Couple days ago I chopped 4 plants. 3 MAC1 and a GMO. About a year ago I bought a Risentech manual bowl trimmer. Wasn’t really cheap either, first time I used it not that impressed but it worked somewhat but I still had to go back and hand trim a lot of it. Set it on a shelf and last couple grows did it all by hand, and this time I decided to get it out and look a little closer at it since I spent the money. I took out the two shims under the blade between the blade and rack and shimmed the actual blade on one side and it’s a much closer cut. I now can hear the blade slightly rubbing in a couple small areas as it turns on the rack. This time which is only the second time using it had MUCH better results and saved time. While it’s a pain to clean off for me I’d rather clean it than spend time hand trimming and overall it was quicker and less aggravating than hand trimming. For me spending time to tweak the fitment and alignment of the blade to the cutting surface made a big difference. Trying to add a pic of final product but will have to do it later.
Is this the one you got?
https://risentek.com/collections/most-popular/products/risentek-bud-leaf-trimmer-machine-model-x1
If so, I’ve never seen that one before. It’s shaped differently than all the other bowl trimmers I’ve seen, but it looks to be very high quality.
That same company has an electric one that’s only $330 more. Also looks to be high quality, but I’ve also never seen it!
Yes that looks like it.
It’s well made for the most part and heavy. I only grow 4 plants at a time but I hate the trim so bad in a moment of being pissed off just bought it. Now it’s tweaked a bit it’s worth it to me.
Your trim job looks good, @Jasper. Looks like you did get it dialed in nicely.
I just watched this video (below) giving a real world review of that Risentek electric trimmer, and I’m impressed! There’s also a coupon code available on that video if purchased directly from Risentek - so it brings the price down to $602.60US from.
If I think about how much time I spend hand trimming 2 or 3 pounds per harvest, this thing might actually be the best bang for my buck to get a quality trimmer without breaking the bank.
Here’s the video (you’ll have to sign in for age verification)
I harvest only 4 plants at a time like I said but like most of us I have rooting cuts ready to go back in tent soon a these are ready to jar so I get at least 3 harvests a year depending on strains. This grow went 77 days from flip. Good luck if you pull the trigger. I don’t need the electric version but it would be nice to sip a beer while trimming 
Edit to add. I just got home and watched the vid. I have seen a couple other older youtube or somewhere about this trimmer. Disclaimer is I WET trim so I have no idea how the dry trim turns out but it looks nice per the vid. As far as cleaning since I live in a non friendly state when I chop and the whole house smells to high heaven I get it done and back in the closet to dry and then clean so I can open the house up. That means the trimmer has to be cleaned to kill the smell and I use soap and water with some bleach avoiding getting the gearbox/bearing wet. Watching the vid if your going to wet trim the blade is held by the brass center and is where I use very thin paper as in post it note thickness on one side to shim to get the blades even. Plus as I said removing the two shim washers under the brass blade holder and the rack. Kind of a trial and error thing on my end. My goal was to get the blade as close as possible to the rack underside. My pic of MAC1 buds is a bowl of some as they came out of trimmer. My wet weight was about 800 gr total after trim so not near what you and others produce but I dont care cause I hate the trimming. I feel bad for personal growers who have even more. I have considered making my own drive or finding a easy way to use a hand battery drill/driver to not have to crank but honestly its easy to crank and I would doubt worth the extra cost to upgrade. IMO. Good luck.
I know its slightly off topic, but its not too far off, so apologies.
Anyone else ever fall asleep during trim?
Its happened me on a number of occasions to be honest. 
Lmfao…cant say I’ve done that but I have smoked so much that I’d swear I just time warped through a plant.
So glad to see every one else’s pictures here! I thought I was wrong with mine not being so perfectly rounded also, but now they look pretty normal! Great thread!
I bought a lightly used TrimPro Unplugged but like to trim fresh off the plant and it doesn’t work well with that. Tends to paste the little sugar leaves to the buds so there’s a lot of work getting them off. I tried it with drier buds and it works pretty good so want to try an experiment.
