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After throwing the yard and garden waste into a compost pile for the past several years, I decided that I’m quite tired of waiting for useable results of my efforts. I did some research into which compost tumbler I should buy…..and I went out and purchased a compost tumbler.
Each year my compost pile appeared to be shrinking, so I would add more compost to the top. Then I would dig around into the bottom of the pile only to find partially disintegrated yard waste, but no useable compost.
I know that for a compost pile to work properly, it needs to be turned and aerated frequently and the moisture needs to be regulated. I don’t have any illusions that a compost tumbler will work any faster than a properly managed compost pile. I’m just not inclined to put in that much effort to the project to properly manage a compost pile. That’s why I decided that it was time to get a compost tumbler.
I put a fair amount of research into making this purchase. That is normal for me, because I tend to be a little thrifty. But while it don’t like to spend top dollar on an item, I want to be sure that I’m getting quality that is ample for my needs. This site provided some great information that helped me make my decision.
From my experience, you don’t always get what you pay for. You can spend less, and get something that is very good quality and entirely adequate for your intended purpose.
Compost Tumbler Comparison
When I began my compost tumbler search, I started by looking at the total delivered price for every compost tumbler on Amazon.
I always look to Amazon first for most purchases, because 1) they carry almost every consumer good on the market, 2) they nearly always have the lowest price for an item, or at least are very competitive with other sources, and 3) I’m very comfortable with the service that I get from Amazon.
I found 25 different compost tumblers on Amazon. Actually, there were more than that, but I got tired of digging. Besides, everything else that I was finding by this point in my research seemed to be very obscure and obviously were not going to be ranked among those that I already realized would be at the top of my list.
I put those 25 into a spreadsheet that included the delivered price, the number of customer reviews, the rating, and the capacity of the tumbler. From that data, I computed the price per gallon of the compost tumblers and then re-sorted the data on that column from the lowest to the highest.
I focused on the 5 compost tumblers that were the lowest cost per gallon. Here is a screenshot of that analysis, and a little further down the page are pictures of each of these compost tumblers with a brief description with links to their Amazon information pages.
There are really only two main types of compost tumblers. These 2 types consist of raised drums or rolling vessels.
Raised Drums
Raised drums are those that are held off the ground by legs and rotated on a horizontal axis, with the barrel positioned either horizontally, or vertically. Some of these are turned by crank and some are turned by simply grabbing the barrel and turning it on it’s axis. These types of tumblers typically allow the user to position a wheelbarrow under the tumbler to simplify the process of emptying the finished compost.
Rolling Vessels
The other type of compost tumbler can either be a barrel or a sphere that is designed to roll around on the ground, or on a base that is set up with little wheels that the drum sits on to make it spin easier. This design makes it easy to roll the tumbler to the spot that you wish to empty the contents, but you will typically need to shovel the contents out of the tumbler. These may be a little more difficult for a smaller person to maneuver, but probably not a problem for a larger and stronger individual.
I gave some consideration to what I needed while looking through the list of value compost tumblers. First, I have a large yard which results in lots of yard waste, so capacity was a big selling point for me. I would want a compost tumbler with very large capacity, or otherwise, I would need to purchase multiple tumblers.
I’m a pretty big guy, so I’m not concerned about the difficulty of turning, or rolling a tumbler. I don’t think I’ll have much trouble getting the compost from the tumbler to the garden.
Keter Dynamic Composter
At first glance, I really liked this composter. I liked that it had a crank to turn the barrel of the tumbler. I liked that it was raised off the ground. I liked that it was made from plastic so that it wouldn’t deteriorate quickly from the contact with organic materials.
One problems was that it was only 65 gallons, so I would be compelled to purchase at least couple of them before I would have the capacity that I desired.
Upon further review, I found that the quality and engineering was suspect. Many people had problems with the crank breaking if they turned it in cold weather with a full bin. I tend to be rough on tools, so I would likely end up with a broken handle. More disconcerting than the broken handle was the concern with the strength of the legs. Many people who had purchased this composter had found that if it were sitting on slightly uneven ground and were cranked with a full load, the legs would buckle and bend or break.
There is no way that I would purchase a product that was this poorly engineered. The materials and design are just not engineered properly. Furthermore, even though this composter is raised off the ground, the design of the legs prevents you from being able to push a wheelbarrow far enough underneath it to be able to empty the contents into a wheelbarrow without shoveling it out.
I would not be able to recommend this composter to someone who was looking for one. Read the reviews for yourself.
Update 4/2/14 – We found that this product has been discontinued by the manufacturer. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised
Keter 17190023 Dynamic Composter (Discontinued by Manufacturer)
Good Ideas 12 Cubic-Foot Compost Wizard
It took me no time at all to decide that this was the composter that I would like to purchase. The 90 gallon capacity made it very compelling. It was the second cheapest composter based on my price per gallon ratio. In a way, I kind of like the idea of having multiple tumblers going in different stages. With this tumbler, I wouldn’t want to spend the money right away to get multiples, but after awhile, if all is going well, I could get more of these and have a pretty big composting operation going.
I think that I would have preferred one that was up on a stand, instead of just on a base, but since I’m a pretty big guy, I wasn’t really concerned about having difficulty moving it around or emptying it when the compost is ready.
This compost tumbler arrives completely assembled. Though I’m handy enough to easily assemble anything as simple as simple as a compost tumbler, I see that is a nice convenience, but not something that decides it for me.
I would have absolutely no qualms about purchasing this compost tumbler. The primary complaints about this model are that the door to the opening can be slightly challenging to open and close. More than that, though, were complaints about the difficulty in turning. It seems that the rollers may not be tall enough because when the composter is more than about half full, it drags against the base causing the difficulty. For smaller or weaker individuals who like the design, you may consider the 7 cubic foot Good Ideas Compost Wizard Jr instead of the larger 12 cubic foot version.
