ComposTumbler - any thoughts?

Hi Everybody! I'm a new subscriber to DG and this is my first post, but I've been reading your comments on composting and composters and thought I'd throw a question out there...

It looks as though a lot of you really like the Biostack composters, but has anyone had any experience with one of the ComposTumbler products from the company of the same name in Lancaster, PA? They have four different models, all of them pretty pricey, but if they're as easy and efficient as advertised they might be worth the money. "Finished Compost IN 14 DAYS" they say. 250,000 customers can't be wrong, right?!? I was wondering if some of those 250,000 customers might also be DG subscribers who could share their thoughts about these products.

Thanks in advance for any and all assistance. I look forward to being part of the DG community!

Hi jbruener:
Welcome to the DG community!
Here's a link to a DG thread on Compost Tumblers--not specifically on the CompostTumbler brand, but still relevant, I think. There're a lot of different opinions on tumblers: some folks love them and others do not.
What I've noticed about ALL commercial compost bins/tumblers is that compost happens. . . but not usually in 14 days.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/986364/

Hey, CCG.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. I'll definitely check that out, as well as some other links that I've since discovered on DG. With all this help I'm sure I'll be able to narrow down my choices.

Take care, and happy gardening!

jbreuner

hmmm. I'm pretty sure this one is a Compost Tumbler. looks like the photo, only not so much pretty.

my neighbor gave it to me. she had a new one. for the life of me, I can't figure out how she used it, as she's oriental and at least a head shorter than me. I"m having trouble using it. It's the one set up on a rack.

it was freee, it didn't come with any instructions for how to use it. but have seen enough commercials that we are putting select kitchen waste in there now. started it off full of weeds. read enough on here I eventually put in some dirt. can't shred anything - coarse stems and a few small sticks went in there.

think she may have given it to me because she got a new one and this one is looking old, rusty and worn out. or maybe she just got the new one that was closer to the ground.

turning it takes muscles.

it does rot things extra fast. it isn't free of insects and/or stinky smells. adding water, it does leak stinky water back out all over, so mostly I haven't. we've been adding weeds and stuff all summer, and still don't have much to show in the way of compost in there - but what's in there is turning into black soily stuff clump. you must need to turn it more than I do, because the load gets hard and clumpy, and that makes turning difficult, very hard for me to do.

what I haven't figured out yet how to tell when it's done? and how on earth do you get that stuff back out? this hole is too high to dig in with a shovel - it's at my eye level when I"m loading. the hole is square and a lot shorter than the tumbler, I guess when it's done it's supposed to pour out, but havent figured out how, seems like it would pour all over the place and then I'd have to scrape it all up. was hoping that part of the process was easier.

so we keep adding stuff. not even a quarter full now........am wondering if it works when it's fall and winter weather.

I just read where one person put a wheelbarrow under there tall composter and shook the composter to get it out. So when it's ready try that.

This message was edited Oct 23, 2009 10:50 AM

well, that makes some sense, as the darn thing sits high enough and the rack is wide enough to accommodate a wheelbarrow.

I'm going to stop adding to it this weekend and turn it every day. hopefully I can report back in the six to eight weeks they say in the ads on what I get out of it. we've been filling it since June with weeds and kitchen waste. it is empressive at how much it holds versus how much reduces everything gets. and it's definitely black stuff. I'll see if I can take a photo to upload here.

I got the middle size Compost tumbler two years ago. I love it because it works ( well, not that fast if you forget to crank it everyday!)
Mine was too low to the ground so I had to put it on cynderblocks to have clearance for the wheelbarrow, but otherwise my only regret is to have only one. I can never decide when to stop adding to it! Having two would solve the problem.

ROTHLMAO

ah me. yeah, mine is a compost tumbler. darned if I didn't notice last night in the rain that it's written on the ends in big letters.

I should try to find out how old this one is, because it's not in greatest shape. it's showing even more rust.

and yes, I have that problem too. We never stop adding. and no, it doesn't work well if you don't turn it. I'm going to fill it up this weekend, turn it every day, and not do anything with it for six weeks.

Is it six weeks, or eight weeks, it's supposed to make compost?

Yes Bonjon, it will, but it works best with chopped up materials if you don't like "lumpy" compost!

hmmm. not much way to "chop" that I know of. guess I could but banana peels and such through the food processor.

but what I'm really talking about is that it will form a solid lump if you don't turn it often. then when you try to turn it, it's near darn impossible for a little gal like me. Then that lump clumps down hard and just about bounced the cylinder off the frame!

I have never had that problem and I am little myself! I rarely add water to it unless I see it is very dry. Maybe the weight of the water makes it hard to turn, or maybe it is a little bit too full?

maybe that's it. I've refilled it all summer (but I've been under the weather, and that's not saying much.)

Thanks for the feedback. I was thinking of the Compact Composter (mid-size) so I'm glad to read that you like yours, Villiers. If I get one I'll just make sure I crank it everyday.

I had the large tumbler you are looking at. To get compost in 14 days, you have to fill it half way all at once and it has to be chopped, not banana peels or rinds, etc. It also has to be a balance of greens and browns. If you put stuff in gradually, it is like a normal compost heap and it takes much longer. I ended up giving mine to the man next door because I couldn't turn it when it was full. He keeps it by his trash cans and uses it like a traditional compost pile, putting kitchen scraps and paper in it each day, plus smaller amounts of yard waste as it comes available.

It was not useful in the fall when I had tons of leaves all at once, or if we bagged the grass when we mowed. One bag of grass clippings would be more than enough, so I still had to pile or brown bag the rest and save for later.

I have the lazy man's compost heap. I just keep layering stuff on top or dig a small hole if I'm putting in kitchen waste. In the spring, I plant right into it, or dig out buckets of it for using in other parts of the garden. I never turn it. It is my compost heap/vegetable garden.