If trimming is the most time-consuming task in cannabis processing, then bucking or de-stemming buds come in at a close second.
While cutting off buds from stems might seem like a straightforward task, you do not want to miss out on every bud attached to the stems. Also, going through hundreds of pounds of different stems isn’t fun and can compromise the quality of your buds with too much handling.
That is why investing in an automated bucker is a wise decision any grower should make to improve outputs significantly. You want your products to reach the dispensaries as soon as possible, and that is why you ought to act fast, so your investments come back the soonest.
So, which bucker should you get?
What is a Gentle Cut Bucker?
As the name speaks for itself, Gentle Cut buckers choose quality over quantity. While they can do high-yields, it is not at par with the outputs of industrial-sized machines.
What it lacks in outputs, Gentle Cut buckers make up for the quality of de-stemming. Gentle Cut buckers are often compared to removing stems by hand with a pair of small pruning shears to cut each bud from the stem. They handle the buds gently, to preserve the flavor while protecting delicate buds from mishandling.
Best Gentle Cut Buckers
CenturionPro GC Mini
Small growers can also join the fun with efficient destemming with the
CenturionPro GC Mini. Like other GC buckers, the GC Mini features more gentle handling of your buds, unlike the HP buckers that focus on faster destemming.
The GC Mini features an hourly capacity of 20 pounds wet and four (4) pounds dry, which works best for home growers. Behind the power of the GC Mini is a 0.25 horsepower motor that allows for the gentle cutting of buds. There are three (3) feed holes diameters that reach up 3/8 inches in diameter.
Also Great
CenturionPro GC1 and GC3
The
CenturionPro GC1 is perfect for boutique operations, while still accommodating high capacities of buds. While compact and can sit pretty on most tables, the GC1 has a capacity of
40 pounds of wet and eight (8) pounds dry. The GC1 also features an efficient cleaning system that collects the stems and excess materials into a vacuum bag, which makes cleanup almost effortless.
If you are looking for the same quality of bud handling, but with a bigger capacity, consider getting the GC3. Bucking at a rate of 120+ lbs per hour wet, 24 lbs per hour dry, the
GC3 bucker does triple what the GC1, without sacrificing quality and ease of use. The beauty of this design is that each bucker can be controlled independently. That means, you can continue bucking, in case one unit requires quick troubleshooting during operations. If you think high-quality bucking cannot be achieved without sacrificing speed, then you should take a look at the GC3.
What is a High Capacity Bucker?
If you process cannabis by the hundreds each day, a high-performance bucker is the answer to your question on efficiency. These buckers were designed to handle buds by the hundreds each hour. They rely on rollers and high-power motors to process buds easily. While these machines focus on power over finesse, High-Performance Buckers can handle buds gently, albeit, not as careful as Gentle Cut buckers.
Best High Capacity Buckers
CenturionPro HP Tabletop
The
CenturionPro HP Tabletop Bucker allows for the fast destemming of wet and dry buds for trimming. As a tabletop machine, the HP Tabletop manages to process up to 75 pounds of wet or 15 pounds dry per hour with the two (2) feeds with holes measuring 1/4 and 3/8 inches, respectively.
Behind the power of the HP Tabletop is the 0.5 horsepower motor that allows the HP Tabletop to pull buds at a high capacity, despite its size. Now, one good thing about this bucker is its compatibility with the Tabletop Trimmer. With the upgrade kit, you can have your destemmed buds flow from the HP Tabletop to the CenturionPro Tabletop trimmer.
Also Great
CenturionPro HP Mini
The
CenturionPro HP Mini provides you with a smaller-scale solution for destemming buds. While small, the HP Mini features a bucking capacity of 125 pounds of wet buds and 25 pounds of dry buds in an hour. For something that’s called a mini, this is quite powerful.
The HP Mini also features a 0.75 motor and speed control to manage the HP Mini settings efficiently. With three (3) feed holes, you can destem different strains with stem diameters of up to half an inch. While already small, the HP Mini is easy to take around with its optional stand with caster wheels.
Also Great
CenturionPro HP1 and HP3
The CenturionPro
HP1 exerts more power than its cousins in the GC product line. Featuring a bucking rate of 175 pounds wet or 35 pounds dry, the HP1 is the perfect portable tabletop bucker that you can take anywhere you need it. But do not let the small size fool you, as the HP1 is one of the highest capacity buckers in the market today. On its own, this bucker can take on the job of 5 -7 workers, thanks to its 0.75 HP motor. And even with the high power it exerts, the HP1 can still treat your buds with the utmost care, so you have no problem when you need that extra push. The HP1 also features several feeds for stems of different diameters. You get a bucker stand, and industrial caster wheels with every HP1 bought, with an option to upgrade to off-road wheels for a minimal cost.
If you want more power, you can consider the HP3 buckers for higher capacity. Like the GC3, the
HP3 bucks at thrice the capacity of the HP1, with the trio of buckers. That means you get to buck 500 pounds wet, 100 pounds dry in an hour, and do the job of 21 workers. Like the HP1, the HP3 comes with its bucker stand and industrial caster wheels. The option to upgrade to off-road tires is also available.
Highest Capacity Commercial Bucker
CenturionPro XL Megabucker
Dethroning the HP3 from the throne for the highest bucking capacity is its big brother, the CenturionPro XL Megabucker. The Megabucker can de-stem up to 2,400 pounds of wet buds and 480 pounds of dry buds in an hour. With several built-in sets of nozzles, the Megabucker can handle different diameters of stems, and have up to 16 operators working together to de-bud at full capacity.
