Surface Area.

Although similar, if only using one tray of worm farm so far then the surface or working area of the tub might have double the square feet of the commercial worm farm if you are not using all of the trays yet.

Worm Source:

If your worms are from a kitchen scrap compost heap they were already eating similar food If purchased they may have been eating something else your, new?, system is not yet providing the level of microbes they are used to?

I bet there are better answers out there. I hope to read and and learn..

Nothing but totes for me. Never used the commercial stuff, but I keep up with just about everything blogged about worming and people seem to have more probs with them.

To me, more advantages are available with totes....and I emphasize tote(S) [plural] because I use lots of them.

Thanks guys. I know for the cost the totes are hard to beat. I am fixing to do another herd split with another 2 tote set up. Prior do doing it though I want to see if I can weigh the worms I have going in my Tote Farm. Just curious to see whats in there.