The laborious task of trimming bud by hand can really be a drag! So much time and effort go into hand-crafting marijuana into its smokable state.
For large-scale cannabis growing operations, it takes a massive amount of bud trimmers to get through the pile of cannabis if trimming by hand. Even for those who have a single plant, pruning can be a tedious task, with your hands hurting working through a single ounce.
Of course, there is an alternative…
Bud Trimming machines
There are bud-trimming machines for individual growers with tiny harvests, or industrial-sized cannabis-trimming machines for those with acres of plants.
What’s a Bud Trimming Machine?
To solve the age-old problem of slow and sometimes uncomfortable hand-trimming the bud-trimming machine was created to remove the leaves from the bud of a marijuana plant faster than traditional methods.
Marijuana trimmers, also called bud trimmers, are available for both wet trimming and dry trimming. Some specialty trimmers can also do both, so if you also prefer both methods, look out for wet + dry trimmers. Most can trim wet as well, but be sure to understand the difference between dry trimmers and wet. Otherwise, perfect buds will be out of reach.
Types of Bud Trimmers:
Basic Scissors Designed for Trimming – Time-consuming and can become tiring. These are bud-trimming tools for purist gardeners who prefer complete control over the trimming process.
Electric Hand Trimmers for bud – Electric hand trimmers are the next step up above traditional hand-trimming devices like pruners. If you’re looking for a trimmer that provides both accuracy and convenience, an electric handheld trimmer is your best bet. Electric bud shears are essentially like giant automatic scissors.
Rotary Blade Trimmers – Also known as a bowl trimmer which has a spinning blade that quickly removes the leaves inside a round bowl. They resemble salad spinners but the lettuce is much better in a bowl trimmer. Some versions require manual spinning of a crank wheel, but for a few extra bucks, there are fully electric bud trimmers that leave your arms pain-free.
Tumbler Trimmers – Tumbler-style trimmers are similar to bowl-leaf trimmers but on a bigger scale. Instead of a bowl, there is a cylinder in which you place wet or dry buds. As the buds travel around the machine’s tumbler, the leaves are trimmed and spit out. Tumbler-style trimmers are best for those with larger harvests, as they can trim several ounces per hour.
Standing Bud Trimmer – Trimmers come in all shapes and sizes, but the stand-up trimmer is similar to the bowl trimmer. The main difference is that the leaf bowl has an electric fan over the opening. This allows you to place wet or dry cannabis flowers in the fan and quickly separate them from the leaves. The trim then falls into a container below. This swift and portable design makes stand-up trimmer machines perfect for weed enthusiasts with small harvests.
Choosing the best bud trimmers for your grow operation is why we are here. Certain variables will dictate the type of trimmer you should buy:
Bud trimming considerations to ask yourself:
- How much bud are you trimming?
- Do you trim the bud when it’s wet or dry?
- Are you looking for a manual bud trimmer or prefer an automatic bud trimmer?
Capacity
The particular trimmer that is right for you depends on how much leaf and bud trimming you need to do, as well as the amount of space available to store the bud-trimming machine itself, which can be quite large.
For the large growers out there, you will need a big bud trimmer as opposed to trimming by hand. This will save your business time as well as money, aside from the initial investment. Anyone working as a bud trimmer in your business will thank you as hand-trimming is a labor of love.
Wet or Dry
Wet marijuana is fresh cannabis that has just been harvested, while dry refers to weed that has already been dried and cured in a grow tent or room.
Marijuana can be trimmed when it is wet or dry, but most people prefer to wait until the bud is dry because it is less likely to stick to the trimming machine. If you do trim while the bud is wet, you will need a machine that can accommodate that.
Automatic vs Manual
A Manual trimmer, such as a bowl trimmer requires more effort on the part of the trimmer. Using a hand crank, a manual trimmer will rotate the buds in a mesh screen bowl. The person trimming the bud needs to guide it through the blade.
An automatic trimmer is best for those with large harvests, as it will save time. In general, Automatic trimmers have a conveyor belt that carries the bud under a spinning set of blades. The operator can feed the cannabis onto the conveyor belt, and the machine will do the rest.
