When it comes time to harvest, cannabis cultivators have a choice: hand trimmers or automated cannabis trimmers. What are the advantages that each brings to the table?

We lay out the pros of both options for cannabis cultivators below!

Advantages of Hand Trimmers

What advantages do hand trimmers bring to the table compared to automated cannabis trimmers?

Precise Accuracy

If you’re all about precision and quality in your cannabis harvesting operation, old-fashioned hand trimming is still typically the best way to go. As accurate as machines can be, a steady hand and experienced eye are still the best way to trim every bud correctly.

If you’re trimming yourself, it’s helpful to do it manually to get a knack for the skill and first-hand experience. And during the harvest season, there are many laborers available with years of experience who can trim cannabis by hand quickly and precisely.

Gentle

Trimming by hand is also the gentlest way of cutting buds and is the most effective method for reducing trichome loss. Cannabis buds and trichomes are fragile and can get damaged if handled roughly in a machine.

Trimming by hand ensures you won’t lose buds or resin from cannabis and provides the highest quality yield.

Advantages of Automated Cannabis Trimmers

We’ve discussed the benefits of hand trimming, but what are the pros of automated trimmers?

Efficiency

There’s no doubt that if you’re looking to save time and resources during harvest, an automated trimmer is the best option. An automated cannabis trimmer can do the work of a dozen trimmers in a fraction of the time.

Automated trimming equipment may cost more initially, but it’ll save your operation money annually by cutting the necessary labor and saving time.

Consistency

Consistency is another benefit of using machinery. As accurate and experienced as a hand trimmer may be, humans still can’t replicate the consistent accuracy of an automated trimmer.

Trimming by hand may usually mean better quality, but there can be a difference in skill and handling from one trimmer to another. With an automated trimmer, you get the same quality of work day in and day out—no matter the conditions and yield.

Improved Accuracy

While hand trimming may present the highest quality, there’s not much difference these days in precision between trimming by hand and using automated equipment. Years ago, when the technology was still developing and new, there was a more significant gap in quality between cutting by hand and using a machine.

Modern machines like our handheld bud trimmer are much more accurate and precise than their predecessors. With the gap in quality much narrower, there’s a decisive advantage to the consistency, efficiency, and accuracy of choosing automated trimmers for your harvest.