Large 90 gallon capacity rolling compost tumbler comes completely assembled. You can begin using it as soon as it arrives. Learn more…
Suncast Tumbling Composter
This is another composter that receives lots of complaints regarding the difficulty in assembly. It sounds like many of the parts may not be tooled correctly and don’t fit together very well. I haven’t every assembled one of these, so I can’t comment, but can speculate that many people who have purchased this tumbler are simply not that handy with tools and with putting things together, or they may not follow directions very well.
Of deeper concern were the reports that the barrel begins to warp and parts begin to wear and break quickly. Read the reviews for yourself.
I decided to shy away from this tumbler. I was very concerned about the quality of the unit, and there seemed to be plenty of better options for me.
This resin based compost tumbler barrel is mounted on a 1-inch galvanized steel tubed frame. It has a latching lid on each end of the barrel that rotates vertically on its axis. Learn more…
Lifetime 65 Gallon Composter
I really like the design of the Lifetime 65 Gallon Compost tumbler. It is raised from the ground and unlike the Keter, It provides space underneath to roll in your wheelbarrow. It also has a very large opening to make it easier for loading and unloading materials.
It’s not the smallest, but still one of the smaller tumblers and, for me, I’d have to get at least 2 of these to satisfy my composting needs. Nevertheless, the Lifetime tumblers are very popular and have mostly favorable ratings from people who have purchased them.
The majority of the complaints about this tumbler seem to be about the difficulty of assembly. I may have some insider knowledge about this, as you’ll read a little further down the page, and I can fully understand why people have this complaint. I would have to say that assembly does have some minor challenges, but the instructions are clear and easy to follow. Those who get the most frustrated about the assembly I suspect are probably not the most mechanically inclined of individuals. Read the reviews for yourself.
This would be a very good composter for someone who would be satisfied with a smaller capacity tumbler. It can more readily be handled by smaller framed individuals and even children who like to help their parents with some of the gardening..
This well balanced composter turns very easily on its sturdy powder-coated steel base. The plastic panels are designed with a material that resist the effects of UV rays. Learn more…
Black & Blue Composter
This composter is intriguing to me. I wasn’t at all interested in it, initially, because it had no consumer reviews, indicating that it isn’t a very popular item. Then I noticed that it is a product of Good Ideas which is the same company that makes the Compost Wizard that I mentioned above. I really like that composter, so I have little concern with other products made by the same company.
If anything, this composter has some compelling reasons that it may even be a better choice than the Wizard. I like how the lid is at the end of the barrel, instead of on the side. I could imagine the barrel sitting upright while I load in the materials. Then it would be very simple to simply tip the barrel onto the rollers for easy turning every day or so. When the compost is ready, just roll it to the desired location, take off the lid, and dump the materials where desired. I think it would be much easier to empty than the one with the lid on the side.
Again, this composter is a little smaller than what I would prefer, so I would want to purchase at least a couple of them to fulfill my needs. I wonder how easy it would be to convince my wife that I need to purchase two compost tumblers….hmmm. By itself, it would be a very good option for someone without the large capacity needs that I have, but I could purchase more than one, maybe.
It should be easily handled by most adults. For children, though, they may have difficulty turning it up on end to empty it..
This tumbler is made from mostly recycled materials, so it is environmentally friendly. It requires little assembly and is ready for use as soon as you receive it. Learn more…
Which Compost Tumbler Did I Buy?
I hadn’t yet ordered my new composter, when I happened to be walking through Costco. Lo, and behold, I see this Lifetime Dual Compost Tumbler sitting there at $150. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I remembered that one of the Lifetime composters was on my list of the top 5 and I knew that all of them were highly rated by consumers. I picked up the box right there and ran straight to the check-out counter.
This Lifetime Dual Composter is a pretty good value on my price per gallon list at its Amazon price of $230. For $150, it leaps up to #1 on the list. This dual tumbler has two 50 gallon containers for a total of 100 gallons. That makes it $1.50 per gallon for any of you readers who aren’t so quick with the math.
Having a 100 gallon composter solves my need for large capacity. Because it has dual barrels, I can rotate my composting without having to purchase multiple composters – no explaining to my wife why I suddenly need to purchase 2 of them while I’ve lived half a decade without even one.
If you have a Costco nearby, you ought to run straight there and see if they have any Lifetime Dual Compost Tumblers left. You won’t come close to their price anywhere online. After I bought mine, I searched and searched the internet for another source I could affiliate with that would compete with that price. Absolutely nothing!
From what I know about Costco, they like to forge partnerships with companies that produce quality goods from which they can select one sku and sell a lot of them at competitive prices. The word on the street is that before Costco carried this Dual Compost Tumbler, they used to sell other Lifetime brand tumblers. The fact that Costco has been selling Lifetime tumblers is, in my opinion, a testimony to the quality and value of their products.
If you don’t have a Costco nearby, or if their stores that are near you don’t carry this tumbler, you can purchase through this link…or if it were me, I’d probably go back to the 12 cubic foot Compost Wizard, or maybe two of the Black and Blue Composters.
If you do end up purchasing the Lifetime Dual Compost Tumbler, I should probably mention that many buyers of this composter have been challenged by the difficulty of the assembly of this composter. Some admitted to crying and becoming suicidal.
I’m no handyman, but I failed to see why so many suffered so greatly through the assembly process. The instructions are very clear. The parts are all clearly marked. I just followed the steps carefully and breezed through the assembly with no problems…and I’m just an accountant (nerd).Read the reviews for yourself.