# Paying Trim Help?



## widespreadlovin (Aug 2, 2012)

Hey, all! I'm not sure this is the appropriate place to post this, but I didn't see anyplace better. I have a good buddy who helps me trim. He is really good and very meticulous, but sooooooo slooooowww. After several rounds of wanting to pull my hair out, I have decided that the answer to my problem is paying him by weight rather than hourly. That way, he can talk as much as he wants, take as many smoke breaks as he wants, etc, and I won't be so incredibly frustrated as I trim three times more quickly than he does. So, my question is, does anyone know the going rate for trimming indoor by weight? I imagine it is more than trimming outdoor, since the buds are generally smaller and more time intensive. But I'm kind of at a loss. I want it to be fair and equitable for us both, obviously. 

Any ideas? You folks have never led me astray before... 

Thanks!

(Oh, and for anyone who might care: I am a registered Colorado caregiver.)


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## 7greeneyes (Aug 2, 2012)

well if you're really stumped go by your state's hourly minimum wage or pay him in smoke or just get rid of him(as a worker not a friend obviously...  ) and find someone faster and less loquacious.

eace:


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## Jericho (Aug 2, 2012)

I would work out what the average weight is per hour that you would expect someone to do. Then pay him on that rate. 

If he is getting paid for it then simply put him to the test and see how much he can do in one hour of no talking or breaks. Use that as a baseline. 

If your paying him its suppose to be hard work. Don't go too easy on him just because he a friend.


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## oldsman (Aug 2, 2012)

Where do I apply?lol


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## The Silver Bullet Special (Aug 2, 2012)

A guy I know pays his trimmer a zip or two(if he gets it done faster) for every half pound he trims.


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## widespreadlovin (Aug 2, 2012)

Well, things look really, really nice when he done with it, and my patients are always stoked, so I want to keep him on board. This one has got me stumped, though. I like the idea of using an hour of work as the baseline. Probably what I should do is measure how much *I* can do in an hour and make the calculation based on his hourly pay. That might light a fire under his ***, too, because I am one fast girl! (While trimming! Get your minds out of the gutter...) 

Anyway, thanks for your thoughts. Please let me know if you have any others. Have a great night!


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## Rosebud (Aug 3, 2012)

At my house it is food and all you can smoke and then they go home with a present. Maybe I am cheap but it is always fun.


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## The Silver Bullet Special (Aug 3, 2012)

Remember widespread you cant rush perfection. Lol but I would pay him on the weight that you can cut in an hour, and just pay by the weight he cut total. If that makes sense lol. Like if you can cut an oz per hour and it takes him 2 hrs to cut an ounce just pay him for that one ounce cuz thats what you can do in an hour. This might be your idea now I just didnt interpret it right.


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## tastyness (Aug 3, 2012)

Trim help sounds great- but it breaks my first and only rule. 
Tell no one!
You all have a different scenario where legal is an option  and it is just another business expense. 
It might be worth it to ask him what he thinks he should earn/ or how he would like to be compensated.  I've always been a fan of the bonus system.. here is the minimum (time/money) - and everything over and above that gets a bonus of some sort.  
Keep us posted on how it turns out.


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## orangesunshine (Aug 3, 2012)

i have seen food, drink, and $200/lb.or $10/hr for the slow pokes---since this is your friend---you might be able to make it into a friendly competition of sort---bonus of a nice home cooked meal or whatever else may motivate him when he is done if he can do x amount in a day---competition of sorts woks nicely if there are more than 1 person trimming


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## Roddy (Aug 3, 2012)

I must really be cheap, it's only all the smoke, coffee, hash and conversation one can handle during the trim!


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## orangesunshine (Aug 3, 2012)

Roddy said:
			
		

> I must really be cheap, it's only all the smoke, coffee, hash and conversation one can handle during the trim!




that's funny---you must have some real lightweight smokers---i thought i was cheap---you must have some real conversationalists at your table roddy---drives me around the bend hearing the same stoned conversation over and over and over and over---especially when they are too stoned to enunciate---there has been a key word introduced to politely tell whomever that they already told that story and the table is tired of hearing it---so when some stoner starts to ramble with that same story they told already just minutes before someone says "rambler"---nice way to say hey knucklehead if you can't say something new---shut the f-up


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## Roddy (Aug 3, 2012)

Not lightweights, we put the joints and hash to the fire often! The convo usually turns to our trip plans and family lives, we're old friends and neighbors who do alot together....


