Compared compost bins and the tumbler won by a mile

After 3 years of trying a basic open pile in my backyard in Portland, I got one of those spinning tumblers last spring. The difference is night and day - my pile always got too wet or too dry and never really broke down. The tumbler keeps everything mixed and I got usable compost in about 6 weeks. Has anyone else had luck with a specific type of bin for smaller yards?

2 comments

2 Comments

jenkins.wade24d ago

I mean, the tumbler really is night and day for small yards. I swear mine paid for itself in a season.

lucasc5824d ago

Honestly, @jenkins.wade, I gotta push back a little here. I tried a tumbler for a season in my small yard and it was a pain to spin when it got heavy, plus the plastic cracked after one winter. I switched to a simple two-bin system with a pitchfork and I get way more compost, way faster, without fighting a spinning drum. The tumbler dried out my pile too fast and I had to keep adding water, which felt like extra work. Maybe your climate is different, but here the open piles just breathe better without all that tumbling.