Customer Reviews

ComposTumbler 02001 Compact 12-Cubic-Foot Galvanized Metal Compost Bin

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I bought this particular model of composter because of a previous review that called it the "cadillac" of composters. It is nice and big and I have not used it for long but the handle seems to be the best part of the design. I do not particularly like the way that the door comes off and on because I have to hook one side, bend the metal door around the curve and then double latch. There is a slightly annoying tendency to unhook before it gets latched.
I just bought another composter that has a similar design but is made of plastic and without a handle to crank it around. Plastic seems like it will be more durable because it is less likely to rust.
Overall, a nice product but perhaps not worth the extra cost over competing models.

It is working just as it is supposed to! Major amounts of manure and animal cleanup - it is handling this gold from chickens, turkeys, goats & mostly rabbits just wonderful. Very easy for this short person to load, unload and tumble daily.

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 of those things that has every tool you need in the box. Well worth the effort. I could likely assemble a second one in half the time. This first one took me most of the afternoon and most of a six pack.

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. I would recommend this composter to everyone interested in composting. The one criticism I have is the door. Although functional, it is cumbersome and tough to open without removing the door. I believe a minor redesign of the door hinges would greatly improve the composter.

Our shipment did not have the assembly directions included. It was initially frustrating, for the assembly is somewhat complex. However, the staff responded quickly and got us the necessary instructions. They followed up several times to make sure we were pleased. I'd buy from them again, for any item. Good job!

I have owned this product for many years (it was a gift to us in 1998), and it DOES make nice, easy compost. However, a while ago, the latches that hold the door in place started to rust and fail. Recently, they broke completely. While the rest of the CCT works just fine, I now need to replace the latches, which obviously were the weak link in this item. I contacted the company, and rather than simply stick 2 latches in the mail to me, told me that the product was out of warrantee, and that I could purchase the latches from them if I wished. They then mailed me a photocopy of the parts list. The latches are only $2.75 each, but they charge $6.00 S&H on all orders under $15.00!

It ticks me off when a company is too cheap to send out a couple of $2.00 latches (which most likely cost them less than a dollar for 2) to get their product working again, even if it IS out of warrantee. Since the rest of the product still works and looks in very good shape, obviously the cheap latches are the weak link.

I'm going to just go over to Home Depot and pick up a couple of latches.

A company that cares about their customers provides fixes such as this without charge and with an attitude that says that they want your product to work because they are PROUD of that product. A company that takes up your time and then charges you $12 to fix something that minor doesn't care about their products or their customers and is more concerned with saving a buck (literally) than with standing behind their products.

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. In order to open the door, it must be removed completely, then replaced. Replacing the door is not an easy task, because latches must be placed directly into catches while simultaneously re-curving the door to the round shape of the unit. My wife refuses to do it, because it is too difficult for her, and she does not feel as though she should have to spend so much time just closing a door.

Attention to a little detail would drastically improve usability of this unit.