The Megabucker features two (2) conveyor belts to move your buds and stems quickly for processing. A forward-reverse roller system is also on-board to help you remove items that jam. Safety is also a priority with the Megabucker, as it features dual emergency stop buttons on each side of the bucker. The Megabucker is also portable, as the buckers are mounted on a trailer with a standard two-inch ball hitch and twin 3,500-pound axles.
Also Great
Triminator Buckmaster and Buckmaster Pro
The
Triminator Buckmaster is a straightforward single bucker for medium to large-scale operations. With the capacity of up to 150 pounds of buds per hour,
the Buckmaster features an infinite speed adjustment system so you can adapt to the different strains and density.
The Buckmaster requires no tools for setup and disassembly. It uses IP65-rated components so it can take a washdown without any problems. The great thing about the Buckmaster is its expandable capabilities.
The Smart Mod system on this bucker allows you to add another Buckmaster in tandem to double your bucking capacity. That is perfect if you can’t afford a bucker with a high capacity. But if your budget permits, go for the
Buckmaster Pro, which is the Buckmaster with its expanded capacity which bucks at a rate of 300+ pounds per hour.
Also Great
Mobius MBX Bucker
For those needing a large-scale bucker, the
Mobius MBX is your answer. The MBX can take on up to 150 pounds of buds with seven (7) feed holes of up to 0.5 inches in diameter. It works with both wet and dry buds and features variable pulling speed to adapt to your buds.
The nice thing about the MBX is that it gives you options after destemming. You can attach the optional chute to drop your buds into a bin or conveyor system.
Even making things sweeter is the disposal system of the MBX. The MBX features a stem chipper that chops the stems into more manageable sizes and is segregated in a tote. Because of chopped-up buds, you can put more in your waste tote while reducing the downtimes needed for disposal.
Also Great
Munch Machine Mother Bucker & Double Mother Bucker
The Munch Machine Mother Bucker is an industrial-grade bucker that can process up to 150 pounds of fresh cannabis. It features quiet bucking and variable speed control to help you adapt to the different strains you process in your facility.
The Mother Bucker also uses a forward and reverse operation to assist you in clearing the machine of any jams that may occur. A safety-kill switch is also on-board to keep your workers safe from harm. The Mother Bucker also uses food-grade stainless steel, and its body is powder-coated for easy cleanup.
Like other buckers, the Mother Bucker also has five (5) inserts with varying diameters to adapt to the different stem sizes of cannabis. If the features of the Mother Bucker get you but want to process more, you can opt to get the
Double Mother Bucker, which gives you twice the capacity in a tandem-setup of two (2) Mother Buckers. They say two heads are better than one as the Double Mother Bucker ups the
effective bucking rate up to 300lbs/hr of hydrated flowers and 76 lbs/her of dry material.
Worth Considering
VZ-TEC Easy Bucker VZ1000
The
VZ-Tec Easy Bucker VZ1000 is another industrial-sized bucker worth considering if you need a high-capacity machine. With two (2) single horsepower motors, the VZ1000 is capable of processing up to 1,000 pounds of buds in an hour. It also uses eight (8) FDA-approved poly brushes to help you produce consistent CBD or oil extracts.
The great thing about the VZ1000 is its flexible design, wherein you can tilt it up to 90 degrees for side-feeding and adjust its height up to 80 inches to adapt to the flow of your operations.
Worth Mentioning
Twister B4 Bucker
The
Twister B4 may not have fancy features like infinite speed but makes up with other powerful features. The B4 features the Twister’s Active Gearing, which significantly reduces incidents of jams during operation. With a capacity to process up to 150 pounds an hour of fresh cannabis, the B4 has a 10-speed controller to adapt to the different strains you process.
When it comes to safety, the B4 uses its trademark SafeFeed on the entry holes and has emergency kill switches within easy reach to prevent any injury. Twister also claims the B4 is a straightforward bucker, that is easy to operate and requires very minimal training to use.
Also Worth Mentioning
GreenBroz CannaGin 215
The
CannaGin 215 is the foray into GreenBroz, a boutique company in the United States. Compact in size, the Cannagin 215 has a processing speed of 4 – 6 pounds per hour. It features a custom speed system, which allows you to control the processing speed. The CannaGin 215 also saves the last setting you used, so in case you need to interrupt the machine, you can continue at your last settings.
The CannaGin 215 also features a five-hole entry point to process different diameters of stems. It also uses a stainless-steel shearing door that lets you apply pressure, depending on the strain, for full control of the destemming process. A forward/reverse to help you remove jams, and standby switch are also on-board in the CannaGin 215, letting you conserve power during idle times. The CannaGin 215 is also built-to-order and requires a lead time of 1 - 2 weeks.
Another Great Mention
Trimpro Bucker
The TrimPro Bucker is a tabletop solution designed for medium scale operations. With different feeds, the TrimPro can handle a variety of stem sizes of up to 0.75 inches. It completely removes branches from your buds at half the time it takes to manually de-stem them.
Which Bucker is Right For You?
That ultimately depends on your needs and size of your harvest. If you have a boutique-sized operation and place quality and having well-preserved & fully-intact flowers high on your priority, we recommend going with one of the Gentle Cut Bucking machines. However, if you need to process a large amount of material, there’s nothing that can buck more plants per hour than High Capacity bucking machines.
Whether you're processing cannabis or hemp, buckers and commercial bucking solutions have certainly come a long way whose aim is to provide a fast and easy way of separating the flowers from the stem of your plants to allow for fast and easy processing.
You won't go wrong with whichever bucking solution you choose from the list above. However, if you have any questions or want to learn more about other bucking solutions available, feel free to contact us and have a chat with our team.