Review of The Lifetime 60021 Compost Tumbler

Among the wide range of Lifetime garden products like sheds and wheelbarrows is one that we are really interested in right now  - the Lifetime 60021 Compost Tumbler.

Compost Tumblers are composters that speed up the normally slow composting process. Nature might take a year to produce fine compost for your ornamental plants and a well run compost pile will with some hard work reduce that to a few months but a good well run Tumbler Composter may do the job in 2 weeks.

That appeals to most of us in our busy lives with way too many things to do, so tumbling composters are very popular.

That being said why should we buy the Lifetime 60021 tumbling composter rather than any other? The only answer has to be that it fits our needs. So let’s look under the hood and see what the Lifetime 60021 is and does and then you can see whether this composter is for you.

Features and Specifications of the Lifetime 60021

First of all You can see in the picture on the right that the composter consists of a black tub mounted on a metal frame. The mounting allows you  turn the tub and tumble the food and garden waste inside the tub.

Some people say that you need to do this only once a week but I believe that it’s best to tumble your composter every day. It speeds things up and only takes a few seconds.

Looking at the details…

1. The composter is made of a black plastic called High Density Polyethylene. This means that the tub itself is totally rust proof and weather resistant. The fact that it is black means that it heats up faster by absorbing sunlight. The higher temperature of the tumbler warms the waste and speeds the composting up.
2. The tub of the composter is double walled. This helps to keep the heat generated by the composting inside the tub. Even on a cold day the compost will be warm or even hot.
3. The 60021 has a capacity of 10 cubic feet and holds 75 gallons. This is a really healthy amount of compost!
4. The lid of the tumbler is really large and slides off completely making it easy to shovel large piles of leaves or lawn mowings into the tub. There is also a locking pin that keeps the tub steady as you load it up.
5. Running right through the tub is a ventilation tube that has air holes in it and help to get air and essential oxygen into the composting waste.

Who is this for? Is the Lifetime 60021 Composter for You?

First of all this is a Tumbler Composter and needs a little attention. You need to spin or tumble the tub to speed the composting up. Like all tumblers they work best when you have finished loading it up. In other words you need to stop loading it up and allow it to work for let’s say 2 weeks. In that time you’ll have to have another container – maybe an old bin or bucket to put your garden and other waste in while the compost “cooks”.

This is why folks often buy 2 tumbler composters. One is filling up while the other is “cooking”.

This is a tumbler so some thought has to be given to the ground on which it stands. You want a good stable performance from the tumbler so it needs to be on flat ground.

This is a medium to high capacity composter so it will suit a large family or large plot of land – although as said above you might find that you’ll need 2 tumblers if you really like the process!

One last point – liquid fertiliser is produced by all composters which usually runs out into the ground under the composter. That’s true here too and my advice is to catch this liquid gold with a small garden trough or similar. You can dilute this and water your borders with it.

Make sure you read my review of the Envirocycle Composter if you want a small compost maker that has a special container built in that catches the Compost tea.

And now the “Pros and Cons”!

What I Like about the Lifetime 60021 Composter

1. Plastic construction
2. Large capacity and large removable lid
3. Double walled plastic construction

What I Don’t Like About The Lifetime 60021 Tumbler Composter

1. Time to get the tools out – Lifetime advise this is a 2 person job and you need a drill, Phillips screw driver, socket wrench…you get the picture. Yes there is plan and instructions but it will take some time and effort!
2. The compost tea leaks out. True for nearly all compost tumblers – but you need a container underneath to catch it.

Last Words on the Lifetime 60021 Compost Tumbler

The lifetime 60021 comes over as a well designed, sturdy composter suitable for medium to high volume composting.

Right now as I write this Amazon are charging $1 less than Costco. Check out Amazon to buy the 60021 or just  for shipping details and to see other reviews of the Lifetime 60021 Compost Tumbler.