[Ti-Ron]

So, here's a boring topic.

We are looking to buy a tumbler composter to transform our table left over into compost. I prefer the tumbler method since it is faster and easier to operate.

I've found some unit like the Jora but the smaller one is pretty expensive.

What are your tumbler composter of choice if you are using one?

Thanks for the help!

 

[High/Deaf]

To me (well, more accurately, my g/f) worms are a big part of composting. I don't see how they get into one of those composters mounted on legs. All our compostors are on the ground, with open bottoms so the worms can participate. We particularly like the Darth Vader versions.

I get the different requirements of the tumblers and am curious to hear about other's experiences and thoughts. So, no, not a boring topic.

 

[Diablo]

composting doesnt require worms.
How to Compost with or without Worms - Living Consciously

we haven't had any luck with the ground mounted ones above. I think the reasons are 1) they aren't real easy to rotate the mass in so stuff doesn't really decompose all that well 2) theyre so god awful looking, theres a tendency to hide them in the yard, which usually means shady areas so I don't think they get the heat required to work effectively. net-net, we haven't reaped all the wonderful nutrient rich soil to be sued in gardens that ppl on the interwebs gush about. My wife has all but abandoned the process and just throws stuff in the green bin instead. But we still use the darth vader one at the cottage for convenience as we don't have garbage pickup there.

my in laws bought a rotating one from Costco Costco Wholesale and like it. costco has a few models.
Search Results: compost

 

[LanceT]

+1 on the Darth Vader version. as long as you don't use it to dump cold, wet sod into, it works wonderfully.

Our only potential issue with composters in general is ensuring not to compost smelly food waste due to bear activity. More of a local issue perhaps.

We've only had an issue with a bear once - once is enough - when one swatted our bird feeder down and destroyed it trying to get at a handful of seeds. Such a jerk.

 

[boyscout]

<snip> we haven't had any luck with the ground mounted ones above. I think the reasons are 1) they aren't real easy to rotate the mass in so stuff doesn't really decompose all that well <snip>

We had one for years, and a cane-like tool with a sharp point and folding "wings" at its tip. As we plunged it into the compost the wings folded against the shaft, making it easy to get all the way to the bottom. As we pulled it out the "wings" unfolded and pulled up and disrupted the compost. A minute or so a week did the trick - tomatoes thanked us for the result. Maybe that cane-like tool is still around?

 

[Ti-Ron]

We choose the tumbler version for faster transformation.
Also, we don't have a lot of space outside so it is easier to have one that I can put next to the hose without worring for leaking.

 

[Mooh]

Two ground mounted units here, though pre 2011 tornado we had three plus a huge leaf composter. Only infrequently turned with a fork or shovel, and sometimes chummed with extra water, soil and supposedly worms, they do a decent job. One is garden and kitchen waste, the other is garden and dog waste. With the loss of one of our dogs, the dog unit will work a little better.

A friend has a tumbler style composter and it works great, but he has a fraction of our waste.

 

[Ti-Ron]

We are 2 families of 2 people, hope we will find a tumbler one big enough!

 

[High/Deaf]

+1 on the Darth Vader version. as long as you don't use it to dump cold, wet sod into, it works wonderfully.

Our only potential issue with composters in general is ensuring not to compost smelly food waste due to bear activity. More of a local issue perhaps.

We've only had an issue with a bear once - once is enough - when one swatted our bird feeder down and destroyed it trying to get at a handful of seeds. Such a jerk.

We get a lot out of our 3 - just about more than we can use. Turning the compost over isn't a problem - I use a small four-tined fork-type thingy ever week or two. We put all our green waste, coffee grounds, etc. in it and it attracts nothing but worms. Lots and lots of worms.

The bear-attracting waste goes into the municipal compost bins on the day they get picked up. My neighbor made the mistake once - ONCE - of putting fish leftovers in their bin a few days before pickup. The bear came back for weeks afterwards looking for round two, scratching their fence open and knocking the container down. Did a lot of damage to their fence but left mine alone. All week long, I only put yard/green waste in it. Bears are a part of life here, just like where you live. I think my neighbors had just moved in from condo-world and didn't know that yet.

