I have the mantis one with two chambers and love it but I have also seen pictures of homemade ones that look just as good. If I were handy I'd make myself another one.

Sorry but I fear you will find that many of us here are very anti-tumblers. So, rather than go into all the same old arguments against them I have linked many of the previous discussions on them for you below. For your reading pleasure. ;)

Dave

PS: just one word of caution if I may - please do not buy into all the advertising hype you will read about them most of it just isn't true.

Here is a link that might be useful: Compost tumbler discussions...

Yep, there are people who don't like the tumblers, for sure. But there are those of us who love them and couldn't do without them! Like I said, I wish I had more than 1.

I have 3 different brand tumblers and get good results from all 3. I don't have the room for open composting so rely on the tumblers. If you mix the "ingredients" right, the result is good compost. I've had temps get to 150 before I turn it. If you work at it, you can get good stuff. I personally love to play with my compost!:) Which type tumbler? Just look for the ability to build your pile at least 3'x3'.

Oh one thing about the tumblers.. you rarely need to add any water. I never water mine, my hose doesn't reach it anyway. I use a lot of coffee grounds and leaves, but if I see it getting too wet I position it with the doors facing the ground to let any excess water leak out. I turn it every day when I add kitchen scraps and it works well for me. I don't have a thermometer but I can tell it's very hot in there when I open it up and the stuff breaks down fairly quickly too. I don't have a stinky mess or anything like some people describe if their tumbler gets too wet. If it got way too wet I suppose you could leave the doors off for an afternoon and that would help.

SMDMT,

You say you have three that all do well. What brands are they? I'm in the market for a composter as well. I appreciate everyone's comments--I can't afford to spend money on something that's not just right!

Hi Diana Lynn,

I live in Denver in a townhouse complex, so I don't have room for open compost. I use the "urban compost tumbler" (available here: http://www.urbangardencenter.com/composters.aspx)

I have both sizes, the 7.3 and the 9.5, I like them both, but would encourage anyone to buy the larger one, its more stable and easier to turn. The only caveat I have is that putting the 9.5 together was a little tough. It comes in 2 main pieces and putting them together requires some patience (and some wd-40 and a hammer and chisel).

The first batch took a long time to make (I started it in spring and had to let it overwinter), but made great quality compost. Although subsequent batches have been quicker, it is not as fast a process as advertised (which is why I know have 2).

I don't use my tumbler or my purchased plastic composting bin any longer. I have seven mesh bins which work very nicely at much less cost.

Some composters have higher expectations as they spend more money. I encourage new composters to get started as cheaply as possible. My mesh bins are 4' diameter hardware cloth of 1/4" mesh, either 18" or 24" high. Costs around $15 and goes up in five minutes (versus $350 and two hours for the tumbler).

I have a double chamber Mantis. I was given a ComposTumbler and a tumbler that is so old that there is no name left on it. I was at the right place at the right time for the give aways!

The only downside is that you have to manually move the materials on the outside to the inside. But, like I said earlier, I like to work my compost!

If you buy one, I think the ability to hold the volume of materials (at least 3'x3') would be the most important thing to look for. In the smaller tumblers you probably wouldn't get the microbial action needed to raise the temps.

SMDMT,

I found someone willing to sell his used ComposTumbler (the largest size) for $50. Will pick it up tonight. When you say you have to "manually move the materials on the outside to the inside" what exactly do you mean? You mean reach inside with a spade and shift things toward the center? Isn't the tumbling action supposed to take care of that?

Can't wait to get started!

Diana

I don't manually move the materials in mine except for turning or if I see something like cardboard in there that I didn't bother to shred.. and it's not breaking down fast enough. In that situation I take a hoe and reach in there with it and do some chopping. Mine stays hot with daily turning until it's done, so I don't see a reason to do anything else.

Good price for a Compostumbler! I find that the outer edges of the materials get drier quicker and stay cooler. So when the temps get to 140-150 I'll turn the tumbler. I take a fire place poker (if I had another tool with a hook or spade I'd use it.) and try to bring the outside in and vice versa. I also try to fluff the composting materials as they sometimes have a tendency to clump. I'm short so it would be awkward for me to use a regular spade so I make do with what I have.

Thanks, SMDMT.

Been adding stuff every day. Should I be collecting my daily stuff in a bucket and only opening the composter once a week to try to keep the heat in? And I give it a tumble every time I add stuff. Am I slowing things down by disturbing it every day? I'm loving my new toy!

Diana

Having the door opened or closed won't make a difference with the heat because the heat is caused by bacteria breaking down the material you've put in the bin. The nitrogen in the "green"- grass, kitchen waste, weeds, etc. provide the energy to break down the "browns"- your carbon -leaves, wood chips, etc. If I have a big load of grass clippings and other greens, I'll mix them with saved leaves from the fall, water until moist, and fill the tumbler. It's this mass that will be big enough to produce heat.
For my day to day kitchen wastes, I'll put them in another tumbler, toss in some leaves so it won't smell. For me there isn't a lot of heat from this so when I get the bin pretty full, I'll add some more fresh grass clippings or alfalfa pellets to get things working faster.
If you get your temps up to 150, that's when you should turn the bin as much over that will kill off the good bacteria. You may also need to fluff the stuff if it is matted down. This will aerate the bin giving the bacteria the oxygen they need.
No matter what, composting happens. Just try to keep it aerobic (with oxygen) by turning the tumbler. The materials in the bin should smell earthy. If it smells bad, then it has gone anerobic and the "Bad" bacteria are working. Turn the tumbler or add more browns.
Composting is fun! I get a lot of pleasure out of working my piles. Yes, some folks I'm sure thing it's weird, but it's me!