go into preolls just wouldn't add up a the end of the day. This assumes you are actually using bud biomass for your prerolls, and not shake.
Should I Use a Trimming Machine for Smokable Buds?
A large portion of the cannabis industry is moving toward trim machines for their smokable bud products. As the industry matures, the dollars and cents get tighter and tighter, and the consumer begins to expect more for less. That is why you are seeing such an influx in the industry of trim machines being used to trim smokable buds.
When ounces were $400 and $500, hand trimming still added up. Now that prices in many legal markets have dropped to $99 or less per ounce, there isn't a way to justify hand trimming at that price point.
The good thing is that trim machines have come a long way in the past few years. They are trimming much tighter, and disturbing the buds & trichomes way less than they use to. The technology from many different companies has been advancing so rapidly, that trim machines now dominate the market, where as a few years ago it was trim crews with scissors.
Which is Better, a Wet or Dry Trimmer?
This is one of those loaded questions that seems to always get asked. For many years wet trimming was the go to method for most growers. The industry has done a complete 180 and now dry trimming seems to be the most popular. That being said, some companies are combining the two different styles and doing a hybrid version of a trim job. Things like, running the wet buds through a trimmer, drying them, and then hand trimming after a cure to tighten up the look and feel of the buds. Everything ultimately comes down to personal preference.
When purchasing a trim machine for weed you want to make sure you purchase a machine that will trim at the rate you need, do either wet or dry, or both (depending on your preference), give you the finished quality you and your brand are looking for, and be easily cleanable. The cleaning aspect often gets overlooked, and it would suck to buy a machine that you can process your harvest in 3 days, but takes you 2 days to clean. Most newer trimmers tend to be easier to clean than their ancestors though, but upgrading to a no-stick coating can help you with cleaning.
With Prices All Over the Place, Where Do I Start With Buying a Trim Machine?
Trim machines can be as basic as the bowl style trimmers that you spin like a salad spinner, all the way up to 6 figure monsters that can process hundreds of pounds at a time. A couple of important things to consider before buying are budget, and the amount of material needing to be processed. Those tend to be the biggest bottle necks in making a choice with budget being the major limiting factor of most.
The larger more expensive machines that can process larger quantities per hour tend to be the tumbler style trimmers. They have a tumbler that acts as a blade and as the buds move through the tumbler the sugar leaf is removed, and the buds are manicured. There are variations of this style of machine, with single, double, triple, and even more tumblers. Again price and quantity needed to process will dictate the right machine for you.
So Are Trim Machines Ready To Go Right Out of The Box?
Most system you choose will be ready to trim right out of the box. The lower end spinner types only require your muscle and some buds that need to be manicured. When you get into the industrial style trimmers, they may come outfitted with collection bags for shake, vacuums for air flow, and even kief collection systems. Upgrades on some systems can include non-stick teflon style blades for easy cleaning, and conveyor systems that speed up the process of loading buds into the trimmer. All of these options can cost more, but they can also speed up production time.
Another big consideration you need to be aware of when buying larger industrial style trimmers is the amount of space they will take up, and their power requirements. Smaller trimmers can typically plug into a standard 120v outlet, but to power the larger trimmers you will often need 220v. Some machines with conveyors, vacuums, blowers, etc.. may need multiple power sources to properly run. Thoroughly checking the spec sheet, and cross-referencing with your available power can help to make for an easy setup.
With so many different variations, upgrades, speeds, costs, and more, purchasing a trim machine can be somewhat overwhelming. If you keep your budget, quantity needed to process, and quality of finished product in mind, you can more easily wade through the vast selection of trim machines to narrow it down to the perfect model for your specific requirements.
If you ever have any questions regarding any of the machines we sell at Redbud Soil Company, feel free to call or email and we will do our best to educate you on the machine that may best suit your needs.