Best Bud Trimmers 2023
1) Best Affordable Bud Trimming Machine
iPower 16-inch Leaf Bowl Trimming Machine
- Powerful 4-edged blades allow for 30 times the efficiency over standard scissors
- Clear bowl for visual cutting of bud
- Hand cranked
- Affordable
The iPower 16-inch Leaf Bowl Trimming Machine is a powerful machine with 4-edged blades that can trim your buds quickly and easily. The clear bowl allows you to see what you are trimming, and the hand crank makes it easy to use. It is affordable, making it a great option for those looking for an economical bud trimmer.
Better for individual gardeners who typically trim only a few plants at a time. This trimmer will need some hand trimming once everything is said and done, but minimally at best. You can also use this trimmer for dry buds as well as wet buds depending on your preference.
Manual machines can take some work, but never as much as hand trimming your buds. If you are a lazy stoner or commercial grower, you may want to look into a more automated or electric trimming machine.
For those that wish to avoid electric trimmers, the Power 16-inch Leaf Trimmer makes an outstanding choice. The patented blade design cuts like an electric knife, and all excess leaf material is removed, leaving you with perfect round buds, ready for consumption.
2) Overall Best Commercial Trimming Machine
The Twister T4 Trimming Machine
- Super fast trimming
- Works with both wet trimming and dry trimming
- 4 pounds per hour yield
- Great customer support
The Twister T4 Trimming Machine is the best bud trimmer for commercial operations. It can process up to 4 pounds of wet or dry product per hour and has a conveyor belt system for easy feeding. It also has an automatic shut-off when the bin is full, and variable speed control for a faster, high-quality trim.
This machine offers the highest ROI when it comes to pricing, making it a great investment for any grower. It is a large machine, so storage may be a consideration when selecting a product of this caliber. Other trimmers just can’t compete.
3) Best Electric Bud Leaf Trimmer
Risentek Electric Bud Leaf Trimmer
- Wet and dry trimmer
- Upgraded cutting blade
- Trim quality is outstanding
- Non-labor intensive and easy to operate
- More for mid-range commercial use than home growers
- Up to 70 RPMs per minute
You can trim 1lb of bud every 30 mins give or take but you have to find your grove with the machine using its adjustable speeds. I highly recommend this product to anyone; it was definitely worth the money I spent. I suggest cleaning it 1-2 times daily for best results as it does get sticky if used for periods of time with wet cutting.
The adjustable blades work like a charm, making this one of the best bud trimming machines for both wet and dry trimming.
It has an upgraded cutting blade that gives you outstanding trim quality. It is easy to operate and does not require a lot of labor, making it perfect for those who want a fast, efficient trim. It is also more for mid-range commercial use than home growers. It can reach up to 70 RPMs per minute, making it one of the faster trimmers on the market.
4) Best Portable Bud Trimmer
TrimBin Bud Trimmer
- Portable and lightweight
- Great for small harvests
- Includes trimming scissors
- Easy to use and clean
- Inexpensive
The TrimBin Bud Trimmer is a great choice for hardcore small-harvest gardeners who love to trim by hand. It is lightweight and portable, making it easy to take with you on the go. Wet or dry bud, this bud trimming machine includes trimming scissors for precision trimming and is easy to use and clean.
It is also inexpensive compared to its big brothers in the best bud trimmers department.
Now, I know you are going to say, this isn’t as much of a trimmer as it is a complete trimming system. Basically, I had to add one like this to the list for those purist gardeners who insist on trimming bud by hand.
Essentially, this bud-trimming system is designed for hand trimmers. It is ergonomically designed so you can rest your forearms while using scissors to trim the bud. Saves you big time on arm strain. Trim longer young Jedi!
5) Best Large-batch Bowl Trimmer
iPower GL TRIMBOWL19 Leaf Bowl Trimmer
- Wet and dry trimmer
- Manual crank
- Transparent lid
- Sturdy
- Great value
- 19″ blade
This beast does a great job of trimming buds.
Trimming wet buds…No problem. Dry trimming…No problem.
The iPower GL TRIMBOWL19 Leaf Bowl Trimmer is a great trimmer for those looking to trim large batches of sticky marijuana.
It is a wet and dry trimmer with a manual crank and stainless steel blades, so you may have to work a bit harder. Luckily the knives look like they could cut up a Thanksgiving turkey, so not too hard.
It also has a sturdy build, constructed of aircraft-grade aluminum, and a transparent lid so you can a close eye on your buds (Quality control). Plus, it’s a great value for the price if you’d rather spend your money on cool grow lights.
