Trimming bud sucks!
It's labor intensive and time consuming.
If you run a sizable operation, you need an army of trimmers to get through your harvest.
Or one single trimmer machine.
Today's large industrial bud trimmers can replace up to 75 workers, but even a small handheld manual trimming machine can speed up the process considerably.
The key is buying the right trimmer machine for your needs.
That's where we come in. This article will help you figure out which bud trimming machine is best for you.
To do that, we first need to make a few key decisions. The first one concerns the type of buds you plan to trim with your trimmer.
Will You Trim Wet Or Dry Bud?
Wet bud is fresh marijuana that has just been harvested, while dry refers to weed that has been dried and cured already.
Both wet and dry trimming have advantages and disadvantages. If you are not sure which is best for you, read all about wet vs. dry trimming here.
Our recommendation is to get a trimmer than can handle both equally well.
That way you are able to take advantage of each, depending on what would be the best method in a given situation.
We'll get into more detail below, but for wet trimming or for anyone wanting both, we recommend a Centurion trimmer. For dry trimming, we recommend a Triminator trimmer for speed, or a Centurion trimmer if kief collection is important to you (again, more below).
How Much Capacity Do You Need?
Which specific trimmer is best for you will depend on two things: the amount of leaf and bud you need to process and the amount of space you have (some of these trimmers are quite large and heavy).
If you run a large operation, you should know how many pounds per hour you need to be able to process.
If you do not need any pounds per hour, you have no need for a large trimming machine, to be honest. A manual trimmer would be sufficient.
Best Bud Trimming Machines Of 2023
We'll break this down into a few categories: best automatic handheld bud trimmer, best bowl type trimmer, best wet and dry trimmer, best wet trimmer, best dry trimmer and best trimmer for kief collection.
For all the wet and/or dry categories, we'll give you the top options for different capacity levels, so you can choose the one that can handle your workload.
If you do not have a large operation that needs to process tens, hundreds, or even thousands, of pounds of bud per day, you probably don't need anything larger than one of the manual trimmer models.
When it comes to manual trimming machines, you really have two options. A bowl trimmer or a handheld automatic trimmer.
Note: If you are just looking for a pair of manual trimming shears, I recommend this pair on Amazon.* They are inexpensive, but good enough to get the job done, and that's really all I need from shears.
Best Automatic Handheld Trimmer: Magic Trimmer
The Magic Trimmer is great for complete manual hand trimming. If you employ human trimmers, or you simply trim smaller amounts of buds yourself, it will considerably speed up the process over using shears to remove leaves.
This hand trimming machine has advantages over the large trimmers below, too. Since you control it manually, it is much more precise. You control exactly what is trimmed off the bud and what stays, giving you nicer trimmed buds. It is also compact, lightweight and inexpensive.
The main disadvantage of this trimmer is obvious. Since it needs to be controlled by a person, it has a limited capacity compared to an industrial bud trimming machine.
Using the magic trimmer is easy. The patent-pending design ensures no possibility of injury. Since you have full control, it is extremely precise, while being much faster than using regular shears.
Check out the video on the product page to see the Magic Trimmer in action.
Pros
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Low Price: selling for $175 at the time of writing, compared to thousands for the machines listed below
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Compact: trimmer fits in your hand
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Lightweight: 2.5 lbs. makes it by far the lightest trimmer on this list
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Precise Control: manual operation means you have full control over what leaf material gets removed and what stays
Cons
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Capacity: it can't come close to the capacity of the larger trimmer machines on this list
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Another great option is the EZTRIM Wander Trimmer. This nifty little machine combines the precision of hand trimming buds with the efficiency of a commercial bud trimmer.
The Wander Trimmer will cut 60 – 80% of your trim time, won’t damage your buds, collects all of your clipped leaf for processing and allows you to hang-dry your plants. Simply connect to any wet/dry vacuum. The suction from the vacuum pulls the leaf away from the flower while the blade inside the wand spins and cuts the leaf.
This trimmer trims up to 1 lb. of dried product an hour with a single operator. The quality of the trim is unmatched and is often better than scissor trimming buds because it allows you to handle the product less.
Pros
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Affordable Price: selling for $1,499 at the time of writing, compared to thousands for the machines listed below
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Efficient: provides hand trimming precision with machine-like efficiency.
Cons
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Capacity: at only 1lb per hour, it can’t compete with the capacity of the larger trimmer machines on this list.
