Customer Reviews

Good Ideas 12-Cubic-Foot Compost Wizard

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

 

 

If you have a local Tractor Supply Company, the large 12 cubic foot roto composter sells for $159.99 plus tax. Much cheaper!!!

I received this product about two months ago and have been pleased with it. It required no assembly, which was very convenient. Open the box, cut the packing tape and it's ready. The vessel is about half full now and I find that I can turn it easily (5'3 average size woman). Friends who have conventional (non rotating or tumbling) composters are very impressed with the ease with which it turns. I have been filling it and turning it according to what I have read about building composts and it seems to be working fine. Just yesterday I opened the compost and was pleased to find that it was steaming and that it did not stink! My only minor criticism is that the lid can be a little difficult to position properly for closing. It's slightly annoying but I still recommend the product highly.

I bought this thing when Amazon offered it as a Gold Box deal. I am very pleased with this purchase.

It arrived a few days later and was easy to assemble: place mount on ground and drop barrel on top. That's all! The barrel is accessorized with rollers to help with the tumbling.

This thing looks so much better in the back yard than my tin garbage bin that I had been using as a composter, and the dogs have an impossible time tipping it over. This is a good thing for gardeners who live with raccoons and other compost-eating garden visitors. The barrel didn't even budge when we had a recent wind storm.

I placed compost in this barrel the day the barrel arrived. The stuff gets hot in the sun, even on cooler days, but when the compost is wet I have a hard time turning the barrel over. My husband said I have too much "soil" in it but the tumbler is not even half full. The indentions on the barrel are often hard to hold on to while trying to tumble this thing. I learned, however, that you don't need to turn this barrel completely over to turn the compost around inside.

I like this product and am glad I added it to my garden. The black container heats up fast, the compost stays warm and moist, it keeps the decomposing smells down and it looks attractive. One disadavantage is getting the stuff out when it's done!

Update 2/13/11: This tumbler is still going strong! No color fade, no tears, no dry rot. I have mastered the art of tumbling this heavy thing. It has yet to be knocked over by any of our dogs. I am glad I bought this. I wish I could afford a second one.

This product was just what I was looking for, unfortunately, once you fill it to the 1/2 way mark, per instructions, you are unable to turn the drum. There isn't a solid handle or grip to grab on to so you simply need to use Brute force and even that doesn't accomplish the job. My 22 year old, very strong son (has been into body building since he was 15) couldn't even get it turned. Very disappointed with this product.

The composter came to my house literally within one day. It fits perfect at the end of my driveway and is easy to turn. (there is NO set-up) It's been two weeks and possibly I started my decomposing at the wrong time or its just too soon but not much of anything has happened that I can tell. Keeping my fingers crossed.

After a great deal of research I purchased both the Jr. Wizard 7 cubic foot model Good Ideas 7-Cubic-Foot Compost Wizard Jr. [referred to as Jr. in my review] and the larger 12 cubic foot model [referred to as full sized FS in my review].

Here is my comparison of the two models.

Performance:
Both models make great compost. The design is extremely simple and both are holding up well. When fully loaded the drum rubs on the base a bit, but that doesn't bother me. If you aren't able to make good compost, you're doing something wrong -- wrong ratio of green to carbon, too dry, too wet. My first batch in the Jr. never heated up -- because I didn't have green material in it... my fault. I googled how to make compost, and making compost is now a snap.

GREAT Compost FAST:
I'm SHOCKED how fast I can make compost in both these models. Wow! It takes me about 3 weeks to make great compost with grass clippings and carbon material (shredded paper and leaves). Simply give it a couple of turns every day or two and add some water with a watering can (especially on the sides where the holes are) a couple times per week... and that's it.

I love the fact that I can roll them to their final destination before unloading the compost. My preferred transportation technique: tilt them on their ends, and use a cheapo dolly to cart the black gold to its new location. Easy.

Size Comparison:
I really like the larger size of the FS model. It doesn't take up too much space and the opening is larger and easier to get material in/out of. If you have a large area with lots of composting material, the volume difference between the models is noticeable. Unfortunately, there is a "BUT"

**The FS model is really difficult to turn when fully loaded**

I am a 46 year old male in fairly good shape. I can turn it fairly well, but it is tough. My 15 year old son can barely turn it, and I'm sure my wife could NOT. I have developed a technique that works for me. I pull up on the bottom of one side and push down on the other side. She turns pretty well when I do that. It get's easier once the material cooks down a bit, and gets lighter.