6) Best Standup Bud Trimming Machine and Best Medium-Scale Trimming Machine
Trimatek Leaf Bud Plant Trimmer
- Replaceable grill
- Triple Stainless Steel Blade
- 75 – 200 watts
- Auto-shut off which improves safety
- Quiet motor
- Works better as a wet trimmer
In general, standup trimming machines can be sloppy, to say the least. So when it comes to the top bud trimmers in the standup bud trimming category, I prefer Trimatek’s bud trimming machine.
The Trimatek Leaf Bud Plant Trimmer comes with a replaceable grill which I love. Grills can attract tons of build-up and resin. Sometimes it is much easier to replace the grills than clean them after a thick coating.
It’s a pretty quiet wet trimming machine and comes equipped with an auto-shut-off feature, which improves safety, so no missing fingers.
This bud trimmer also works best as a wet trimmer, so if you’re looking to trim dry buds, this may not be your first choice as you won’t get perfect trim quality every time.
Trim quality is important, and with Trimatek’s poweful yest quiet motor you will not be let down by the perfectly trimmed buds. Although one of the pricier machines on the market for home growers, it is the best trimmer for trim quality and quick turnaround.
7) Best Value Handheld Trimmer
Trim Daddy 3 Plus
- Wet & Dry Bud Trimmer
- Wet and dry trimmer
- Multiple blade options for different strains
- Variable speed controls
- Precise cuts
- 3-year guarantee
- Decent amount of power for a cordless trimmer
Not really a value up front, but for the long haul, the Trim Daddy 3 Plus is in it, to win it. As a handheld bud trimmer, it is fully electric and adjustable so you can prune and trim your bud with precision cuts.
It also has variable speed controls for those different strains and is a wet and dry trimmer. So, you can use it on all your marijuana plants regardless of moisture content.
This little guy comes with a 3-year guarantee, so if anything happens to it in that time you are covered.
Electric handheld bud trimmers can be intimidating to use. Not the Trim Daddy. Thankfully, the speed dial gives you more control and makes life easier. Because the trimmer is short, your hand holding it will be close to the cutting edge. This gives you more control and agility to make finer movements as you go up, down, and from side to side.
Not only is this device efficient and economical, but it also makes trimming fun! I have saved countless hours and money since using it, and enjoy the process more than ever. The blades are made from food-grade stainless steel and are perfect for a harvest season on a medium scale.
Commercial growers would be better off with the Twister T4 Trimming Machine on this list. But, if your wet or dry trim harvest process involves a dozen cannabis plants, this machine will do the trick.
8) Best Affordable Large-Scale Bud Trimming Machines
Centurion Pro Tabletop Trimmer
- Clean cutting & consistent trim bud trimmer
- 40% flower preservation guaranteed by Centurion
- Fairly priced for the quality
- Stainless steel tumbler
- 10-year warranty – Built to last
This commercial tumbler bud trimmer looks more like a coffee roaster than something to trim buds.
The Centurion Pro is a tabletop trimmer that’s guaranteed to cleanly cut and trim your buds while preserving 40% of the flower.
Centurion offers a 10-year warranty on the Centurionpro tabletop trimmer, which is pretty incredible. The fact that Centurionpro tabletop trimmer stands by its product for that long says a lot about the quality of this hybrid tumbler.
The TableTop Trimmer is fast. Cuts 20,000 times per minute on a 120v power source. This small, yet powerful trimmer comes with a 1hp leaf collector that produces 1800 CFM of suction power. With this machine, you can replace up to 6 human trimmers without sacrificing quality.
The TableTop trims up to 5-6lbs per hour for dry trim and 25-30lbs per hour for wet bud.
Sitting up on a stable surface, the Centurion Pro is a good height to reduce strain on the muscles. I highly recommend this wet and dry trimmer for its quality machine trim cuts and speed if you need to trim a ton of weed.
And trim it well!
9) Best Dry Trimmer
Triminator Dry Trimming Machine
- Perfect for larger crops
- Dry trimming done right – precision cuts
- Not for wet buds
- Easy to use
- Kief collector
This dry trimming machine can handle tons of dry bud at a time, replacing up to 7 hand trimmers in one shot.
The Triminator Dry Bud Trimmer is a commercial bud trimmer that is best for larger crops. If you have a lot of weed to trim, this is the machine for you. It can trim up to 5 – 8 pounds/hr (dry), so it is a very quick dry trimmer that gets the job done with high-quality trimming.