I'm obviously a bit biased here. I think our line of bowl leaf trimmers are the best, but I know they also cost more than most others. For that reason, I will also provide this link to Amazon's collection of bowl leaf trimmers.* That way you can make up your own mind.
The ones we sell here come in a few varieties and sizes. We have a manual trimmer with a clear top and an automatic trimmer with a clear top. Each trimmer comes in three different sizes: 16 inch, 18 inch and 24 inch.
We also have a metal top and an open top trimmer that are both 16 inches in diameter. All are very easy to operate.
Simply fill the trimmer with bud, close the lid and turn the hand crank. The 30 shears do all the work for you. If you get one of the motorized models, you don't even need to do any hand turning. Just fill with bud, turn it on and let the cutting blade do the work.
These bowl leaf trimmer machines work best with wet bud. They do a good job, but are not as precise as the handheld unit above. They also don't give as good a trim as a larger bud trimmer machine like the ones below. Their capacity is obviously much lower as well. Some do have adjustable blades for more precise cuts.
Pros
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Low Cost: a few hundred dollars instead of a few thousand
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Small and Lightweight: take up little space and even the motorized trimmer models only weigh around 20 lbs
Cons
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Capacity: can't compete with a real bud trimmer machine
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Quality of Trim: they get a good trim, but not as good as a larger bud trimmer machine and definitely not as good as manual bud trimming
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Best Wet And Dry Trimming Machines: Centurion Pro
Centurion makes a full line of trimmers, from their entry level Tabletop Pro trimmer to their monster 3.0. bud trimmer. See the table below for a comparison.
All of their models come with two sets of electroplished stainless steel tumblers: one made specifically for dry trimming and one made for wet bud. The advantage of this over having a single universal tumbler to handle both type of buds is that each tumbler is designed to maximize quality and speed.
The wet tumbler uses narrower slats so there is more open area for the buds to come into contact with the cutting blade. This makes for both a tighter and a faster cut. You only need one pass, instead of two, cutting your processing time in half.
Less time in the bud trimmer machine also means less agitation, making for higher quality buds. Finally, the narrow slats leave less surface area for resin to accumulate, which speeds up clean up time.
The dry tumbler has wider slats, which means less open area and less exposure to the cutting blade. This is important to preserve trichomes when processing the more delicate dry flowers.
Both tumblers are also available with a quantanium coating over the stainless steel that prevents sticking and further reduces clean-up time and resin loss. These coated tumblers cost extra, but are well worth the investment.
In addition to the automatic bud trimmer, Centurion also includes a hopper, a leaf collector, a set of three collection bags and much more with each purchase. You get a complete system and do not need to purchase anything else.
The 3 bags are an especially nice touch. They separate out the leaf, the trim and the kief, so you can collect both for further use or sale, to increase your profits even more.
With most other bud leaf trimmer machines, you'll need to purchase additional components to collect kief, if it is even possible at all.
Looking to dive into medical grade trimming? Centurion now offers all their trimmers in a Stainless Steel option. The SS Trimmers are composed of 304 stainless steel and nickel-plated aluminum making them GMP Compliant. They feature nitrided cutting blades, double sealed bearing chambers, and maintenance free food-grade stainless steel bearings exceeding industry standards. Each machine is also equipped with Centurion’s latest innovation, Variable Speed Control.
CenturionPro continues to evolve their features to bring you the most efficient trimming system possible. You now have the ability to even further personalize your harvest with their Variable Speed Control. Not only can you adjust the speed based on whether or not you are wet trimming or dry trimming - it also provides strain versatility. With the Variable Speed Control you can adjust the machine for different cultivators to trim flowers of all shapes, sizes and moisture.
The innovations doesn't stop there. They’ve also given you the ability to grow as you go with the Rail System for a customized cannabis and hemp harvesting system. With the Rail System a single user can now connect and operate multiple machines to expand your operation and increase profitability. See below chart for a comparison of the Rail Systems.
Pros
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High capacity: Centurion bud trimmer machines have the highest capacity for trimming wet bud and very close to the highest for dry
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High Quality Trim: check out the videos on the product pages to see what these trimmer machines are capable of
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Full system: includes wet and dry tumblers, hopper, leaf collector and collection bags, in addition to the trimmer
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Kief Collection: triple bag system makes kief and trim collection a snap, with no need to purchase additional components
- Variable Speed Control: allows a better trim for a wider variety of strains, regardless of flower size, shape or density.
