Features:

  • High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Plastic, Powder-Coated steel
  • Tumbler capacity: 80 gallon, 10.72 cubic feet. Tumbler Design : Single Tumbler
  • Double walled panels to absorb and retain the heat that decomposes the material
  • Internal bar mixes the compost and allows the flow of oxygen
  • Tumbler easy turns on its axis for balanced rotation
Get 2.

These are great, but you really need two of them to work efficiently: One that you're adding to, and one that is cooking off. We've found that it's best to start with a base of wood chips and lawn clippings. This heats up very fast and helps it digest the kitchen waste. We've had ours for 2 years outside in the sun and they've held up well.

Assembly

I’ve read a lot of reviews about how difficult this was to assemble and some are close and some are far off what I experienced. Yes it will take you several hours to assemble. I’m pretty handy and it took me 3 hours without any help. The best hint I read was using electric tape to hold the plastic nuts on this inside while screwing the screws from the outside. That’s if you don’t have a helper. Take tour time and read the picture instructions carefully and it will be easy but will take time. Watch a few videos before so you get the general layout before you start. The manufacturer could make assembly a lot easier but it probably keeps costs down having you drill the wholes and in a few other steps. I bought this tumbler after a lot of research because I wanted one that is off the ground, one you don’t have to manually (shovel) turn the compost and one that will last. This one is solid and should last. One last comment. A few reviewers are concerned about the exposed metal rusting. I don’t see that as an issue because it’s galvanzied. A few videos on tumblers that are 3-4 years old don’t show any rust either. Good luck

This may solve my compost problems!

After years of trying to make compost in plastic compost barrels, I finally decided to give up the stirring and stirring, and try a rotating compost bin. After a lot of searching and reading reviews, I decided on the Lifetime 80 Gallon model. When it arrived, I was a little concerned, because the instructions are all pictures. There's virtually no written instructions to follow. This seemed like a difficult process, but after finishing the assembly I have to admit it wasn't that difficult. The pictures are very clear, including part numbers, quantities, tools needed etc. It took me about 4 hours to assemble, and I did have to get my wife to help me for about 30 minutes. The reason for that is, I had to install 10 screw's through the end pieces of plastic while holding a small piece of plastic on the opposite side. Those small pieces of pre drilled plastic are what the screws go into. Their purpose is to keep the screws from falling back out. There was no way to stretch my arms that far. Speaking of drilling, it's true you have to drill through the plastic pieces many times, and it's not a bad idea to predrill the metal pieces before trying to use the self tapping screws. However, the plastic and metal pieces are all clearly marked for drilling, and it was a very simple process.The assembly went very smoothly and the finished product looks very rugged to me. The barrel turns smoothly. One concern I have is that they supply a small amount of grease that needs to be applied to the turning points of the barrel, (2 large bolts). That area is no longer exposed for future grease application, so if it becomes necessary to apply more grease, the composter would have to be partly disassembled. Not a big deal unless it's half full of compost!. I also read a review that said the frame rusted out. For some reason the bottom part of the frame, (which sits on the ground), is not painted. The upper part is painted. Since there were complaints about that part rusting out, I took the time to apply two coats of Rustoleum Black Paint before I put the unit outside. It only took a few minutes for each coat, and it looks great. Hopefully that will take care of any rust problems. Another person mentioned that the two metal plates holding the unit together rusted and cracked. They look like pretty solid pieces of metal to me, and are well off the ground, so I'm not sure how that could happen. Maybe he lived near the shore, because everything rusts there. Since that was mentioned however, I plan to watch those two pieces of metal carefully, and if I see any signs of rust I will paint those as well. I liked this composter so much after I got it assembled that I ordered another one. I plan to write another review next year after they've both gone through a New York winter, and one of them has received a lot of compost. One last suggestion; I think it's extremely important to have this composter sit level. if your ground isn't level, use something to level the unit before you start filling it. Otherwise, I think you'll have a lot of difficulty turning the barrel once it starts to fill up.

INSTALL METAL ROD EARLY IN BUILDING PROCESS!!!

