Rolling Machines: Different Types And How To Use Them

Are you always leaving the rolling and packing to others, but still indulging in the smoke? Don’t sweat it—you’re not alone. Not everyone has mastered the tedious art of making joints or packing the perfect cone. Fortunately, there is a solution to this faux pas of joint etiquette: with a rolling machine, you can make cigarettes and cones that will come out great each and every time! Here is all you need to know about rolling machines.

HOW DO ROLLING MACHINES WORK?

Among the (many) advantages of using a rolling machine is that they make it easier for you to always roll a perfect cigarette or joint. It will also reduce the time you spend rolling or packing. This allows you to swiftly roll several joints in one sitting, making short-term weed storage a snap. To use a rolling machine, you simply load your herb into a certain location on or in the machine, and your papers in another. The exact way this is carried out will vary depending on the type of machine. Then, before you roll, you lick the adhesive of the paper.

1-2-3—you roll, and the machine spits out the perfect cigarette or cone for you. Easy, right?

TYPES OF ROLLING MACHINES

As mentioned, there are different types of rolling machines that vary in form, as well as in how they work. Try them out first if you can, so you can find out which type of roller works best for you!

• Thumb rollers

This is the classic type of manual rolling machine. You feed the roller with your herb or tobacco and some papers, and then use your thumb to roll it all up. These affordable rollers are available in various sizes. You can get them to make king size cigarettes, or can roll bigger joints with larger sized models. Just make sure that the paper you’re using for rolling is the right size for the machine.

• Injectors

Although often called “rolling machines”, injectors are technically not rollers. With these, you are not using papers, but empty cigarette tubes. You load in the tobacco, put an empty tube onto the machine, and then use a crank or handle to “stuff” the tube. You can control the hardness of your cigarette by how tight you stuff the tobacco into the machine.

• Cone fillers

Cone fillers are also injectors because you’re not really “rolling” anything. The difference to a normal cigarette tube injector is that these are designed to fill larger cones for special “herbs”. These types of cone fillers work with empty cones that you can find in smoke shops.

• Electric rollers

These work the same as injectors, except that they use a motor to load the tubes, rather than a handle or a crank. Their advantage is that they’re fast, so you could make lots of cigarettes in a short time, and without your arms getting sore.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF ROLLING MACHINES?

• Always a perfect cigarette: Since a rolling machine will take (most of) the work off your hands, it will always be easier than rolling with your hands alone. Once you get the hang of the machine, your cigarette will come out perfect, with just the right shape and smoothness. This makes rolling machines great for beginners.

• Helps avoid herb waste: Since there is a good chance that whatever you roll (whether it’s cannabis or tobacco) will be nice and consistent, this will help avoid needless herbal waste. A cigarette that you make with a roller will also burn smoother and more evenly. A poorly hand-rolled cigarette can burn more tobacco, even if you’re not hitting it.

• Helps you save papers: When you’re making joints or cigarettes by hand, papers can sometimes rip and tear. A rolling machine makes things easier, so you can also save on papers.

• You can choose what you smoke: Factory-made cigarettes are often made with preservatives and other chemicals. With a rolling machine, you can make cigarettes from the natural tobacco of your choice, so you won’t have to worry about any undesired substances.

• Helps avoid a mess: When you’re hand-rolling cigs or joints, it can make a big mess of tobacco or herb crumbs everywhere. A rolling machine keeps things cleaner.

• Affordable: Simple rolling machines can be sourced for just a few bucks. Compared to the cost of pre-made cigarette packs, you will save good money in the long-run.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER BEFORE YOU GET A ROLLING MACHINE

Before you go getting a rolling machine, you should consider these things:

• Type of rolling machine

What rolling machine you want will obviously depend on what you want to roll. Do you want to roll large cones for your herbal medicine, or do you need a rolling machine for normal-sized cigarettes? Do you want a roller that works with papers, or would you rather one that uses tubes or cones?

• Size of rolling machine

Most rollers that you can find in your tobacco store will likely be for standard king size papers or tubes. If you want to roll some massive spliffs, you will obviously want something bigger. Then again, a larger machine will likely cost a little more than a standard rolling machine.

