Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Note: Apparently they have changed the composter since some of these reviews. I have no metal parts that will rust and I could jump on top of this thing and not dent it. ( I even had a 12 year old do that when rolling it so I found out through no method I would want to test again, how sturdy it is.) Fortunately, I think they must have made improvements. The seams are SOLID...follow instruction directions. They apparently listened to complaints since mine didn't have metal parts to rust and is apparently stronger than the old ones.
I began looking at this composter when it came out and was $500. The stand shown in the picture is the old stand. The new model looks better if you google it and see the newer models...and you'll find it for various prices all over the net. It now looks more like a sculputral ball in your yard rather than a giant spider and the stand being very small rather than tall with legs as seen in this picture makes it easy for me to turn...and I'm not a big gal. It also makes it a better height so you can more easily put items in to the bin.
First, I'll touch on the things I love about it. It's the only composter I've ever seen that looks cool in the yard and doesn't proclaim "compost heap! Garbage in here!" I have an uber modern home and, I kid you not, people have complimented me on my orb sculpture, thinking I bought art. And it's right next to my deck. But remember, mine didn't come with the funky spider legs...I think it's aesthetically better, but that's just me. Looks more like a riveted gazing ball sculpture on the new model.
It's engineered brilliantly with oxygen tubes you can't see that go from the outside to bring oxygen to the middle of your compost.
There are both small and large openings on both top AND bottom. If you have large items, you can open the larger opening. Small items go in the small one. The nice thing about this is I can turn my compost and I don't turn the opening to the bottom...it always ends up with an opening on top no matter where it winds up.
You can't see it from the photo but there are handles you can pull out too to move it easily around. On both top and bottom.
It's frickin fun or I'm just crazy. This can make your kids want to garden. You get to either roll it easily on the new stand (I heard the old stand was not so easy) or pop it right off the stand and have fun in the yard rolling your compost! I have actually put it out on a windy day because we live at the top of a hill and have massive winds and I let the wind roll it for me. It was kinda funny to watch. I don't mind turning this bin; it feels like a big funny ball.
It doesn't look like green plastic. It's very dark and the rivets that you put in somehow make it look like riveted metal. That sounds crazy but it doesn't look cheap at all.
It is creating great compost, easily. You need to know the correct percentage of dead material to live material in order to make correct compost; although it goes into it in the manual, you can't put in tons of veggies and get compost that isn't yucky, you need to also have your dry material such as dead leaves, paper etc. I haven't gotten bad compost yet from this and it's always the perfect moisture level because it gets just enough dampness through the air holes that I've never had to add any.
To me it's way easier to turn than those I have tried with handles. And more fun.
NEGATIVES:
Okay so the negatives? This thing took me HOURS to put together. And I mean HOURS. Look, they are just molded heavy duty plastic parts...could they have not molded a few together so that I didn't have hundreds of rivets and snaps and stuff? I was shocked when I got this box, totally flat, not big at all, at the door wondering how that big orb could possibly be all in there...it was, after hours and hours of place, snap, hammer, rivet...you get the picture. If you have little patience, you best know that going in. You'll need it. If you accidentally forget one of the steps, the good news is it's made well enough you'll have to break a rivet to fix it but don't panic like I did, the other good news is they apparently expect you to mess up a little because they send LOTS Of spare parts!
Don't think this will fit through a sliding glass door when you are done building it like I did. No sir, this is a BIG orb. But quite sturdy because I had to carry it out the front door and then we have a 14 foot drop from the top of my front door balcony down to the backyard or I would have had to roll it a very long way to the gate on the other side of the house and have to go down several steps...so I chose the high dive compost action. I held my breath and tossed it down the 14 foot drop to the backyard. Not a scratch. Not a dent, Not a problem. In all honesty, this thing comes out so dang sturdy if there is ever a Texas tornado I am forgoing the "hiding in the bathtub" theory and just climbing inside. After the hours it took me building it and how hard it is to get a rivet out, I'm safer just flying around in here like "the Balloon boy" no doubt.
Conclusion: If you have the patience to put it together, (and the hours) it's the coolest looking comppost bin you'll find because it looks more like art than a trash pile, the build of it and the aeration tubes give you great compost, it's fun to roll, and I think it could survive a tornado.
NOTE: I found my bin on an Overstock site. The model shown here is the old model with spider legs. If you want the new model I got with the low stand, you should verify with the Amazon seller what you will be receiving. You may like this better, but the stand varies so it's best, no matter where you buy it, to ensure you get the one you desire. My guess is they made the lower stand so it's easier to roll and probably too so people don't think you have a horror movie tarantula in your garden. Just sayin'
UPDATE: I have been using this now for many loads of compost and I love it more because, just as it claims, it makes compost probably 4X faster. I just keep spitting out the stuff with no work. The oxygen tubes that deliver oxygen to every place in the bin are what do it. It seems as soon as I throw something in it turns to deep soil. I LOVE it!
I also wanted to note, however, that after I had a few difficult times trying to close the lid, I realized I need to clear the rim of dirt first because otherwise it seemed like it stopped fitting...once I realized the cause it was good.
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