ComposTumbler...who has used it and is it worth the money?

I have read about the ComposTumbler for years, but when I turned in a request for the price list it was quite expensive. Who has used it and is it good as advertised? Just a few turns a day, and rich, dark compost in 14 days...this is their claim. Are they right?

http://www.compostumbler.com

I saw one at Lowe's this past weekend.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_323738-50741-TCB68004PK_4294865761_4294937087?productId=3127015&pl=1¤tURL=/pl_Miscellaneous%2BGarden%2BProducts_4294865761_4294937087_

I think they would work just fine. It just makes mixing up the compost easier.

Try browsing through here for comparisons: http://davesgarden.com/tools/tags/tag.php?tag=compost%20bin%20comparison

Thanks, PuddlePirate....I did view that page already. I am looking for more up-to-date comments on those who have tried it, and maybe have not posted their comments on that page. We must have more people in DG that have used this product.

Thanks, PamelaQ...I am looking for those who have actually used it, and their experiences with it.


Evelyn

PamelaQ....I followed your link and that is for a different kind of "tumbling composter", made by the Suncast company. I am inquiring about the specific ComposTumbler. http://www.compostumbler.com
If you follow this link, you will see the difference. Thanks!

Evelyn

I was going to get one from Gardener's Supply cataloge but read some of their customer reviews & read that the tumbler type is hard to move around as it gets fuller.
I am going to get one that is a tiered type & they have a new one that won't crack in heat or cold weather... which is important for me here in Texas (heat).

the web page for them is www.gardeners.com

I bought a CompostTumbler several years ago. It cracked apart in our heat after about 10 years. Soooo I built my own and you can too. Go to youtube.com there are several iterations of a compost tumbler you can make for near nothing. In fact you could make a whole yard full of them for what I paid for that CompostTumbler.

I've had one for years. It works great, if you pay attention to it; gotta keep on with the tumbling. One problem I had early on was that the contents tended to form hard balls that wouldn't break up easily. Possibly I had too much nitrogenous ingredients, vs carboniferous. Ie, grass vs leaves. Or it was too wet. The rolling motion made it roll into the balls. Mine's really old now, but within the first few years, the plastic ends cracked (in North Dakota/Minnesota weather). We put a metal band all the way around them, to keep them together.

I've found more recently however that I have so much stuff to compost that it's easier for me to just make a pile and leave it to cook itself. I don't even bother with turning it; in the summer I hardly have enough time even to water the garden! I just leave it for two or three years, then come back and use it. I have enough wooded property that this is practical for me, where it wouldn't be for everybody. It might not be the Best Compost, it might not be the blackest, but the worms like it the way it is and the plants do just fine.

In ND, it took longer to make the compost than "two weeks." More like eight, maybe because our summers weren't all that hot. It takes heat and moisture to produce the rotting effect. I found it more effective - and easier to get a larger quantity of compost - to have a couple of hardware cloth circular enclosures. I'd fill one, turn it into the other after two or three weeks, turn it back into the first, and so on. I parked these right be the veg garden so the sprinkler would hit them every time it ran. There are other ways to do it, but this was cheap and provided the quantity I wanted. I wouldn't go the ComposTumbler route again. Too expensive for what I got.

I abandoned mine for sheet composting. I don't turn - just layer, and use it the following year.
It did not produce compost in 2 weeks for me. It was at least 8 - 10, and i did watch the ratios of what i put in.
I prefer letting the micro organisms/worms do the work, especially since the worms oblige with such nice castings.
My comments are not intended to be negative - i realize this may be the only solution for folks who live where there are CC&R's, or have a small lot. I have plenty of room & it is less work to sheet compost in several places on my acreage. But I felt the ad was misleading.

I caved and just ordered one a couple of days ago. I can't comment on its effectiveness because it hasn't been delivered yet. When you are deciding which size you might want, be sure to note that only the two larger models--not the smallest one offered by Gardeners Supply--promise the compost in two weeks. (I ordered the middle size.)

Denise

Denise,

Coooool.... You'll have to solve the mystery for everyone and update on 'speed of compost' from you're REAL LIFE experience. I'll be watching!!

pam