My first composter, and now that it is finally built, it works well. There is a MAJOR issue with assembly though! What should've taken an hour or less, took about 5 hours. VERY poorly labeled pieces with very limited instructions. In fact there is a massive meta rod that goes through the center of the whole thing. Since there are holes on the outside that it goes through. I thought nothing of it as I assembled the whole thing. The holes didn't match up, so I had to unscrew one side and redo it, then had the same problem on all sides. I seriously got so irritated after assembling it 3 times, and finally I was done and went to slide the rod in, since nowhere in the instructions does it say where to add the piece, I thought I missed something, but nope, they just don't tell you when to add the rod. So I go to insert it through the slots in which it should go and realize it doesn't fit. I then had to deconstruct the entire thing YET AGAIN, add the bar, and rebuild YET AGAIN. It is sturdy, and Amazon ended up giving my a $50 credit towards another item for the extreme inconvenience, so I gave it five stars. Leaks, but I just have it drain into the yard. Best if it can be build on dirt... Sum it up... GREAT PRODUCT HORRENDOUS INSTRUCTIONS AMAZON IS GOOD TO MAKE AMENDS

Compostinator!

Although a little challenging to assemble this has worked great for us for 4 years. We are buying another one because we need the compost. Once started the scraps breakdown remarkably well. It is sturdy as well. We have filled this many times and it gets heavy, I do not worry about tipping over as the stand is well made.

Missing part received!

Updated to 5 stars! Thanks you Lifetime Team for getting me the missing part I needed to complete and use my composter! Solidly built I’m excited to get composting. Original Post 2 Stars: Everything went together well and I was pleased with the bin’s construction. I felt positive...until I got to install the locking clasps and found I was missing one. I contacted the vendor and was told the part was out of stock. I got a PO # that was supposed to show I’m in the queue for a latch. It has been well over a month and The missing part has not arrived. I can not use or fill the bin & my money has pretty much been wasted unless I fabricate/concoct a latch myself.

Beast composter

Big than expected. Holds well but only can hold so much. Can’t take heavy heavy load but does the job well. When it gets too heavy.. you barely can spin it, lid won’t close properly and boom.. it spills. I had spill out once. To my understanding half of it’s size is how heavy it can take. Add leaves isn’t an issue but add greens.. keep eye on weight. It stands very well and the open mouth makes it awesome accesssability. Thankful for that.. other products I seen with small mouth.. no thanks. It took me long while to put it together.. I was able to read instruction no problem but it’s not for someone who can’t read pictures instruction. Because there’s no words tell you what to do step by step. Lol Worth buying when it was awesome low price!

A sturdy, mid-sized

A sturdy, mid-sized, composter. Its waist-level height makes it easy to fill. Sturdy latches make it critter-proof, and a pin locks the tumbler in place after rotating composting material. As one other reviewer comments, it is not easy to assemble(took my husband about 4 hours), but I give it 5 stars because It's made of materials to last a lifetime. Prior to this purchase, I had ordered a comparably priced composter which arrived with broken plastic parts and had to be repackaged and returned.

Best Large Tumbler for the price

It is large, see pictures. It rotates well, sturdy, resists weather well, easy to operate, and again, it takes a lot of compost. Bought the first one over one year ago, after trying it out and getting good results ordered a second one to always have one composting while I am adding to the second one. It has been mentioned in other reviews, is not easy to put together but is not hard either, with the right tools, reading the instructions (which are good) and with help of a second person to help with some of the out or reach screws (my wife helped me for 5 minutes) it should not take more than 3 or maybe 4 hours to put together. I have been composting for a while and had both stationary and tumbling composters,I found this one to be the best buy for the money.

Composter is great !!!!

I have had this 2 years and works great once I knew the formula of green to brown and saw that I could use horse bedding pellets for the brown or carbon. Now the compost is heating at from 128 degrees F to 144 degrees F. before I never had the right combination for the composting to work right. It definitely has a big opening for placing food scraps and grass clippings and for removing the finished compost. I definitely will get another if I decide to increase my compost output.

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