In part one we showed you some of the advantages of investing in an automatic trimming machine over hiring a bunch of hand trimmers to do the job for you. We outlined some of the things you should consider before buying an automatic trimmer such as the cost, yield, and performance of the machine. We also highlighted the overall benefits, as well as the time and cost savings associated with buying one.
Overall, our take on automatic trimmers has been a positive one with several pros outweighing the cons. After all, you're in this business to make money, and one of the ways you can put more money in your pocket is by saving on areas where you can—automatic trimmers seems to offer a win-win scenario by providing a consistently cut quality trim at a higher yield than that of hand trimmers.
Harvest day has come!
After hours on end of tending and procuring, your harvest is just about done. However, the most labor-intensive and tedious part of production is just about to begin.
Let's use the scenario below see how much time and cost savings are to be had with by investing in an automatic trimmer.
The facts:
- 200 lb harvest
- Employs 12 hand trimmers for $200 a day each
- Let's assume each trimmer can consistently trim up to one pound a day
- We'll use the CenturionPro Mini as our featured trimmer with the price of $6,195.00
- On average, the CenturionPro Mini can trim between 6-8 lbs an hour, but let's err on the conservative side and say it yields you a trim 5 lbs an hour.
- A machine can be run by a single person
- On average a "head trimmer" is paid $25 per hour, while an assistant trimmer is paid $15 per hour
Hand Trimming vs Automatic Bud Trimmers
Hand Trimming
For a 200 lb harvest between 12 hand trimmers at 1 lb a day each (12 lb total for the group), hand trimming the harvest will take 16.67 days to complete, assuming they don't call in sick, take a long lunch, or skip work altogether. At $200 a day for 12 people, when your harvest is all trimmed, you would have spent a total of $40,008 for hand trimming costs alone.
Automatic Bud Trimming Machines
A CenturionPro Mini costs $6,195. Earlier we mentioned that we're going to err on the conservative side and say it can trim 5 lbs an hour, or 40 lbs a day (based on an 8-hour work shift). Since a machine can be run by a single person, we'll be hiring a head trimmer for $25 per hour or $200 a day (if you're running a solo operation, congratulations--you're saving, even more, money).
With the CenturionPro Mini being able to trim 40 lbs a day, a 200 lb harvest will only take 5 days to complete. Combining the cost of the CenturionPro Mini ($6,195) and the payroll cost of the head trimmer ($200 a day * 5 days), your total trimming spend for year one harvest with an automatic trimmer is only $7,195. That's a savings of over $32, 813, or an ROI of 529.67%!!
Since these automatic bud trimmers are built to last, you can expect year two, three, four, five, and so on to become even cheaper! Now, who doesn't like the idea of saving money?!
Want something more customized that you can play around on your own? Try our interactive ROI Calculator.
Ready to take the plunge and start saving money? Choose from our most popular automated trimmers.