• Build quality

The build quality of your rolling machine can also be a factor. Most will be made from plastic, and that’s fine for normal, everyday use. But you can also find rolling machines made from metal and other materials. If possible, go with a trusted brand so that your rolling machine lasts you a long time, no matter what materials it’s made of!

• Price

Lastly, we have the price to consider. A simple thumb roller or tube injector will not cost a lot, but if you want a fancy electric one, these can easily cost ten times as much. So if you’re on a tight budget, keep this in mind. Most of the time, unless you really need to make lots of cigarettes in a short time, you will likely not really need an electric rolling machine.

HOW TO USE A ROLLING MACHINE

1. Take your preferred herb or tobacco and the right size papers. If you’re using an injector, make sure you have the proper cigarette tubes or cones for it.

2. If you have never used the rolling machine before, go over the manual first. Look over your rolling machine so you can get an understanding of how it works.

3. Fill the rolling machine with your material. Make sure you don’t pack it too tight, but also not too loose. After some regular use, you should get the hang of how much tobacco or herb you need for each tube or cone. So don’t give up if your first ones don’t come out as you had hoped.

4. Before you close the roller, remove any large stems or loose tobacco from those areas where it doesn’t belong. If you’re using an injector, place a tube or cone onto the roller. Close the roller.

5. If you’re using a thumb roller, gently pre-roll the tobacco while leaving the roller closed. As you’re rolling with your thumb, you can feel the pressure on the roll, and you should see the tobacco getting slightly rolled in. Place your thumbs on the hinged roller and hold the machine with the palms of your hands.

6. Take a paper and check which side has the adhesive. Most rollers will require that you insert the opposite side into the closed roller, with the adhesive facing toward you. Slowly start to roll the paper into the roller. Only when the paper is almost all-the-way rolled in, lick the adhesive and then roll in the rest.

If you’re using an injector instead, slide the handle towards where the tube or cone is, or start cranking the handle. If it takes a lot of effort and doesn’t seem to work, it’s likely that you over-packed the machine. In this case, start over, using less material.

7. Open the rolling machine. If you used a thumb roller, there should be a nice cigarette right in front of you. If you used an injector, you can now remove the filled tube or cone from the machine.

SOME EXTRA TIPS FOR ROLLING

The more often you rotate when making a cigarette, the tighter it will be. Normally, you will only need to do one full rotation. If you’re using an injector and your cigarette is too tight, use less tobacco and try again. Do not forcefully stuff as much tobacco into the machine as you can. This may require some trial and error to perfect.

Can you roll cigarettes with a filter?

Yes, you can. With a classic rolling machine, you can just place a filter on one side into the machine and then just roll as mentioned above. Cigarette tubes for injectors will normally already have a filter.

THE BEST ROLLING MACHINES

Here are some of the best rolling machines that we recommend:

• Futurola King Size Roller

The Futurola King Size Roller is a handy and aesthetically pleasing roller for king size cigarettes. This practical roller is small, so you can take it with you wherever you go. It comes in several cool colours.

Futurola King Size Joint Roller

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• RAW Cone Filler

The RAW Cone Filler is just the right thing so you can always make perfect-looking joints! It works a lot faster than manually rolling, and you don’t need to mess around packing your cones with a straw. This handy injector-type machine works with premade empty cones that you can get from many places, including RAW.

RAW Cone Filler King Size

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• Cone Roller Elements

The Elements Cone Roller is simple and affordable, but gets the job done. With just a little practice, you will always make perfect cones with the rolling papers of your choice.

Cone Roller RAW

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• Raw Automatic Roll Box

The RAW Automatic Roll Box is guaranteed to give you perfect joints time and time again. Load in your paper, filter, and favourite strain, lick, then simply press the box down, and you'll see a nicely rolled joint fall out of the base. All you need to do is light it up and enjoy—simplicity just when you need it most.

RAW Automatic Roll Box

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Adam Parsons

Professional cannabis journalist, copywriter, and author Adam Parsons is a long-time staff member of Zamnesia. Tasked with covering a wide range of topics from CBD to psychedelics and everything in between, Adam creates blog posts, guides, and explores an ever-growing range of products.

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