- Inside mixing fins help break up large pieces of compost
- Holds 9.5 bushels, or about 90 gallons of compost material
- Aerator/drainage unit on the door of the composter makes sure your compost gets the proper amount of oxygen
- 5 year manufacturer warranty
- Screened end cap vents prevents compost from spilling out
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Product Description
This composter is perfect for someone who only needs a moderate amount of compost. The Compact ComposTumbler is 43 inches high x 42 inches wide x 33 inches deep and stands 12 inches off the ground. It holds 9.5 bushels, or about 90 gallons of compost material, and inside mixing fins help break up large pieces of compost. The combination of an aerator/drainage port on the door of the composter and screened end cap vents makes sure your compost gets the proper amount of oxygen while preventing compost from spilling out. 5 year manufacturer warranty.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
43 of 44 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
Well, I'm on my 2nd batch of compost now. Adjusted the recipe a little bit for this one (more saw dust - less newspaper)
Pros: The tumbler blends into your yard. It really does work that fast. I had a 20 degree change in the core temperature from yesterday to today. In less than 2 weeks I had compost that I put on my garden and I also got alot of compost tea to use. It's easy to spin the tumbler.
Cons: It's not so bad when you're filling the tumbler (you have to FILL it to get it to work within 2 weeks) but when it's time to get it out it's a bit of a pain. the height is not good for dumping so you have to use a shovel. next time we're going to try dumping into a concrete mixing tray.
the tomatoes and peppers and zucchini were very happy. i think i hit the spagetti squash with too much tea though. i dont think i diluted it enough
this item is expensive but if you're serious about composting it really does the job. easy to assemble. (more plastic than i was expecting but it seems like it will last if you take care of it)
UPDATE: July 2011. I've had my tumbler for a few years now. It is holding up very well. In the beginning I would hose it out after every batch. Now, not so much. This means the inside isn't new looking any more but the device is staying together and not rusting out. I've never had to do any repairs.
Some things I wish I knew when I got started:
1. Nothing i've ever done to my garden has had as high a payback as using compost. I wish I had started earlier.
2. It seems to be all about the leaves (Mow/Shred Them First!) and the spring grass. In the fall we put mowed leaves in the tumbler and store them there all winter (zone 6). We add kitchen scraps, but in the winter there are not as many. Mostly making sure to always put at least the coffee grounds, egg shells and banana peels (holy trinity of compost). In the spring when you mow the first few times (no chemicals!) that's the highest in nitrogen and your compost cooks quick.
3. I recently bought a norpro compost keeper and filters with bags to use in the kitchen. The keeper on Amazon is $32.50 right now. I only need to empty it once a week. This has made life soooo much easier. When we first got the tumbler we would save scraps in a 5 gallon bucket (outside) along with grass and newspaper, sawdust or leaves to make sure we had a full tumbler full at one time. Having a full tumbler all at once does give you compost faster. However a 5 gallon bucket of kitchen scraps is stinky and awful to lift and get into the tumbler. I do not do that any more. I just relax and let the tumbler fill up slowly. If I need it to kick start and heat up I just add some dried blood and that works fine. My partner makes homemade beer and adding the mash waste to my tumbler works really well also.
4. Using a cement mixing tray to empty the compost into works really well.
5. Dont put hot compost onto plants. They dont like it.
6. Making compost tea takes alot of trial and error. Different plants react differently. Compost gook that leaks out of the tumbler and gets mixed with water isnt necessarily what experts are talking about when they say compost tea. Something to do with science. All I know is that I stopped trying after a disaster attempting to use pantyhose as a 'tea' bag in a bucket. Not pretty.
7. Besides using the tumbler, I also always start a second batch on the ground. No kitchen scraps. Hay, leaves, dehydrated manure, grass, couple shovels of regular dirt. Layered. Sometimes I water it. Mostly I dont. Sometimes I turn it. Mostly I dont. It turns out great.
Pros: The tumbler blends into your yard. It really does work that fast. I had a 20 degree change in the core temperature from yesterday to today. In less than 2 weeks I had compost that I put on my garden and I also got alot of compost tea to use. It's easy to spin the tumbler.
Cons: It's not so bad when you're filling the tumbler (you have to FILL it to get it to work within 2 weeks) but when it's time to get it out it's a bit of a pain. the height is not good for dumping so you have to use a shovel. next time we're going to try dumping into a concrete mixing tray.
the tomatoes and peppers and zucchini were very happy. i think i hit the spagetti squash with too much tea though. i dont think i diluted it enough
this item is expensive but if you're serious about composting it really does the job. easy to assemble. (more plastic than i was expecting but it seems like it will last if you take care of it)
UPDATE: July 2011. I've had my tumbler for a few years now. It is holding up very well. In the beginning I would hose it out after every batch. Now, not so much. This means the inside isn't new looking any more but the device is staying together and not rusting out. I've never had to do any repairs.
Some things I wish I knew when I got started:
1. Nothing i've ever done to my garden has had as high a payback as using compost. I wish I had started earlier.
2. It seems to be all about the leaves (Mow/Shred Them First!) and the spring grass. In the fall we put mowed leaves in the tumbler and store them there all winter (zone 6). We add kitchen scraps, but in the winter there are not as many. Mostly making sure to always put at least the coffee grounds, egg shells and banana peels (holy trinity of compost). In the spring when you mow the first few times (no chemicals!) that's the highest in nitrogen and your compost cooks quick.