The Jr. model works perfectly and is much easier to turn. I'm confident most people 'fit' enough to do yard work can turn the Jr. But, it simply isn't as large as the FS model, and the opening is smaller. Getting the stuff in and out of the FS model is so much easier and enjoyable.

Which One Would I Choose?
If I could only have one, I would choose the FS model... only because it holds so much more stuff and the opening is heavenly large in comparison. If I was rich, I might opt for two Jr. instead of one FS because it is so much easier to turn.

BOTTOM LINE:
I love both these models and highly recommend them. If you have lots of compost material and think you can turn it, get the FS model. If you have smaller needs or have concerns about the difficulty of turning it, get the Jr. model. Either way, you will be happy.

For the current price of near $200 I was expecting something that would smoothly turn by itself when empty. You know what I mean, you could set it to spinning with a good effort. Not even close, this thing had a slight rub right out of the box and didn't really want to move without being moved. Since the organic matter I was adding was already started in a different failed composter - and slightly overwetted - it is somewhat difficult to turn. I have long arms and can do it, but my wife couldn't. It should get easier as the compost dries out, but unlike another reviewer, mine is staying quite moist for weeks without adding anything. Be aware if you turn it to the consistency of dirt that it will get quite heavy at the half full point. My roller wheels are actually tilted inwards from the weight, hopefully they will hold up to the task. I find that a good rock back and forth to get the momentum started helps, and the handles are fine after that until you get to where the lid is coming back around, as the little bumps on the lid are not really handles but have to be used as such. I generally give it a turn a day instead of several spins once a week since I am trying to dry it out some.

I bought this so we had somewhere to compost kitchen scraps which are wasted when you put them down the garbage disposal. The drum seems to be well built and holds quite a lot of material. As noted by someone else already, once it gets half full or so, it becomes fairly hard to turn. It would help if there were better hand-holds to help turn it, The way it is built, you can only turn it in one direction. I am 6'-2" and weigh 215 pounds. My wife is 5'-2" and cannot turn it when it is half full. I can turn it, but it takes some effort. But I think it makes a difference on what you have in the bin. I like to add a shovel-full of garden dirt as some of my brown material to get things moving. The dirt adds a lot of weight which makes it hard to turn. If you are using dead leaves and most kitchen waste, the material will not be as heavy and turning the tumbler will be a lot easier. There are wheels on the tumbler base that help to make the tumbler move around. This composter looks nice sitting next to the house by the back door. I had it on the deck for a while, but it is rather large and took up too much space when you have guests over who want to sit on the deck. Looks-wise, we had no problem with it sitting on the deck. It just takes up too much space there.

My suggestion to the maker would be to provide better hand-holds so you can grip the tumbler better for easier turning in either direction. Adding dirt to your compost makes it a lot harder to turn the drum. But lighter green kitchen waste and brown materials alike leaves and grass are no problem when it comes to turning the drum.

It's possible to get compost in as little as two weeks. The trick is in turning the materials, but that is the issue with this composter. With about a quarter of material it became extremely difficult to get any rolling. Once it got half full it will barely roll a couple of inches which won't allow for the materials to get mixed. So I've had to use a pitchfork and do some mixing by hand...
There are two indentations on it but the leverage they provide is virtually non-existent and also they could cause a limb to get trapped in between them and the base. Also note there is nothing inside that would help to mix the materials.

It's pretty solid so there won't be any issues with rodents and if one does not mind leaving the thing sitting for months, things eventually will decompose. I still see an issue when it comes time to empty it. One will have to get a shovel and take most of the contents out until it's possible to roll the opening towards the ground and to get the rest out more easily.

I'm pretty disappointed on this product. I only gave it an extra star because it seems it will keep mice/rats at bay.

these seemed to be a good idea at first. Got two and they are Horrible for composting. They keep humidity in thus making thee compost smell horrible. Although they say they have a 12 cubic feet capacity, YOU CAN NOT put anymore than a couple of cubic feet of product in it otherwise it will have too much and not become compost. Boy I wish I had my money back now! Terrible purchase!