February 15, 2011

Tumbleweed Composter – Review of the Tumbleweed 200003 Rotating Compost Bin

Making compost can be hard work. With a big pile of compost in the garden facing you it may be hard to summon the enthusiasm to turn it with a pitchfork or shovel. And even with a shop bought compost bin you still need to turn the compost over – again this is hard and can be painful too if you have e back problems.

That’s why tumbler composters are so clever – because you can turn the compost simply by giving the tumbler a spin – and that is usually very easy.

There are small tumblers such as the Envirocycle which sits on a small base unit that even collects the liquid fertiliser made by the composter.

There are huge tumblers like the ComposTumbler which sits on a stand at waist height and is turned by cranking a handle round.

And there are middle range tumblers like the Tumbleweed 200003 which is supported on tubular steel legs and tumbles or rotates end over end – I’ll show you how in a video below.

Tumbleweed Compost 20003 Tumbler

Let’s look at the Tumbleweed 200003 Composter in some detail.

Features and Facts on the Tumbleweed 200003 Tumbler Composter

First of all the barrel or tub is made of a sturdy recycled UV proofed plastic and the legs are tubular steel galvanised to keep them rust free. The barrel has a large removable lid on each end making it very easy to get waste in to and out of the composter. The lids rotate or screw on easily – you’ll see in the video.

It is also easy to assemble. Yes you do have to get the tools out but a screwdriver and pliers is all you need. That and 15 minutes. The 20003 is one of the easiest composters to put together –just fit the 2 halves of the barrel together – put 16 screw and washers on and slot the legs on. Done! When you hear of the problems so many folks have assembling other composters that’s a big plus.

Now to the tumbling itself…

The 200003 rotates around a steel axle which goes through the bin and helps to break up and mix the compost when you tumble it.

This helps to get air into the mix which is essential because composting works better with better aeration.

The lids also let air in – they screw on but they are designed to let some air in, so they do not make a tight fit.

Lastly we get to the legs which are made of galvanised steel and are formed out of tubes which slot together to make a frame to support the bin and allow it to rotate or tumble.

See for Yourself In This Video How the Tumbleweed 20003 Tumbles…

Tumbleweed Composter from OpenSky on Vimeo.

I was impressed by how simple the assembly was and how easily the composter tumbled. Time to sum up…

Fact Round Up:

Sturdy plastic barrel
Vented lids on each end that twist on and off
Axel through the barrel acts as a breaker bar to help mix the waste
Galvanised steel legs
Medium capacity
Easy to assemble
Easy to use with easily removable lids and an easy tumbling action.

Sorry to use the word easy so much there but this model really does seem well designed!

Likes and Dislikes About the Tumbleweed 200003 Composter

What I Liked…

Well designed tumbler built with recycled plastic
Easy to use
Good capacity

What I Disliked

Only one weakness in the design of nearly all tumbler is that they let the liquid fertiliser they make escape out of the vents. You could put a shallow container underneath to catch it if this bothers you
I’m sure the legs are sturdy enough but it might be useful to anchor the legs into the ground for greater stability.

Who is This Composter For?

Tumbleweed Compost 20003 Tumbler

If you don’t want a tumbler composter then this is not for you! There are good non tumbling compost bins available already, but if you are open to buying a tumbling composter and you need a medium capacity composter then this has to be on your shortlist.

I stared to write this review with a dislike of this composter. I had seen other tumblers such as the ComposTumbler and really liked the tumbling action. But the more I looked into this compost tumbler the more I liked it. Make sure you have seen the tumbling action in the video above to make sure you know what you will do doing if you go ahead and buy this compost tumbler.