These machines are used for cleaning cannabis flowers. Cannabis cleaning trimmers help speed up the processing times. These tools have the ability to remove both large excess leaves and those that are smaller and closer to the flowers. The purpose of this guide is to help you choose the electric trimmer that best suits your needs, by comparing the various models and various trimming techniques.
Since hemp cultivation has exploded exponentially, the sale of these machines has greatly increased. Despite the early years, farmers were very skeptical about buying these tools, today we can say that anyone who has grown hemp in large plots has realized the indispensableness of the trimmer to clean the hemp
Finding yourself with several cubic meters of vegetable mass, without reaching the rapid and coordinated processing rhythms, will run the risk of irreparably ruining the quality of the flowers. The oxidation process of hemp flowers is almost immediate (about 20 minutes); It is therefore necessary that the manufacturing techniques are rapid.
If the green volume accumulates and stays for too long before being worked, there is an easy risk of ruining the harvest, causing the flower to lose its terpene spectrum and degrading the bright light green tone. Dark flowers tending to military-green brown, denote incorrect processing conditions.
Trimming cannabis by hands or with a trimmer?
The most frequent question we are asked is: how is it better to clean the hemp with a trimmer or by hand? Let's start by saying that manual cleaning is more feasible for small crops , while when certain quantities are exceeded, the use of a defoliating trimmer becomes mandatory.
In fact, there are trimmers that can clean up to 20 kilos for every hour of work, while an expert manual trimming operator does not exceed one kilo every eight hours of work . According to enthusiasts, the practice of handwork is the best, because it gives the flower meticulous cleanliness. There are different models of very effective scissors , specially created for cleaning cannabis flowers .
A very important thing to take into account are the expected working hours, so choose ergonomic scissors, with padded handles or spring-loaded ones that facilitate movement. Otherwise blisters and tendonitis are guaranteed.
Hemp plants cleaned with a trimmer will give a more aesthetically pleasing result, making the flowers very homogeneous even if some experienced growers would swear that some resin is lost. The most modern trimmers in no way neglect the quality of the finishing of the flower, making it very similar to a hand-worked product.
Furthermore, we would like to remind you that an optimal flower manicure will have a positive effect both on conservation and on sale to the end user and that when savoring it, it will not have any unpleasant scent due to an excess of foliage or incorrect processing.
Trimming weed dry or wet?
This is one of the most heated disputes between cultivator schools of thought. Most growers believe that the best time to process cannabis flowers is when they are still fresh, while others believe that dry trimming is best . For still others, however, the best practice is to do an initial processing when fresh, to then finish the bud when the flower has dried.
What is the best practice we leave to your experience since this dispute will never end. However we can certainly say that not all trimmers can clean both dry and fresh flowers, most of the machines on the market are in fact used for fresh, while if we go up in the price range there are trimmers on the market capable of modulating the drums to practice both techniques.
Below we will see in detail the positive and negative aspects of the 2 techniques:
Cleaning the cannabis flowers with the trimmer when they are still damp allows for faster and more precise processing, giving the flower excellent care and making it more pleasant.
Cleaning dry hemp flowers should be done when the flower is completely dry . For this aspect, the temperature and humidity conditions of the working environment have a great influence. Being completely dry, the flower must be treated more delicately, to lose as little resin as possible. All this has an impact on the processing speed and cleaning accuracy, as the drum rotates more slowly.
The third option involves totally trimming the larger leaves when fresh and trimming the smaller leaves when the hassle is complete. the reasons why this option is perhaps the best are many: First we will not occupy large drying spaces, secondly the speed of the work will be greater and finally the quality of the finish will be at the highest level.
Defoliating trimmer: how useful is a for a company that produces hemp inflorescences?
As written above, the processing of hemp inflorescences carried out by hand involves a long process, no less the use of a lot of work force and a lot of patience!. The worldwide increase in the production of cannabis has allowed some companies to produce specific machinery for cleaning the hemp inflorescences.
The modern defoliating trimmers on the market today have made great strides, the use of these machines certainly involves an initial expense that may seem high, but the savings on labor and the processing speed will undoubtedly pay off the expectations.
The automatic defoliating trimmer allows faster processing and for companies that operate on a large scale this can be advantageous, fully recovering the investment of the machinery, if we subtract the cost of labour.
The innovative technology of these machines allows for accurate and uniform processing of the flower. The trimmers on the market today are available in various types and in various sizes, based on the specific needs of each hemp producer.
Automatic trimmer which type to choose?
