"Nick Gray" wrote in message
...

"Mike & Karen" wrote in message
...
I just got a bit of spam in my snail mail box that interested me - try a
Compost Tumbler (R) free for 30 days. Apparently the rotating drum will
make great compost in just 14 days.
Has anyone got one? Are they any good?

Currently I have a nice heap made from 4 pallets with a little hatch in
the bottom. It is a good heap this time of year - getting hot enough
for me to find ash in the middle, but turning it is difficult, and the
hatch design means I take from the edge not the middle (also the stuff
from on top falls down). So for every spade of compost I takeout I have
to shove a spade of compost mixed with still identifiable stuff back on
top.

I was thinking with this I could get a load of stuff off my heap, 14
days before I want it, shave it in, turn it once a day and two weeks
later reap the rewards, but is is just advertising talk? Am I better
off waiting until the end of the season, covering my heap, starting a
mini winter heap and then in spring empty the big heap on to the garden
and the little heap in to the big on?

Mike

Hi Mike,

I've got one, my Mum didn't want it any more. It takes up more space (it
needs room to swing) than a regular heap, whilst taking a fraction of the
compostable material, takes ages for anything to break down (I'd like to
see
it produce compost in 14 days) and when it swings back and catches your
shins, you get the neighbours complaining about the swearing :-).

Stick to the regular heap, or come and get the one I don't use any more.



I have one and have had one for 6 months. I have nothing out of it atm. I
think some of this is due to its not being so forgiving if you have too much
of one thing or another. I feel at least with my normal heap something will
happen eventually, it just feels this might never happen. It also dribbles
on you when you turn it.