Okay so, I have used the Trimpro Trimbox, which is the smallest $900 Trim Pro, it also comes with it's own table if you pay like $1400. I just clamp mine to a workbench, or attached it's brackets to something wooden you can screw into. Either way, it works rather well. It comes with a bag for collecting trimmed leaf parts, or you can install it in a rubbermaid or barrel top by cutting a hole and clamping it on, to accomplish the same thing.
In my opinion, the lack of trimming personally, or paying others to do it, makes any potential perceived loss in visual quality (from there being partial leaves left) completely worth it, 110%. Actually I find the leaves are easy to remove as the bud cures (see below *).
People say these machines in general damage the buds and don't trim well enough, I found this to be more true for small buds, not at all for large buds. The bud that was so popcorn it was goin in the trim anyways was the stuff the Trimbox had trouble with, because it's grille isn't designed for such small buds.
I found this to also be useful, as I would just wave the small buds across the trimbox and bam shaved stick to discard and all the popcorn instantly relocated to the trim pile.
I will never trim again, unless I was specially commissioned to for artistic reasons or some other such ridiculous motivation.
The quality of the actual product remains the same, just when you look at it, you know it wasn't a contributor to carpal tunnel syndrome (owwwww my wrists and hands and back and neck and aaaaaahhhh), robbery (hiring
seemingly trustable people), or wasted efficiency (trimming is a waste of human time). Those are the crimes of hand manicured bud. I can't imagine trimming ever again, it is so sticky and terrible and grueling, unless you have a very small amount to do.
I have never trimmed in a situation where there was less than 5lbs to process. If you deal with or have dealt with that or above, you know the utter discomfort of trimming.
So anyways, I highly endorse the Trimbox, I have never used another trimming machine, I'm sure there's some bad ones, and some good ones, but I'd say this one is a good one, I will take pictures after I use it again so you all can see for yourselves whether or not you think it is acceptable for you. It has transitioned from 'acceptable' to 'necessary' for me, it is amazing.
I have found that when you use it, you really don't need to do anything, other than first remove only the huge fan leaves, and remove the "crows feet" afterwards.
*I find that the remaining leaf matter that is not removed, when the bud is placed in turkey bags, will naturally break off and find it's way to the bottom of the turkey bag over the course of a week or 2 as it cures. Every once in a while I move the bud from it's turkey bag to a new one, and remove the leaves at the bottom of the bag, and re-weigh the "de-leafed" bud, and label the new bag.
Also the "Trim Pro hash" you get instead of scissor hash, is fucking amazing. You just scrape a huge ball of it off at once when the metal grill grating gets too sticky to be efficient.
Oh yes, I almost forgot, one of the sweetest advantages is ~TIME~! I can trim 5 lbs comfortably(!) in 2-4 days with 1 or 2 people. That is fuckin nuts to me. And don't start about how fast so-and-so or you or your friend or me can trim, it isn't about that it's about damage to hands, backs, necks, eyes (hmm...the more I think about it, it's almost as bad as using the computer, heh), etc.
So I feel if the industry/community as a whole would embrace mechanical trimming with the knowledge that that a visual of bud that has not been OCD trimmed to the point of practically having no leaves or stems on it at all, is not a benefit, it is an indulgent unnecessary visual style.
You guys still like pussy that has different shapes and lengths of pubes above it right? As long as it isn't an extreme amount, or detracts from the enjoyable visual, it's all wonderful. It's the same thing.
The leaves around bud are usually crystally anyways, so it actually is adding value, seein how bud is carrying the trichomes, and bud is what is valuable, more trichomes, more value.
So yes my cropx rox a Trimbox. And maybe yours should too.