On the market, there are various types of machines that are used to clean and finish the flowers:
Trimmer workstation (Ex: Master trimmer in photo), this tool is perhaps the most used, also considering the low prices. The flat trimmers are used by rubbing the top on the work surface, which is nothing more than a grid with a well-sharpened rotating blade underneath which, thanks to the rotation, creates a suction effect on the leaves, which are cut through the grids by the blade. These trimmers, if used by expert hands, can greatly speed up the work. The final result is not record-breaking, given the low cutting precision, but they ensure excellent working practicality. Basically, these trimmers can be used with fresh flowers, even if some growers assure that they can also be used with dried flowers.
Automatic trimmer with cylinder , there are two different models of this type of machinery and they are very similar to the previous ones in terms of structure, but they mount a cylinder on the work surface. The best-selling and most effective model is the one that has rotating brushes inside the cylinder which, with their pressure, promote exceptional cleaning (eg: Warrior Cut ). the other model always mounts a metal cylinder on the work surface, but does not have brushes but it is the cylinder itself which, by rotating, favors the rubbing of the flowers on the blade (Ex: Trimpro Automatico). Both models require a pre-cleaning of branches and large leaves before starting trimming. Furthermore it is necessary to divide the size of the buds into 2/3 pieces, all this to facilitate and make the cleaning of the flowers homogeneous. With these trimmers you can clean around 2 kilos per hour. Depending on the speed used, these models are suitable for cleaning both fresh and dry material.
Tumbler trimmers are industrial machines specifically designed to speed up and automate work. These machines are very robust and also quite expensive and are made with highly durable materials, ensuring a long life. These professional trimmers, although expensive, guarantee a very high trimming quality and a truly surprising speed, such as the Centurion Pro gladietor models which can clean up to 10-20 kilos per hour. With these trimmers it is possible to clean both fresh and dried flowers, just replace the type of drum supplied and adjust the rotation speed. In addition to being the "top range" on the market, these machines also guarantee very low noise levels to work discreetly.
The hand trimmers are "spartan" but very cheap trimmers: the flower, previously cleaned of branches and large leaves, is placed in the bowl, the lid is closed and started by manually turning the crank located above the lid. By turning, the blades are activated which remove excess leaves and clean the flower. These very cheap tools do not guarantee maximum performance, but if the budget is limited they can be taken into consideration.
What type of trimmer is best for you?
In most cases, especially due to inexperience and high costs, growers are reluctant to purchase a professional trimmer. However, if you are lucky enough to rely on an expert and conscientious seller, have the differences explained to you well. This is certainly the first tip. Another aspect to take into consideration is certainly the amount of green volume. The greater the harvest, the more professional the machine must be.
Much of the choice is based on user experience. Even the cheapest trimmers can be used effectively and profitably. In this regard, we suggest that you entrust yourself to a friend or consultant who is an expert in these machines. Ultimately it is always the experience that will make you lean towards one or the other solution. We could actually conclude that the right trimmer is the one that suits you and with which you feel better. Sure Spending is a discriminating factor, but as mentioned, if handled well, even cheap trimmers can give amazing results.
Fundamental tips for cleaning and drying cannabis with trimmer:
This whole article focuses on the tools that, depending on the needs, are more suitable for us. However, there is no tool or technique that can help you if the temperature and humidity conditions are not constant and suitable for this practice. Who hasn't happened to pick up chromaticity flowers tending towards military green or dark brown with that typical smell of a closed basement.
These are the results of an environment unsuitable for nuisance. Weed with characteristics like this has little or no chance of going to market. In short, the fundamental suggestion for cleaning and drying cannabis with or without a trimmer is certainly to constantly condition and ventilate the environment where you will dry and clean your plants.
The essential tools to have are: Air extractor with adequate power for the volume of the room, air conditioner possibly dehumidifier and pedestal fans. Tools that are easy to find but which ensure you the best conditions for drying.
What to do with flower cleaning waste
Many of the leaves that will be cut have a lot of resin which is clearly visible to the naked eye. It would be a real shame to discard them without having used them. In fact, while we are cleaning the plants, we must separate the large leaves without resin that we will throw away or with which we could make decoctions, but we will set aside the small ones, covered in resin, which if well dried will be useful for making resin extractions with various methods.
Hashish: A dry sieve is used and pollen is obtained by beating or the pollen can be separated from the leaves with water and ice, ice-o-lator or "Bubble Hash" these two methods are currently the most used by growers .
BHO: By means of GAS (Butane Dexso) using pruning waste, excellent extractions can be achieved. clearly the quantity and quality of the final product will never be as if made with whole flowers.
Food use: In recent years, the use of cannabis in cooking has increased a lot, especially in Italy, where good food is part of the country's culture. Today we can find many recipes: butter, flour, hulled seeds and flower parts to flavor cakes, salads and sauces.
Cosmetics: Many companies that produce cosmetic products use cannabis extracts in their creams, soaps, shampoos, emollient oils and body ointments.