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Flexible Scalability: using the Rail System to allow you to expand your operation at your own pace.
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Stainless Steel Options: that are GMP compliant for medical grade trims.
Cons
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High price: Centurion bud trimming machines are expensive, but they do pay for themselves
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Large and heavy: even the smallest trimmer takes up a good bit of space and weighs over 70 pounds total
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Noise Level: the vacuum motor makes these bud trimmers louder than a trimmer that does not use a vacuum system
Comparison of Centurion Pro Models
*The Silver Bullet is the same as the Original Bud Trimmer, with two additions: a marine grade infinity Bluetooth stereo and a silencer that reduces machine noise by 30%.
See All Models
Comparison of CenturionPro Rail Systems:
Centurion bud trimmer machines are easily the best option for wet trimming as well. You now get a hybrid tumbler (they used to give 1 dry and 1 wet tumbler). They also have a higher capacity and do the job faster.
And having that dry tumbling option could turn out to be a blessing. If you are ever unable to get through all of your leaf material at harvest time, it gives you the option to put off bud trimming some of it until later, when the buds are dry. That kind of flexibility is nice to have in a trimmer. If you think you will ever do dry trimming then you should definitely select the variable speed upgrade as dry bud needs to be processed slower than wet.
All said though, If you know you're mostly going to trim your weed when it's dry then the Centurion Dry Batch Trimmers are the better option (see below). This is especially true if your bud isn't top quality and big. Small "larfy" bud won't make great contact with the tumbler reducing the trimming action.
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Best Affordable Dry Trimmers: Centurion Pro
If you’re looking to specialize in quality dry trimming but want a more affordable option - the new line of DBT Trimmers are the best fit for you. These dry batch trimmers come in 6 different models and start just at $1,995.
Each model features Centurion’s Soft Tumble Technology which provides “hand-quality” trim without the use of a blower suction system or lubricants. By using this technology - it reduces trichome loss and produces the highest quality machine trimmed product possible. You also have the ability to upgrade your DBT to include a Kief Filter Screen which essentially gives your two machines in one. After you’ve completed your batch trim, remove your trimmed flower, swap out the DBT tumbler with your Kief Filter Screen tumbler and run the trim from your trim bin.
Comparison of Centurion DBT Models
| Model |
Wet Capacity |
Dry Capacity |
Replaces |
|
DBT Model 0
|
N/A |
Up to 6 lbs/hr (2.5 kg/hr)
|
20 Workers |
|
DBT Model 1
|
N/A
|
Up to 10 lbs/hr (5kg/hr)
|
32 workers
|
|
DBT Model 2
|
N/A
|
Up to 20 lbs/hr (9kg/hr)
|
60 workers
|
|
DBT Model 3
|
N/A
|
Up to 50 lbs/hr (23kg/hr)
|
200 workers
|
|
DBT Model 4
|
N/A
|
Up to 108 lbs/hr (49kg/hr)
|
450 workers
|
|
DBT Model 5
|
N/A
|
Up to 216 lbs/hr (98kg/hr)
|
910 workers
|
Best Overall Dry Trimmers: Triminator
The Triminator bud trimmer machines just edge out the Centurion ones for dry leaf material, the only caveat - kief collection kits are only available for the small (Triminator Mini Dry Portable Trimmer) and medium size (Triminator Dry Automatic Trimming Machine) dry trimmers. If kief collection is important to you on larger trimmers, a Centurion trimmer is the better choice. See the next section below for more on this.
Triminator do make one bud trimmer machine for wet buds -Triminator Wet Industrial Bud Trimming Machine (and it is a monster!), but overall, they seem to have decided to specialize in dry leaf trimming. They have three dry machines: a portable trimmer, a regular-sized trimmer and a large commercial trimmer. See the table below for a comparison.
Triminator bud trimmer machines are designed so that there is no metal-on-metal friction. That prevents heat generation, which reduces the stickiness of resin, resulting in less resin loss. It also means that no lubricants are needed, which keeps your buds pure and clean.
These bud trimmers use long and narrow drums, which maximizes the cutting surface, speeding up the whole leaf trimming operation. The slow tumbling speed means the flowers are exposed to the cutting surface naturally, which minimizes trichome loss.
