Today we are looking at the Tumbleweed Composter in this review. Is it a compost tumbler worth turning?
There’s a long list of benefits of making compost and most gardeners can recite them on demand. It’s recycling at its most basic. Compost contains the nutrients and microorganisms that plants go nuts over and it can even serve as a natural pest control.
Customer Reviews
However, for all of these benefits, there are quite a few problems too. Composting requires constant management and labor to keep the organic materials aerated, and this is usually accomplished by manually turning the debris with a rake or shovel. An open compost pile can be a magnet for hungry critters and when it’s not turned correctly is can stink to high heaven. Plus, it seems to take forever to get useable compost.
These challenges and benefits have acted as a stimulus for companies who use technology to solve problems associated with drudgery. In the case of composting, one of the most interesting and simple solutions can be found in the Tumbleweed Composter.
Drifting Along With a Tumbling Tumbleweed…
The Tumbleweed Compost Tumbler is one of the best in breed of efficient composting tools. There are other brands of tumblers that are “barrel-style” and you rotate or turn them by “rolling” the barrel. One such model is the Envirocycle Composter. The Tumbleweed is a bit different in the sense that it is still barrel-shaped but it rotates more “end-over-end”. Below is a video of this “end-over-end” rotation!
There are 2 “models” of the Tumbleweed Composter!
Older Model: Tumbleweed 200003 58-Gallon Rotating Compost Bin, Green:
Newer Model: Sun Joe SJTW103 Tumbleweed Compost Tumbler, 58-Gallon:
Tumbleweed Composter Product Features:
• It has a capacity of 58 gallons.
• The unit weighs 25 pounds empty and will not easily tip over.
• The frame is made of galvanized steel which is easy to assemble and the center rod is made of stainless steel making it rust-resistant.
• The container is composed of 100% UV protected, recycled, dark-green plastic for better heat absorption.
• There are locking lids on each end of the container with four vents that allow oxygen in each time the container is turned.
Tumbleweed Compost Tumbler Video Demo:
This unit has many benefits that a serious gardener will appreciate, the most important of which is the speed with which the useable compost can be created. This is due to several design features.
The movable container allows the composting material to be easily turned daily, aerating the material which speeds up the process. So, instead of requiring many months for the decomposing material to become compost, this Tumbleweed unit can create useable compost in 3 to 4 weeks.
The four vents in each end of the container also allow more oxygen to enter each time the unit is moved. This blast of oxygen super-charges the composting process and eliminates much of the daunting aroma found in ground-based compost piles.
The color and composition of this revolving container also plays an important role in the composting process. When the sun strikes the dark-green plastic container, the heat is absorbed and helps to “cook” the organic material being combined in the container. This additional heat has the effect of speeding up the entire composting process.
Unlike some tumbling units, the Tumbleweed enjoys high customer satisfaction from an ease-of-assembly standpoint. The result of this exemplary design is an efficient, less pungent and more productive composting tool.
Tumbleweed Composter Customer Reviews:
Let’s talk about actual customer reviews for the Tumbleweed Composter. First, there is an “older” model of the Tumbleweed that has 54 total reviews. As demonstrated above in the rating box, the older model has an average Star Rating of 4.
Here are several snippets of actual customer reviews. We included one particular as it was quite “demonstrative” of an actual customer and their experience with the Tumbleweed:
I originally ordered this product from the Tumbleweed company (in Dallas) and I will say that I did not have a good experience overall in terms of shipping. After almost three weeks of the initial order I discovered that the composter had already made a whole trip back to Dallas before it got to me again. According to a representative at Tumbleweed, UPS had lost the package and because of that it was returned to the sender. She re-sent it via FedEx and I received it within 3 days as promised. FYI…Now, about the actual product…the construction is amazing! Its a simple design (i’m a 28 year old man, by the way) but it will take you a little time. There are roughly 18 srews and non-slip nuts that you must use around the circumference of the barrel. This is to attach both ends to make it whole. Only tools you will need is a cross tip screw driver, space on your floor, and maybe pliers. Outside of that step, the rest was easy. I was very impressed with its size. I mean, its not yet full but once done I realized that the inside is huge! My wife was even impressed with its size and design and she’s not even into this kind of stuff.
This compost tumbler really works–compost is cooking fast, smells great and the tumbler is a lot tidier than our old open compost heap. The one drawback is that I have a lot of trouble turning it over (I’m 5’7″ with pretty good upper body strength); it’s easy for my 6’3″ husband; we both think that I’m just a little short to get the leverage I need. Smaller and/or weaker gardeners may prefer a composter that’s easier to rotate.
But we’d buy this one again in a flash.
New Model: Sun Joe SJTW103 Tumbleweed Compost Tumbler Customer Reviews:
2 Customers gave it a 5 Star:
I have had mine for about 6 months. I am getting another so that I can add to one while the compost develops in the other one. I live against a wooded area with plenty of animals and this is truly vermin-proof. It does get a little heavy to turn as you fill it over time, but that is the only drawback to the product, and that is not a product-specific criticism, just note that all tumblers will have this issue. It was a breeze to assemble, and I keep it on a mulch bed.