This bud trimmer also comes with an option kief collector which does a nice job of rounding up all your excess kief, produced from the dry buds as the machine cuts and trims. The resulting dry buds, after the trim process, are typically perfect, with a few buds that may require some quick manual snips.
But, other than that, the machine’s trim quality is outstanding for both wet and dry cannabis. With the Keif collector, it’s almost like producing double the product. Not only do you get well-trimmed dry bud, but you can also collect massive amounts of kief to enjoy or sell.
10) Best Wet Trimmer
Twister T2 Wet Trimmer For Weed
- 35 lbs/per hr is possible for wet bud
- 11 lbs/per hr for dry bud trimming
- Stainless steel construction
- Fastest and most efficient trimming machines on the market
From Twistertrimmer, this fast-acting wet trimming machine does wonders when it comes to the fine trimming of fresh cannabis. Although it can handle dry buds, dry trimming takes longer. Almost 3x as long for dry trimming.
Hands down, one of the best bud-trimming machines for wet bud as it is specifically designed to handle the stickiness and darkness of freshly harvested marijuana.
The Twister T2 is the number one used trimming system among commercial producers worldwide. With over a decade of research and innovation, it features engineering that meets the volume and regulations of today’s most demanding cannabis and hemp facilities.
The Twister T2 is the best wet trimmer for larger commercial farms. It can handle up to 35lbs of wet bud per hour, making it one of the most efficient trimming machines on the market. It is also fast, cutting through wet buds at a rate of 35 lbs per hr.
The Twister T2 is made with stainless steel construction, making it durable and easy to clean. As far as the skill it takes to operate wet trimmers, the T2 is as easy to use as they come. Even though you can use dry buds for the machine, it is far superior in wet trim tactics.
All in all, the Twister T2 is a top-of-the-line wet trimmer machine that is sure to meet the needs of any large commercial farm.
Commonly Asked Bud Trimming Machines Questions
What is the best way to dry trim buds?
Drying and trimming buds can be a time-consuming process, but it is necessary in order to achieve the best results. When dry trimming, it is best to use a bud trimmer machine to quickly and efficiently remove the leaves from the buds. Dry trimming is done with dried buds, so the buds should be dried for at least 2-3 days before starting the trimming process.
What are the benefits of using a bud trimmer machine?
Bud trimmer machines offer several benefits over manual trimming. They are faster and more efficient, and they produce high-quality machine trim. Bud trimmer machines are also easier to use, and they require less skill than manual trimming.
What is the difference between dry trimming and wet trimming?
Dry trimming is done with dried buds, while wet trimming is done with fresh buds. Trimming while wet is more difficult and takes longer than dry trimming, but it produces better results. Wet trimmed buds are not as sticky as dry, and they are less likely to lose THC during the drying process.
What is the best bud trimmer machine for commercial use?
The best bud trimmer machines for commercial use are those that are fast and efficient and can handle large quantities of weed at a time. The Triminator Dry Bud Trimmer and Twister T2 Wet Trimmer are both excellent choices for commercial growers.
How do I operate a bud trimmer machine?
Operating a bud trimmer machine is easy whether it’s electric trimmers or if they use a hand crank – just follow the instructions included with your machine.
Most machines are very easy to use, and they require minimal skill or training. Just make sure to provide regular maintenance and cleaning otherwise the machine might break down on you, haunting your trimming operations.
Summing It All Up
When it comes to trimming your buds, there are a few different methods you can use: dry trimming, wet trimming, and machine trimming. Each method has its own set of benefits and drawbacks, so it’s important to choose the method that best suits your needs.
Dry trimming is the most common method. It is simple and easy to do, and it produces good results. However, prior to dry-trimming buds you can lose THC during the drying process.
Wet trimming is more difficult than dry trimming, but it produces better results. Wet-trimmed buds are stickier and harder to manage than dry buds. They are less likely to lose THC during the drying process. Wet trimming also takes longer than dry trimming unless you are using a wet trimmer like the Twister T2.
So which is the best bud trimmer machine for you? That depends on your preferences and needs. If you’re looking for a simple and easy way to trim your buds, then the dry trimmer is the best option for you. If you want the best possible results, then the wet trimmer is the best option. And if you need a fast and efficient machine that can handle large quantities of weed at a time, then the machine trimmer is the best option for you.