The drums are easy to remove, making them quick and easy to clean. Triminator also sells an optional kief kit for their two smaller trimmer models. Simply swap out the regular drum for the kief drum and start collecting kief.
Pros
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High Capacity: Triminator bud trimmer machines have an exceptionally high processing capacity for dry buds
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Easy to Use: simple to use and quick and easy to clean
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High Quality Trim: check out the videos on the product pages to see what these trimmer machines are capable of
Cons
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Kief Collection: collecting kief with the add-on drum works great, but you have to choose between kief collection and trimming (see the next section for an explanation)
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Price: Triminator machines are expensive, but they pay for themselves very quickly in saved labor costs
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Dry Only: can only process dry buds (apart from their one wet trimmer, which can only process wet buds)
Comparison of Triminator Models
See All Models
Most Efficient For Kief Collection: Centurion Pro
When it comes to collecting kief, the Centurion throughput (vs their batch trimmers) bud trimmer machines are more efficient for one simple reason. They include a kief collection bag, so you are always automatically collecting kief when you use a Centurion trimmer.
With any Triminator trimmer, you have to purchase a separate kief collection drum. Not only does that mean an additional cost, but you also have to swap out the trimming drum for the kief drum.
That means you can only either trim buds or collect kief, but not do both at the same time, like you can with a Centurion trimmer.
Best Quality For Kief Collection:
All said though, the Triminator method of trimming with the regular drum and then switching out to the kief mesh drum (in 100 or 150 microns) does seem to provide a focus on quality. The extra drum and work will be worth it if you are looking for top quality kief. Remember you're only placing the trim collected from the regular trim process in the mesh drum. Check out the mesh drum here (also see the 1 minute video demo on the same page).
Note: In late 2021 Centurion Pro came out with their Dry Batch Trimmers and guess what - all 5 models have optional add on kief kits so maybe they learned from Triminator that the dedicated mesh drums produce better quality kief than the bag systems on their throughput trimmers.
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Best Affordable Hybrid Trimmer For Capacity: EZ TRIM
When it comes to an affordable hybrid trimmer there is no better machine than the Bud Trimmer which features multiple settings to allow for not only wet and dry trimming but also can be set depending on strain and size.
This Trimmer and its satellite style uses air flow and silicone “fingers” to move the product constantly turning the bud so all sides are trimmed. The grate on the bottom allows for the trimming blade to give the product a consistent trim as it is tossed around within the tumbler. You also get the ability to change the grate out for both wet and dry. Another key feature is the top of the Bud Trimmer is translucent allowing for the user to easily watch and time the batch to ensure that everything comes out consistent.
The Bud Trimmer has an amazing filtration system under the machine that allows for the collection of various micron levels of leaf trimmings. It uses four collection bags with different levels collecting a different product. The first level is for larger leaves and stems. The second is for sweet leaf which can be used in extraction and also pre-rolls. The last two levels three and four collect keif with B grade keif being in level three and A grade in four. You can even manually dry sift using these bags even while it is not attached to the machine!
With the Bud Trimmer you are looking at an average of 44 LBS of wet trimming and 33 LBS of dry trimming per hour saving on both employees and time!
While the Bud Trimmer boasts many similar features to CenturionPro, where they beat them is the capacity for the price. You can purchase the EZTRIM for less than $9k while a CenturionPro with comparable capacity will run you in the 5-figure range.
Best Hybrid Trimmer for Efficacy & Potency: Triminator
Triminator found that the key to maximum speed and quality is in the blades. The Triminator Hybrid™ uses a revolutionary Flex-Knife™ that presses against the helical blade, ensuring that the edges remain in constant contact for an ultra-clean cut. This design ensures flowers spend less time in the tumbler, minimizing THC potency loss.
The Hybrid™ doesn't pick favorites; it trims equally well on wet, dry, and semi-dry cannabis and hemp flowers. The machine was designed with variable speed controls that allow you to customize your trim with the touch of a button. The cleaner the trim, the clearer the extract. That's why the Triminator Hybrid™ is the first in its class to feature an integrated vacuum and trim separation system. Cannabis trim travels straight from the blades to the trim bin on a cushion of air with our Trim Direct System™—your trim never touches a vacuum impeller or dirty hose!
As you can tell, trimming machines are continuously evolving with new innovations and more brands dipping their toes in the market.
You can find a complete comparison chart of all our trimmers here.
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