Sun-Mar 200 50 gal cap Garden ComposterWrite a review

I received the item about 3 l/1- 4 months ago. While it seemed simple to put together, if you have arthritis or other problems with your hands, it is very difficult to pry the stand out from the drum. After that it is simple to assemble, except for the bottom pieces which have no directionsand need a mallet. Once together the items seems very nice. I have been chopping up garden scraps and putting them in and watering and turning and still no compost. But no smell or flies either. The small green bottle that comes with the item has no label, but upon calling the company, is compost starter.

Having said all of that, I like the item and am hopeful of getting compost eventually. While actual composting appears to be a simple task, I don't really believe it is. Wish me luck.

I ordered this and it was straight forward to set up and use but more information on how to make the compost work best would have been helpful. Overall the product seems good but more education would have helped.

I purchased my 50 gallon composter in April. I fed it food scraps (the good kind, not meat, etc) and grass and leaves. The small composter is very easy to rotate even when full. But I found I had to leave it alone, without adding more to it, for a while before it started producing usable compost. I use this in conjunction with a second composter so that I can leave one alone to compost while I actively use the other. I do find that it is rodent proof, and it does not smell or have bugs around it - so that is a plus! I am new to composting, and it took about 6 months before I got the hang of it - correct moisture, rotation, rest. Because it is enclosed, I'd say this is a good unit if you are in a small space, like a city.

The idea behind this product seemed sound, but I haven't seen practical success with it yet. To be fair I bought this at the start of autumn when temperatures are cooling off, and effective composting requires warmer temperatures. So the jury is still out. One observation that I can fairly make at this point is the dual chamber design doesn't appear to be effective. The center chamber that is supposed to collect the finished composted product has actually just been collecting lighter-weight uncomposted material. I paid quite a bit more for this product than competing ones to get the dual chamber, so that is a bummer.
No problem with critters which is nice, but big problem with small insects.

I feed it table scraps (minus the meat and dairy). I feed it Compost Alive from Gardens Alive -- makes great worms for a few days. I turn it, when it isn't leaking the stinky water that gets all over me. And the stuff just sits there like a large rock. I've seen no compost, and it attracts nats and flies.

The one good thing I've seen is that the amount of matter put in has been reduced.

I wish I could have given this product a better review. It is such a great concept.

Maybe I'm just using it incorrectly.

Linda

Like others have stated, I have had ZERO success with this composter. Believe me, composting is not rocket science, and this composter advertises that it is easier than all the rest. Not true in my opinion. 1.5 years with it and zero results. Do not think San-Mar has good tech support either! They do not. Do yourself a favor and really research and get a good composter. If this unit worked as advertised, it would be a dream come true. The literature overstates its capabilities. In my digging on the net, I have found no one who is actually happy with this composter. I have had better luck with bags of leaves sitting around for a season than with this thing. Sorry, but this is the honest truth from my perspective but your mileage may vary..

This composter takes forever to get enough into it to move down to the end and then it becomes so heavy it doesn
t turn. I
ve used food scraps and leaves etc from the garden. The frame has stretched all out of shape. Absoulutely not worth the expense.