Drill a bunch of holes in a 2x4 and stand the branches upright to dry as slow as possible so the leaves don’t fold down over the buds like they do hanging the usual way. Once the outer surface of the buds are dry enough with all those leaves sticking out it should work like a hot damn.
Hanging upright is intriguing. It sounds so simple but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it done. It would kind of make sense if the moisture leaves towards the bottom but I’m not sure that’s how it works. I would think it just evaporates off from all sides which would mean upside down/rightside up/sideways shouldn’t matter. If I’m incorrect I’m definitely interested in knowing it and the mechanics behind it.
No, all the THC will drain out then 
Seriously though, I’ve thought of it, but you will still have to “hang” it, from the top instead of the bottom. Once the plant is cut, it no longer regulates water / rigidity. No water in the cells, the plant will droop (just as if you forgot to water a live plant), I thought of taking a board, putting some long 3" finishing nails thru it, and stabbing the stems to make them stay upright. But when I did a test branch, within hours its drooping and bent over. I’m thinking small lasso of fishing line, cinched around the main cola, then hung up like that so its easy to remove the line, but holds it in an upright position…
But I’ll leave that to you guys to experiment with,. Grabbing this baby has pushed me towards the rack drying method now:
Some complain that bowl trimmers are too rough on the buds, some say the trim isn’t tight enough. Personally, I’m not concerned. Looked at the trichs before and after under my USB microscope, and it still looks like a trichome jungle. Any that are knocked off fall below and will still be used to make edibles.
I only did a quick buck of the fan leaves and bigger leaves I could see the stem… Took down the purple ladies in under an hour… Saved me a TON of time.
My ONLY complaint? Amazon sends in the manufacturers box (its a bit big), instead of in an Amazon box… On the side of the box, in giant 2" letters is “16” Bud / Flower Bowl Trimmer". I am glad I snagged it off the porch as soon as it was delivered, don’t need the neighbors wondering, I mean, you can clearly read it from the road! My other thought was "God I hope the Amazon driver is clueless, don’t need him thinking “well, this guy needs a trimming machine he has so much, I think I’ll return with some friends later” So be forwarned, it ships in packaging that clearly shows whats inside. Only way to be more blatant would be put a giant pot leaf on the side as well…
That fact that some people rack dry rather than hang was one of the reasons I can’t imagine upside down or right side up making a difference. Good point about the drooping and having to hang them regardless.
Maybe I’ll hang them upright and put a bucket under to catch all the thc running out 
Aerosolized THC is the latest craze hitting dispensaries. It’s just an empty spray bottle.
In theory, if you could make them stand up long enough to dry (cannaviagra?) it would make it easier to remove the fan leaves and larger sugars, but even then they still curl inward as they dry.
Oh, the bowl trimmer DID come with these snips for the fan leaves. ABSO-F’ING-LUTETLY love these snips now!!! So easy, and precise, but not for bigger stems. Just getting rid of the bigger fans that you dont want to end up in the trim bin.
When I was doing a little research for one of the previously mentioned trimmers (Risentek XLE), I found a very helpful video on YouTube that showed that trimmer in action in a commercial environment. In the video, they explained how they prep the buds for the trimmer. After drying for a week or 2 (I forget) at 60% RH, they then do an extra few hours at a super low RH to make all the outer material crispy and easy for the trimmer to remove. I think this could also help you prep it for your bowl trimmer because they’re basically the same design.
I posted this video already, but if you haven’t seen it, watch this clip…and look at how those buds turn out. I was impressed; maybe you will be too…
Now that makes a LOT of sense… I didnt have the issue of fans getting pasted to the buds, I pulled all the larger ones, smaller did get cut… But I can absolutely see how a slightly more crispy outer layer would facilitate a nicer, neater trim. Probably be gentler on the trichomes too, compared to drying the whole bud to that crispy level.
(making notes for the next time I use the trimmer)…
I swear I feel like Mr. Wizard over here with all these ideas and experiments.
Been looking for a pair of snips like this!!
I believe earlys garden centre sells that style of trim scissors pretty sure that’s where I got mine.
Search japanese bonsai trimmer or scissors on Amazon, you’ll find em easier.
Those look similar to something someone else posted recently and I believe whoever it was said they loved them.