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A lot of people think they do not need a bud trimmer machine. Here’s why they’re wrong. Bud trimming machines are the ultimate cost-saving item. It will either save you an entire weekend or a few hundred dollars in labor.
Some people feel uneasy about spending a couple of hundred dollars on an item they only use once a year. Sure, you could call over a few friends. Make an entire weekend of trimming buds. Still, it’s tedious and mind-numbing labor. It’s like shucking corn. And every one of your friends will expect a sack in return.
If you’re on your second or third grow, it’s time to invest in a bud trimmer. We’ve got bud trimming machine reviews so you can choose the best bud trimmer for your grow operation.
Our top picks
We’ve made an effort to curate a diverse list of the best bud trimming machines on the market. Whether you want to wet trim, dry trim, trim multiple plants, or hand trim, we’ve got a bud trimmer for you.
1. BEST OVERALL: Risentek Electric Bud Leaf Trimmer Machine Model-XLE
The easiest-to-use electric bud trimming machine.
Product Specs
- Electric powered
- Can trim up to 2 pounds an hour
- Comes with blades for both wet and dry trimming
Here’s a great model if you’ve got a couple of hundred dollars to spend and no idea where to start. It’s an automated trimming machine. It works well for both wet and dry trimming. It’s got a clear top where you can see your top. The trim collects at the bottom in a net bag that comes with the trimmer.
This is the standard model we would recommend to any home grower. It’ll last a long time as long as you keep it clean. This automatic bud trimmer can handle most home growers’ crops.
It’s easy to use, and it’s got an outlet port to expand its trimming capacity.
There’s one downside to this trimmer though, it can over-trim your buds. Most people who own an automatic bud trimmer make this mistake at least once. When it comes to using this trimming machine, less is more.
Pros
- Easy for beginners to use
- Can trim wet or dry buds
- Good for scaling up grow ops
Cons
- Can easily over-trim buds
2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: VIVOSUN 16-inch Bud Leaf Bowl Trimmer
The best bud trimmer machine for your average homegrower.
Product Specs
- Bowl-style trimmer
- Hand-powered
- 16 inches in diameter
When it comes to trimming machines, you can end up dropping a lot of money. It’s hard to justify spending that money when you’re used to handling trimming. In that case, get a manual bud trimmer. It’s the best bud trimming machine for smaller harvest growers.
VIVOSUN is one of the leading names in cannabis growing products, and its bud trimming machines are no exception. It has a simple design that’s very easy to use. You put your buds on top of the grate, and turn the crank. The rotary cutting blade system beneath the grate trims your buds.
The automatic bud trimmer machine we first mentioned also uses this design to trim. It just has a motor, so you don’t have to crank it. That said, you tend to get a better trim with a manual because it’s easier to over-trim with an automatic. Both models can handle wet or dry buds.
Pros
- The most intuitive trimmer to use
- Highly precise trimming
- No electricity needed
Cons
- You have to crank it
3. BEST MULTI-PLANT TRIMMER: CenturionPro DBT Model 1
Got a big garden? This dry trim machine can handle all your plants.
Product Specs
- Tumbler style trimmer
- Dry trims 1 pound in 5-10 minutes
- Optional kief filter screen available
Alright, so let’s say you’ve got a bigger garden, and now you’re harvesting ten or more plants at a time. This tumble-style trimmer can dry trim up to 10 pounds per hour. DBT stands for “dry bud trimmer.” Do not put wet buds in this. It tumbles the dry bud gently and can produce hand quality trim. You can also purchase an additional kief filter machine so you get every part of your product.
CenturionPro has some of the most cost-effective dry batch trimmers on the market. Dry trimmers are typically designed to handle latch harvests and thus are on the higher end of the trimmer machine market.
The Model 1 is on the smaller end of dry trim machines. It has handles and weighs 35 pounds. While it’s not the most portable trimmer, you can load it in a car and bring it to a buddy’s house, they’ll give you a fat sack for saving them weeks worth of work.
Pros
- Powerful and portable
- Cost-effective for high-level output
- Quiet when running
Cons
- Only a dry trimming machine
4. BEST HANDHELD TRIMMER: TrimDaddy 3Plus PowerScissors
For those who prefer the control of hand trimming.