I'm curious about tumblers but, for the money, I don't think they'd have the sheer capacity of Darth. I get the speed thing, but we would rather wait a bit and get much more. And I wouldn't consider it a visual improvement anymore than I think a barbecue looks good - it's just a functional part of a yard. Darth looks cool along the edge of the property! Especially a few of them. The Force is with us (and the worms).

 

[cboutilier]

We get a lot out of our 3 - just about more than we can use. Turning the compost over isn't a problem - I use a small four-tined fork-type thingy ever week or two. We put all our green waste, coffee grounds, etc. in it and it attracts nothing but worms. Lots and lots of worms.

The bear-attracting waste goes into the municipal compost bins on the day they get picked up. My neighbor made the mistake once - ONCE - of putting fish leftovers in their bin a few days before pickup. The bear came back for weeks afterwards looking for round two, scratching their fence open and knocking the container down. Did a lot of damage to their fence but left mine alone. All week long, I only put yard/green waste in it. Bears are a part of life here, just like where you live. I think my neighbors had just moved in from condo-world and didn't know that yet.

I'm curious about tumblers but, for the money, I don't think they'd have the sheer capacity of Darth. I get the speed thing, but we would rather wait a bit and get much more. And I wouldn't consider it a visual improvement anymore than I think a barbecue looks good - it's just a functional part of a yard. Darth looks cool along the edge of the property! Especially a few of them. The Force is with us (and the worms).

I need to set one up just to collect the worms for fishing.!

 

[Diablo]

Two ground mounted units here, though pre 2011 tornado we had three plus a huge leaf composter. Only infrequently turned with a fork or shovel, and sometimes chummed with extra water, soil and supposedly worms, they do a decent job. One is garden and kitchen waste, the other is garden and dog waste. With the loss of one of our dogs, the dog unit will work a little better.

A friend has a tumbler style composter and it works great, but he has a fraction of our waste.

now this is interesting...ive never heard of someone using it for that purpose....no issues with smell, flies etc?
Id love a solution for this. I remember seeing a new device that gets buried in the ground and you put the poop in there, and perhaps some chemicals periodically, but IIRC the reviews weren't great.

 

[Mooh]

now this is interesting...ive never heard of someone using it for that purpose....no issues with smell, flies etc?
Id love a solution for this. I remember seeing a new device that gets buried in the ground and you put the poop in there, and perhaps some chemicals periodically, but IIRC the reviews weren't great.

It's how it's done.

The dog gets a proper diet so his poop is pretty clean to start with.

Every few inches of poop in the composter gets covered with a little soil or other organic matter...leaves are good...and it's kept wet. This helps it rot faster, smell less, and not attract flies. Nothing is worse than solid poop, but it's so easy to do otherwise.

Now, the dog is a 90 lb Lab cross so there's a lot of poop, not a huge problem if I don't mind boxing up some for the dump (I deliver it) every couple of years if it gets ahead of me, or burying it in a low spot in the yard. Now that we're down to one dog again I doubt that I'll be making a dump run again.

Worms like poop. Stirring the composter contents a couple of times a year also helps. I generally take a few shovels full from the bottom for around the shrubs and such, and by that time it doesn't smell, especially if mixed with a bit of topsoil and/or peat.

Not all the dog poop hits the composter because sometimes he'll poop when we're away, out walking, up north, etc, but most of it does.

Oh yeah...the poop composter is beside the lilac bush, which seems to like the extra run off, and maybe the lilac helps with the smell. ;-)

 

[TheYanChamp]

I've had city composting for almost three years. Still trying to figure out the by-yearly cleaning of the green bin. Its gross, it stinks, there is nowhere to dump it and its never enough. They're coming out with a larger bin to support yard clippings which is great, but short of buying 'compostable' bags, doesn't help much.