Composter Compact ComposTumbler
This composter is perfect for someone who only needs a moderate amount of compost. The Compact ComposTumbler is 43 inches high x 42 inches wide x 33 inches deep and stands 12 inches off the ground. It holds 9.5 bushels, or about 90 gallons of compost material, and inside mixing fins help break up large pieces of compost. The combination of an aerator/drainage port on the door of the composter and screened endcap vents makes sure your compost gets the proper amount of oxygen while preventing compost from spilling out. 5 year manufacturer warranty.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Compact Yet big enough
It is working just as it is supposed to! Major amounts of manure and animal cleanup - it is handling this gold from chickens, turkeys, goats & mostly rabbits just wonderful. Very easy for this short person to load, unload and tumble daily.
5 Stars It really works.
Well, I’m on my 2nd batch of compost now. Adjusted the recipe a little bit for this one (more saw dust - less newspaper)
Pros: The tumbler blends into your yard. It really does work that fast. I had a 20 degree change in the core temperature from yesterday to today. In less than 2 weeks I had compost that I put on my garden and I also got alot of compost tea to use. It’s easy to spin the tumbler.
Cons: It’s not so bad when you’re filling the tumbler (you have to FILL it to get it to work within 2 weeks) but when it’s time to get it out it’s a bit of a pain. the height is not good for dumping so you have to use a shovel. next time we’re going to try dumping into a concrete mixing tray.
the tomatoes and peppers and zucchini were very happy. i think i hit the spagetti squash with too much tea though. i dont think i diluted it enough
this item is expensive but if you’re serious about composting it really does the job. easy to assemble. (more plastic than i was expecting but it seems like it will last if you take care of it)
4 Stars Give it a whirl, take it for a spin
I am with out a doubt it is a good product. It is easy to load, turn and unload. It is also easy to move around the yard if you want to move it, full or empty by tilting the composter over on to the drum and rolling it to the new position. If it is full you will need to eat your Wheaties before attempting this maneuver. Just don’t try this except on smooth ground or you will dent the shell.
Fourteen day batches? Not a chance if you need to add material to the composter in the middle of the cycle. Adding fresh material starts the clock over because the new material needs to be broken down. The bottom line is that 14 day batches to make compost are not normally practical be cause yard waste doesn’t meekly wait for 14 days before it needs to be taken care of. If you want 14 day batches; buy two machines or one machine with two compartments.
If I had one wish it would be for a split compartment on this size composter so that two batches of compost can be run at the same time. Having two compartments allows for two compost cycles; one that is starting and one that is finishing. With a drum of this size that is not practical because the door would be too small for loading and unloading.
My only beef with this product is the time it takes to assemble. Some parts of the assembly are difficult for one person to handle which extends the assembly time. The assembly directions are fair and would be better it they contained perspective drawings to high light important details of the assembly process. Pictures are nice sometimes but a lot of detail can be lost in the shadows.
One last observation; follow the composting instructions and turn the drum daily. Failure to do so will make your neighbors unhappy if the composting greens go rotten.
3 Stars great product - BAD customer service
I have owned this product for many years (it was a gift to us in 1998), and it DOES make nice, easy compost. However, a while ago, the latches that hold the door in place started to rust and fail. Recently, they broke completely. While the rest of the CCT works just fine, I now need to replace the latches, which obviously were the weak link in this item. I contacted the company, and rather than simply stick 2 latches in the mail to me, told me that the product was out of warrantee, and that I could purchase the latches from them if I wished. They then mailed me a photocopy of the parts list. The latches are only $2.75 each, but they charge $6.00 S&H on all orders under $15.00!
It ticks me off when a company is too cheap to send out a couple of $2.00 latches (which most likely cost them less than a dollar for 2) to get their product working again, even if it IS out of warrantee. Since the rest of the product still works and looks in very good shape, obviously the cheap latches are the weak link.
I’m going to just go over to Home Depot and pick up a couple of latches.
A company that cares about their customers provides fixes such as this without charge and with an attitude that says that they want your product to work because they are PROUD of that product. A company that takes up your time and then charges you $12 to fix something that minor doesn’t care about their products or their customers and is more concerned with saving a buck (literally) than with standing behind their products.
