One of the concerns of the cannabis grower is to achieve quality trimming, in which the flowers suffer the least. But at the same time, this crucial process is often resource-intensive, either in terms of labor, processing time, or both. Anyone who has had to trim large quantities of cannabis knows how tedious and costly this process is. While hand-trimming is a suitable option for personal cultivation, at the commercial level it is often a waste of money.
Fortunately, automatic trimming technology has advanced dramatically in recent years, and today there are machines available on the market that adapt perfectly to the specific needs of the professional cannabis grower, and that treat the product with the necessary care for further processing, even matching the quality of manual cutting. With them you will save having to hire personnel for the trimming process and you will recover your investment in a short time.
So, if you are looking to improve the efficiency of your business, the question is no longer whether or not to use a trimming machine, but what features it should have for the specific needs of your business.
What should you keep in mind?
When choosing your trimming machine there are several factors to consider:
Size of the crop to be processed
A good way to figure out what type of machine you need is to consider the processing time, which is equivalent to how many operators you can replace with it. At Master Products we have from the small MT Pocket, capable of processing up to 4 kg/h, to the powerful MT Tumbler 500, capable of replacing more than 20 operators. Between these two extremes, our different models adapt progressively to any production level. We even have models such as the MT Standard 50 and 75 that can be upgraded with a dosing and loading container to further increase their efficiency, without you having to invest in a new machine.
Type of product
Another factor to take into account when choosing our machine is the variety of cannabis and the type of final product to be produced with the buds we process. To know which machine to choose, we must take into account whether or not we need speed regulation, or the possibility of being able to work both wet and dry.
With or without speed controller
If we usually work with a specific product variety, it is very likely that we will find a machine with a constant speed that suits our needs, such as the MT Standard or the MT Gentle. If we need larger processing volumes, the MT Tumbler 200 is available in a model without a speed controller.
But if what we need is a great adaptability to different varieties and final processing, we will need a machine with a blade speed regulator, such as the MT Professional or, for larger processing volumes, the MT Tumbler 200 PRO or the MT Tumbler 500. In both Tumbler models it is also possible to regulate the speed of the drum, which allows us to adapt the trimming more accurately to the characteristics and varieties of our flowers.
Wet or dry trimming
There are several reasons why a professional grower may prefer dry trimming, or needs access to both possibilities. In this case, the MT Tumbler 200 and 500 allow us to switch between one or the other type of trimming by simply changing the drum in a few seconds and without tools. In any case, dry trimming is more complex and risky for the product, so Master Products has developed the MT Dry 800, specifically created for this purpose.
Other factors
EU GMP certification and other regulations
Our product may need to be cGMP (good manufacturing practice) certified and comply with any other regulations to ensure its suitability for human consumption. In such a case, we should keep an eye on the MT Tumbler 500 Med, specifically designed for the intensive processing of medical cannabis.
Workspace, portability and expansion possibilities
The characteristics of our workspace can present variables that will sometimes reduce our options when choosing a machine for our business to a few.
Workspace size
If we have a small business with a small workspace, the MT Pocket may be our best option, capable of attaching to a table quickly by means of a clamp. It is also lightweight, so we can easily transport it and turn virtually any room into our trimming room instantly.
The MT Standard, Gentle and Professional can also be used in small spaces, but have larger processing volumes. They are very stable machines that are easy to disassemble and transport. They are ideal to be operated by two operators at the same time.
Finally, our MT Tumbler 200 and 500 are the ideal choice for expanding processing capacity by tandeming two or more machines. With a tandem system you can process from 80 kg/h.
Workspace conditions
The environmental conditions of the workspace must also be taken into account when selecting a trimming machine. The relative humidity level may not be suitable for working with trimming machines, unless we choose one with a speed regulator, which will allow us to adapt the cutting to the environmental conditions. In this case, an MT Professional or MT Tumbler PRO would be ideal.
Product destination
We will also choose our machine depending on the use of the product we want to process. It is not the same to make a proper enough trimming to further process the product (for example for extractions), than to trim it in such a way that it presents an excellent finish for final consumption (medicinal, smokables…). In the first case we can opt for an MT Standard, due to its optimal surface for larger leaves, while for the second case we would prefer an MT Tumbler or an MT Gentle.