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## orangesunshine (Aug 3, 2012)

Roddy said:
			
		

> Not lightweights, we put the joints and hash to the fire often! The convo usually turns to our trip plans and family lives, we're old friends and neighbors who do alot together....




sounds more of a social gathering than work and surely much different chatter on many levels from the 20somethings at the table i speak of---who would smoke more than they trim if given the opportunity  

maybe you are cheap then lol


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## NorCalHal (Aug 3, 2012)

I pay for all my trimming and deleafing.

For me, I like to cut the plant and take all the sunleaves off, and cut the plant into individual branches to let dry.

For this, I pay $20 an hour with food,drinks and smoke included. I have a great worker who leads the charge and sets the pace, so there is no chance to slack. If someone does slack, believe the rest of the crew will tease them until they step it up or leave.

Once the herb is fairly dry, I start the final trim on it. I pay by weight, so I pay out $150 a lb. All the Food,Drinks and smoke included also.
My job is to inspect the lb's after trimming. All my folks know what I want, so there is never an issue.

I have went thru many folks by paying for trimming by the hour, and it sucks. You HAVE to pay by weight or peoples feelers get hurt.Work at your own pace.
It is great on Payday for them, as they soon see who is the worker and who is the talker. But they have noone to blame but themselves.

The Above is trimming Indoor. Most outdoor growers, and my outdoor trims, pay a straigh $200 a lb, as outdoor is much harder to trim then indoor.


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## Roddy (Aug 3, 2012)

orangesunshine said:
			
		

> sounds more of a social gathering than work and surely much different chatter on many levels from the 20somethings at the table i speak of---who would smoke more than they trim if given the opportunity
> 
> maybe you are cheap then lol



Yeah, we have fun doing it, our trim time is usually around 2-4 hours depending on size of plant and amount of help...and how many we smoke before we start! :48: Now, if we had more than one plant at a time, it would undoubtedly be different!

I never fear we're gonna smoke too much, the guys would fall out before that could happen. :stoned: :stoned:


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## Ruffy (Aug 3, 2012)

its called piece work!, id say if you trim 3 oz a hr then make him do 3-4 oz a hr, then pay him lower for a trim or two, then  say bro your doing good, ill step up your pay by??? 50$ lol no friends in trimin, this is a business!!! & give him a 1/4 weed every pound or 2 & thatll keep him coming bac, you get stuff done @ a good cost & he gets paid & has weed, hes soooo winning, dont give him too much!!!


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## 4u2sm0ke (Aug 4, 2012)

cuzzz....I trim alone....yeah yeah...with nobody else....And Im very slooooow


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## 4u2sm0ke (Aug 4, 2012)

> as outdoor is much harder to trim then indoor.





By this ...you meen because they Bigger?....I have the same strain outback as I ran inside..other than maybe 20 times Bigger


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## orangesunshine (Aug 4, 2012)

4u2sm0ke said:
			
		

> cuzzz....I trim alone....yeah yeah...with nobody else....And Im very slooooow






:spit: :rofl: one baby bud, one big bud, and one bomber


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## Ruffy (Aug 4, 2012)

i also trim alone 5-7 plants in a few days if not over night all high


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## canon (Aug 13, 2012)

Flat rate. 1/4 oz, 1 gram killer BHO, $80, (pick one) per plant. Small / large, don't matter. It'll balance out.
As to their quality of trim,, they need to justify a re-call. 
I do lot of "extracts". that could call for a send even third trim. I do all that but the finals myself. They still only trim once.

I also remove my fans a few days before harvest so I guess it would make it easier on them too.

After all these years,,,, I really, really hate trimming. But often find myself doing a final grooming.


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