Product Specs
- Handheld electric trimmer
- Adjustable speed
- Comes with a free cut-proof glove
Some people prefer the control and precision of trimming by hand, but just wish it went faster. For those people, there’s the TrimDaddy. It’s an electric handheld bud trimmer.
An electric handheld trimmer is a bit easier to clean than other bud trimmers. It also comes with extra stainless steel blades in multiple sizes. This way, you can get the most precise trim possible. It also comes with a cut-resistant glove that you must wear while you use the TrimDaddy. It can otherwise cut you.
That said, we’re not that into this kind of marijuana trimming machine. They cost more than a bowl trimmer and have a higher likelihood of lobbing off a finger. They’re also not as fast as the other bud trimmers on this list. That said, fans of them really love them.
Pros
- Higher trim precision
- Speeds up the hand trimming process
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Can cut you – use the glove!
- Costs more than a bowl trimmer
5. BEST LARGE-SCALE TRIMMER: CenturionPro Original Stainless Steel Wet Dry Trimmer
If you need farm-level throughput, this trimmer can handle up to 50 pounds of wet buds in an hour.
Product Specs
- Tumbler-style trimmer
- Wet trims 50 lbs/hr
- Dry trim 10 lbs/hr
- Additional kief nets available.
Do you need an industrial-grade bud trimming machine? The CenturionPro Original Stainless Steel Wet Dry Trimmer can absolutely handle your farm’s harvest. It boasts that it can trim 50 pounds of wet bud per hour, and 10 pounds of dry bud per hour.
Unlike the CenturionPro DBT, this can also handle wet trimming. It’s not nearly as portable as the DBT, but it has wheels for maneuverability. CenturionPro bud trimmers come with rail systems that allow users to connect them end-to-end. You can exponentially increase throughput by connecting two or more trimming machines.
The main downside of this is the price tag. You’ve got to have several grand to drop on this. That said, if you need a bud trimming machine to handle this level of capacity, you are already replacing an entire team of trimmers. CenturionPro has some of the best bud trimmers available for big harvests.
Pros
- Higher trim precision
- Speeds up the hand-trimming experience
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Hella expensive
Our verdict
Which of these best bud trimmers reign supreme? We have two recommendations.
If you want an automatic bud trimmer, spring for the Risentek Electric Bud Leaf Trimmer Machine Model-XLE.
If you’re on a budget, get the VIVOSUN 16-inch Bud Leaf Bowl Trimmer. Both are versatile and can handle almost any home-growing needs.
Our recommendations
| # | Preview | Product | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. |  |
BEST OVERALL: Risentek Electric Bud Leaf Trimmer Machine Model-XLE | View on Amazon |
| 2. |  |
BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: VIVOSUN 16-inch Bud Leaf Bowl Trimmer | View on Amazon |
| 3. |  |
BEST MULTI-PLANT TRIMMER: CenturionPro DBT Model 1 | View on Walmart |
| 4. |  |
BEST HANDHELD TRIMMER: TrimDaddy 3Plus PowerScissors | View on Amazon |
| 5. |  |
BEST LARGE-SCALE TRIMMER: CenturionPro Original Stainless Steel Wet Dry Trimmer | View on Walmart |
How We Chose the Best Cannabis Trimmer
In this list of the best bud trimmers, we did our best to pick a bud trimmer to suit every kind of grower.
For example, if you’re growing one or two plants, the best bud trimmer for you would probably be a hand crank bowl trimmer. They are inexpensive, can handle small to medium harvests, and are very portable trimmers.
Let’s say your basement or garden has space for up to ten plants. In that case, an electric machine can keep your arm from getting tired. Got an acre or more of grow space? You best be looking at dry batch trimmers.
What to Know Before You Buy a Weed Trimmer Machine
The three basic questions you should ask yourself before you get a machine are:
- How much do I typically harvest?
- How often do I harvest?
- What’s my budget for this?
Just a little FYI, if your answer to all three of those is “not a lot,” go for a basic hand-crank bowl trimmer. If you want the next step up, spring for the automatic.
Types of bud trimmers
Bud trimmers come in a handful of different styles. Most of them use a straight blade with a grate above it to trim the weed. They are all made of stainless steel for easy cleaning.