3. I recently bought a norpro compost keeper and filters with bags to use in the kitchen. The keeper on Amazon is $32.50 right now. I only need to empty it once a week. This has made life soooo much easier. When we first got the tumbler we would save scraps in a 5 gallon bucket (outside) along with grass and newspaper, sawdust or leaves to make sure we had a full tumbler full at one time. Having a full tumbler all at once does give you compost faster. However a 5 gallon bucket of kitchen scraps is stinky and awful to lift and get into the tumbler. I do not do that any more. I just relax and let the tumbler fill up slowly. If I need it to kick start and heat up I just add some dried blood and that works fine. My partner makes homemade beer and adding the mash waste to my tumbler works really well also.
4. Using a cement mixing tray to empty the compost into works really well.
5. Dont put hot compost onto plants. They dont like it.
6. Making compost tea takes alot of trial and error. Different plants react differently. Compost gook that leaks out of the tumbler and gets mixed with water isnt necessarily what experts are talking about when they say compost tea. Something to do with science. All I know is that I stopped trying after a disaster attempting to use pantyhose as a 'tea' bag in a bucket. Not pretty.
7. Besides using the tumbler, I also always start a second batch on the ground. No kitchen scraps. Hay, leaves, dehydrated manure, grass, couple shovels of regular dirt. Layered. Sometimes I water it. Mostly I dont. Sometimes I turn it. Mostly I dont. It turns out great.
34 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
I am with out a doubt it is a good product. It is easy to load, turn and unload. It is also easy to move around the yard if you want to move it, full or empty by tilting the composter over on to the drum and rolling it to the new position. If it is full you will need to eat your Wheaties before attempting this maneuver. Just don't try this except on smooth ground or you will dent the shell.
Fourteen day batches? Not a chance if you need to add material to the composter in the middle of the cycle. Adding fresh material starts the clock over because the new material needs to be broken down. The bottom line is that 14 day batches to make compost are not normally practical be cause yard waste doesn't meekly wait for 14 days before it needs to be taken care of. If you want 14 day batches; buy two machines or one machine with two compartments.
If I had one wish it would be for a split compartment on this size composter so that two batches of compost can be run at the same time. Having two compartments allows for two compost cycles; one that is starting and one that is finishing. With a drum of this size that is not practical because the door would be too small for loading and unloading.
My only beef with this product is the time it takes to assemble. Some parts of the assembly are difficult for one person to handle which extends the assembly time. The assembly directions are fair and would be better it they contained perspective drawings to high light important details of the assembly process. Pictures are nice sometimes but a lot of detail can be lost in the shadows.
One last observation; follow the composting instructions and turn the drum daily. Failure to do so will make your neighbors unhappy if the composting greens go rotten.
Fourteen day batches? Not a chance if you need to add material to the composter in the middle of the cycle. Adding fresh material starts the clock over because the new material needs to be broken down. The bottom line is that 14 day batches to make compost are not normally practical be cause yard waste doesn't meekly wait for 14 days before it needs to be taken care of. If you want 14 day batches; buy two machines or one machine with two compartments.
If I had one wish it would be for a split compartment on this size composter so that two batches of compost can be run at the same time. Having two compartments allows for two compost cycles; one that is starting and one that is finishing. With a drum of this size that is not practical because the door would be too small for loading and unloading.
My only beef with this product is the time it takes to assemble. Some parts of the assembly are difficult for one person to handle which extends the assembly time. The assembly directions are fair and would be better it they contained perspective drawings to high light important details of the assembly process. Pictures are nice sometimes but a lot of detail can be lost in the shadows.
One last observation; follow the composting instructions and turn the drum daily. Failure to do so will make your neighbors unhappy if the composting greens go rotten.
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful
I bought this almost 2 years ago and have already had to replace one of the metal sides as a hole rusted right through it with in one year. I do not think this product is worth the amount that is charged. I would look for something made all of compost plastic as metal is a poor choice. There are other products that charge a lot less that I would consider also.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Expensive. Inconvenient Delivery. Buyer's remorse
Pros: It's big. It CONSUMES compostable matter. Compost cooks up fairly quickly (our experience over the course of one year's ownership is average three weeks). Read more
Published 8 months ago by dme8
Takes two to tango
Excellent product; a little early to judge performance, but composting process is underway. Assembly is straight forward but a bit complicated. A number of steps require 2 people. Read more
Published 11 months ago by gil
Compost Tumbler
Great Product, fast shipment, exactly the way I expected, very useful, easy to assemble. Great price for the quality. Recommend to buy.
Published 16 months ago by Marilyn
Compost tumbler
Great product. It takes a little while to assemble, but the final product is worth the effort. You better have a few tools , a variety of wrenches and screw drivers, it is not one... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Alan Greene
nice compos-tumbler
came on time, and no damage. assembly would be tough for just one person. stand could use 1 or 2 more cross-braces. Read more
Published 23 months ago by gtoolmaker
ComposTumbler 02001
I find this product to be well designed and the components to be of good quality. Assembly was straight forward and easy to accomplish. The unit composts well and quickly. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Gregory D. Fyfe
compostumbler 02001
Putting it together was no problem if you follow the directions. It did take some time.
We now have it on the northside of our property and are thinking of moving it to... Read more
We now have it on the northside of our property and are thinking of moving it to... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Beverly Mckinzie
expensive handle
I bought this particular model of composter because of a previous review that called it the "cadillac" of composters. Read more
Published on February 19, 2010 by Mark Mutschler
Great customer service
Our shipment did not have the assembly directions included. It was initially frustrating, for the assembly is somewhat complex. Read more
Published on February 1, 2010 by JD Salinger
Compact ComposTumbler: A good idea needs some help
The Compact ComposTumbler is generally a good design for use on a deck, especially with the heavy duty crack to rotate the drum. Unfortunately, the door design is lacking. Read more
Published on November 27, 2009 by William R. Hier
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