GardenBanter.co.uk - ComposTumbler

We bought one new about 5 years ago. Actively used it for one year, and
then decided to go back to our time-honored method of just throwing compost
material into a pile (actually, a raised bed), and letting time and nature
handle it.

Compost tumblers are well built and easy to turn, but... way overpriced.
Also, unless you are very meticulous about adding the exact correct balance
of well-shredded carbon vs..s. nitrogen materials (brown vs..s. green), you
will end up with a product more closely resembling chunks of wet horse
manure, rather than the sweet smelling dry crumbly rich brown stuff shown in
the advertisements.

Also, if you want the best compost, you can't routinely add material to the
batch. In the best of worlds, you would have 2 compost tumblers, fill one
up with well-shredded material, and let it do it's thing. While that is
happening, start filling up the second one with material as you accumulate
it.

Or, you could do as we have decided to do: have a lot of raised beds, fill
one up with compost one year, another one the next year, and grow
plants/vegetables in the ones that have turned back into soil.

Sold our Compost Tumbler this summer for $150. If you must have one, and
are willing to put up with the detail work, shop around for a used one; I
can't recommend paying the full price.

"Cecelia Medbery" wrote in message
news:ioNvb.1178$US3.835@okepread03...
"OhJeeez" wrote in message
...
anyone have experience with this product? wondering if it's
worthwhile.

I haven't had any experience personally, but when thinking of buying one a
year or so ago I asked around and everything I heard about them was bad.
They rust, they are very hard to turn (unlike the commercial shows), etc.
VERY cheaply made for the money.

If anybody has any different experience, I would be interested in hearing
about it.

Cecelia