I purchased this product last month and we are very happy with the product. I love the ease of tumbling and how animal proof it is. With this cooler time of the year it is taking longer to get the compost into a finished product. I am planning on buying a second one next month so that I can stop adding to the current one and start a new “batch” of compost. This is a great product and I have recommended it to my daughter who is going to be growing an organic garden with her preschool this year.
1 Customer gave it a 1 Star due to the box being crushed but not due to the composter “working”:
Ordered three of these SunJoe tumblers when they were on sale and was disappointed to receive all 3 boxes ripped and beat up, with parts literally sticking out. Still have to make sure parts are actually there and assemble them before I can give you a review on how well they work for composting.
Thank you for visiting Compost Soup, and we hope that you have found our Tumbleweed Composter review helpful. Please leave any helpful comments and tips if you have experience using a compost tumbler!
March 14, 2012 at 1:54 am
This is an interesting composter with a very interesting design and direction of tumbler. If you have to keep the compost mixed up then why does the Aerobin 400 have those aerators in it so that you don’t have to do that exact thing. And it is supposed to keep the odor down as well. I am still looking around at more composters but I do like this one as one of the choices.
March 16, 2012 at 1:31 am
Christopher, the Aerobin is a “bin” that self-aerates through its patented design and in a different manner. The Tumbleweed Composter is a “tumbler” and it aerates your organic materials through “tumbling”!
March 14, 2012 at 6:48 am
I have been thinking about composting ever since I came across this blog and watched this and other videos demonstrating various types of composting bins. I certainly like the tumbler feature of this bin and the fact that you don’t need to get your hands dirty nor stick something in there to mix it up. My only concern about composting which I have not been able to get an answer to is whether compost will attract roaches.
March 16, 2012 at 1:32 am
Anne, I’m not sure about attracting roaches as I don’t live in an area where they are a problem. I do know that you will have critters living in your composting materials as they are they heroes that do your composting! Some are microorganisms and some are larger…so they are a good thing!
March 15, 2012 at 5:47 am
I think having the two lids on both sides of the bin is a sensible idea. Anything that makes it easier for the owner to avoid having to touch the nasty and sometimes gewy compost is a feature benefit. Is that why this guy is wearing an apron?
March 16, 2012 at 12:24 pm
This particular model of a tumbling compost bin seems pretty good, but I have been wondering about the other model which looks like it is a mini sized version of a bin with a handle to tumble the compost yourself (the Enviro cycle composter). It seems as if this miniature model is made for the kitchen counter top. Am I wrong about its use? Because I don’t necessarily like the idea of keeping compost inside the house.
March 25, 2012 at 9:28 pm
Shirley, the model and brand called the Envirocycle Composter is also a tumbler, and it also aerates or turns your compost by rotating the “barrel”. There is NOT a handle to it. It does come in a model called the Envirocycle Mini Composter, and it is a smaller version, but you do not have to keep it in the kitchen! It’s great for smaller families and for those who may live in an apartment, townhouse, or those who have a small yard and/or patio and/or balcony!
March 17, 2012 at 9:26 am
@Kris, I wonder what kind of larger critters you are referring to exactly. I understand the microorganisms breaking down the material similar to how good bacteria’ ferment dairy products or the mash in the early stage of the distillation process of beer. But I am concerned about larger critters. Are you talking about pests or is it a species that is less invasive such as beetles of some sort? I am also worried about creating an infestation.
March 25, 2012 at 9:39 pm
Mirian, the larger critters are part of the natural decomposition process and are your “friends”! Some of these larger critters are your physical decomposers, as your chemical decomposers are usually your microorganisms. Some of these physical decomposers include millipedes and beetles, which you can spot with your “eye”. But, there are also critters such as mites and springtails, which you can also spot with the naked eye, but they are much, much smaller. The roundworm or nematode is the largest group of physical decomposers but they are hard to spot and look like a moving strand of hair! So, I’m not talking about any type of “pests” and you do not need to worry about creating an infestation with regards to these physical workers!
March 18, 2012 at 1:22 pm
I agree with the concerns of some of the readers about composting and the issues with potentially attracting critters – as the resident expert put it. It certainly is a good endeavor for the environment. It can even save a few bucks a month, I guess. But for most people who live in a suburb or in a major city, they are not as accustomed to living with or near animals and insects the way people from rural areas are.
March 19, 2012 at 11:48 am
There are so many composters out there these days that it’s really hard to decide which one is the best for your purposes. I’ve read a lot of reviews and watched a lot of videos about composters and still haven’t made a decision, but I’m leaning towards the Aerobin 400 because of the aerators inside that causes the compost to cook evenly and without smell. Although the tumbling feature is a good idea too.
March 25, 2012 at 9:45 pm
Hi Jessica, yes, the Aerobin 400 is a great tool to help speed up your composting efforts. Because it “aerates” the compost, you do not need to physical “turn” it as you do with having to rotate a tumbler!
March 20, 2012 at 12:20 pm
I’ve never done the compost thing before but I need to do what I can for the soil in my yard and I think this will help it a great deal. There are so many composters out there these days that it’s really hard to decide which one is the best for your purposes though. I’ve read a lot of reviews and watched a lot of videos about composters and still haven’t made a decision.