httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgmrNy4qxv0
Recently I was asked my opinion on the Lifetime Compost Tumbler. I hadn’t heard of it before, but apparently it resides at a number of big box stores and is sold for as little as $100. You get what you pay for, right?
My favorite thing to do is look at customer reviews on Amazon… in this regard, it appears that it’s a pain in the butt to assemble. I’m somewhat surprised as it doesn’t look that complicated.
What do I like about it? The metal hinges and ergonomic grips look pretty nice. In the above video, I like how they casually prop up the door against the shed in the background. This doesn’t make sense to me, as it has a pin on the side (very clever) to lock the barrel in place. So I’ll give it that, if it works as it should. I like that the barrel is a triangular shape, as that would make the material “flip over” a bit more.
What don’t I like about it? The tube going through the middle for oxygen seems a bit weak. There’s only a few holes drilled in it, and it would be better if there were holes drilled in the actual barrel instead. The barrel should allow for oxygen, not be airtight to focus on holding heat. If the material is added correctly in the right proportions, it will get to composting temperatures regardless of how many holes are drilled.
Another common customer complaint is that when it starts filling up, it’s really hard to rotate it. I bet. That’s why I like tumblers that are directly on the ground, as you can fall into them to rotate. The higher off the ground the tumbler gets, the harder it is to rotate it.
All in all, this looks like it would be a decent compost tumbler, although I’d probably modify it by adding a few holes on the sides. Also, be prepared to spend some time assembling it.
For a good deal on the Lifetime Compost Tumbler, click here!