Bowl Trimmers
A bowl trimmer is made of a stainless steel bowl, a blade, a grate, and a clear plastic shell on top with a crank. You put your buds on top of the grate and turn the crank, this pushes your buds near the blade, collecting trim in the steel bowl.
Most manual trimmers are bowl trimmers. There are also electric trimmers that use the bowl design for trimming, even if they’re a bit more cylindrical in shape.
Cylindrical Trimmers
Cylindrical trimmers are electric trimming machines. It’s made of a metal drum that has a stainless steel blade with a grate on top. To trim, you turn the motor on and hold your bud on the grate.
We have not included any of these on the list. They offer a greater level of precision than an automated bowl trimmer, but it’s tedious to hold every single bud on the grate for trimming.
Electric Handheld Trimmers
These are basically your standard trim scissors, only motorized. Overall, we do not consider this the best style of bud trimmer, but some people strongly prefer trimming weed by hand.
Tumbler Trimmer
A tumbler trimmer is one of the few trimmers that does not use a straight blade. It’s got a stainless steel tumbler that spins around, gently pulling the trim off your buds.
Tumbler trimmers are some of the best trimming machines for medium to high yields. Most can only do dry trimming, though an industrial-grade one should work as a wet and dry trimmer.
Power Source
Trimming machines have two sources of power: an electrical outlet and your arm. Even though electric trimmers might seem more appealing, the manual is one of the best marijuana trimmers a first-time buyer can purchase.
On average, a manual trimmer costs ½ or even ⅓ what an automatic would. They weigh a lot less, so if you want to loan your trimmer to friends, the manual is more portable. If you’re harvesting a pound or less, a hand crank trimmer will handle the job just fine.
Trimming Capacity
Some trimming machines can handle more than others. For the average home grower, an electric bowl trimmer can handle whatever you throw at it.
If you’re regularly harvesting multiple pounds of weed, a tumbler trimmer will serve you well. That said, they’re one of the higher ends of trimmers. We recommend them more for experienced growers.
Wet and Dry Trimming
Not all trimming machines can handle wet trimming. Those buds get super sticky which can gunk up the cutting blade of the trimmer.
Most bowl-style trimmers can trim wet or dry weed. That said, trimming wet weed means you need to clean the machine more frequently to keep it running. If your bud is too dry, it can get messed up by the machine. Each trimming machine has a “sweet spot” for moisture content.
Tips for Using a Bud Trimming Machine
When you’re first using a trim machine, start slowly. We recommend only trimming a small batch of your harvest when you’re first using the machine.
As previously mentioned, there’s a real sweet spot when it comes to weed moisture content. It’s best to trim the marijuana when it’s dry but not too dry. The best way to find that sweet spot is through experimentation.
The best way to keep your machine working properly is to keep it clean. You can scrape chunks of resin off the machine and wipe it down with isopropyl alcohol. The scraped resin is totally smokable, people who trim by hand call it “finger hash.” If you are wet trimming with a machine, you absolutely need to frequently clean it.
- Start with small batches
- Experiment with moisture content
- Clean your machine frequently
FAQs
There are a lot of questions to ask about bud trimmer machines. We’ve got answers.
Do I actually need a bud trimmer?
While this isn’t strictly necessary, it will massively save time. It typically takes one person a whole weekend to trim one plant. With a trimming machine, it takes an hour.
Does a trimming machine do better than a human?
A human can make more precise cuts. That said, humans get tired and then get sloppy. A human typically will trim 25% of the yield really well, 50% ok, and then do a poor job on the last 25%. A bud trimmer has greater product consistency.
How much does a trimming machine cost?
That depends on a few factors. If you just want something decent, $100-300 will get you a nice hand-crank machine. If you want an electric trimming machine, you’re looking at a price range of $400-800. A tumbler trimmer will start at a couple grand, and a commercial trimming machine will cost around 10k.
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Marquis *wants* to know how to keep happy and healthy plants, but had a hard time finding information that wasn't written by just another copywriter. After nearly losing one too many plants, it was time to take matters into her own hands. A team of plant scientists and nursery hands was brought together and The Indoor Nursery was born.
