When you harvest your cannabis, trimming is usually the first step. It’s also one of the slowest and most labor-intensive steps, which can make it a bottleneck for cultivation. Since trimming is no longer the bottleneck, we should turn our attention to another important task: feeding your trimming machine. Now is the time to explore bucking.
A harvesting tool called a “bucking machine” separates buds from stems before trimming. Bucking volume needs to meet or surpass trim volume in order to keep things moving without any additional idle time for both people and equipment. This is a crucial efficiency component that is occasionally disregarded.
Choosing the appropriate one for your needs is crucial. Here are some tips for choosing the best bucking machine to help you harvest as quickly, productively, and affordably:
1. Handling Stems and Stalks
A stem bucker with an integrated chipper can help reduce the amount of stem material you have to deal with. Chipping the stems frees up space and means you won’t have to empty the collection tote as often. One bag of chipped stems is the equivalent of 25 bags of unchipped material. Some chippers can even process stems to government standards for waste disposal, so no additional processing is required.
2. Adaptable Controls
When you’re choosing a bucking machine, it’s essential to consider which features are most important to you. Do you need a machine that can handle wet or dry material? Do you need a machine that can accommodate different stalk sizes? Once you’ve considered your needs, you’ll be able to choose the bucking machine that’s right for you.
When you’re choosing a bucker for your harvest, one crucial thing to consider is control variability. Customization can be the key to making your harvest successful.
3. Considering the Environment
Another key factor to consider is whether you’ll be using your tumbler inside or outside. If you plan on growing your plants outdoors, you’ll want to look for a model of the tumbler with wheels that can handle rough, uneven terrain, as you might find in a garden. Keep in mind that you’ll need a reliable power source for these machines – most models require a 120V connection – so if you’re using your tumbler outdoors, make sure there’s no standing water where you’ll be running any electrical equipment.
For indoor applications, heavy-duty castors are recommended so that the machine may be moved around and placed where it will be most beneficial for cleaning.
4. Bucking: Automatic vs. Manually
By hand, destemming usually wet materials collecting from 30 to 50 pounds per hour. Cannabis stalks are large and take up space quickly, getting in the way and slowing down progress. Every time the flower is handled, the valuable resin coats gloves and sheers instead of staying on the flower. Machine bucking is easy and much faster. The machine has a die plate with several holes of different sizes in front.
5. Cleansing and GMP
Between batches, it is crucial to clean your cannabis processing equipment to maintain quality product production and compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). When considering which device to buy, it is essential to factor in how easy it is to disassemble and clean, as well as the types of materials the device is made from. A device made with high-quality materials that are easy to disassemble and clean will save time in your workflow and produce a better end product.
For durability and simple cleaning, choose a device that can be disassembled with the fewest tools required and is made of stainless steel.
6. Consider adding more automation
Collecting your bucked buds in a catch tote is a great way to save time and reduce handling. Automated workflows make it possible to funnel your buds directly onto a conveyor that takes them into the waiting tumbler of a trimmer, which reduces the amount of labor required to process your harvest. Look for a bucker that is designed for easy integration into automated workflows to get the most efficient processing of your harvest. If you’d like to learn more about buckers, go here and read our article.
