Mantis Back Porch ComposTumbler

It had clear instructions on how to put together but I think I made it more complicated than I should have. After I finally put it together I thought how did I not know this. But it might have been easier if the end of each middle section had been marked A B C and then matched up to end pieces that were marked A B C. Anyway it is really wonderful to use.

I love the size/height it makes it easy to load and unload. We are just now making our first load of compost and very excited about it. My husband put it together in less than 30 mins. It is easy to move around. It was a bit more expensive then the others I was looking at but I believe you get what you pay for, the positives out weigh the cost.

Very good size opening. That’s the only positive thing I have to say about this compost tumbler. After a very short amount of turns, the door handle broke off. After a few more additional turns, the latch that keeps the door close became loose and while turning it, everything inside the tumbler fell on the ground. Now the door is being held with bungee cords. This is a piece of junk!!! I was expecting so much more from a tumbler this expensive.

We ordered this through amazon due to free shipping. The manufacturer had it for the same price but added around $40 shipping. That decision cost us about a weeks time. We met the UPS delivery vehicle and upon seeing the box we knew it had been opened. The staples that close the top were missing and it had been taped closed with clear tape. The wheels were missing and parts of the frame were missing. As those would have been difficult to fall out on their own, it was obvious to us that someone had taken them out. Not pleased. We called the manufacturer and they were very responsive, sending us the missing parts for free. As to the unit itself; this one replaces one we purchased back in 1998. The old one was finally falling apart. We liked the old one and that's why we went with this one. It is very close to the old one with a few slight changes. The new door latch is an improvement (we hope). The old door could (and sometimes did) open when being turned when there was a lot of compost in it. One change I'm concerned about is the door hinge is now plastic where the old one was steel. I have a feeling it's not going to last as long. Mantis recently bought the company that made the old version we had. I don't know if some of the changes are theirs or if the original company had made the changes over the years. Bottom line, we loved the old one and are looking forward to years of compost from this one. One of the complaints others have made is that the pre-drilled holes for the screws are too small and need to be drilled out more. That is a valid complaint. I didn't have much trouble putting it together but I did have to drill out the holes some. Overall, a good product and if this one lasts as long as the other one, we'll be getting another one in 15-20 years. P.S. I frequently get a review request from amazon about shipping. I was looking forward to getting one this time and it didn't come. I think I know why.

Mantis CT08002 Mobile Composter Rolls Direct to the Garden I love this thing! Yes, it has baffles on the inside to help break up blobs 'o' compost. Yes, it has a sturdy frame and rolling wheels. I park it near the back door to quickly pop in the contents of my counter-top kitchen composter. Yes, the door easily latches and unlatches. No, I haven't been paid to say this. I have a Mantis roto-tiller, and decided to stick with the brand. I'm glad that I did.

Have had this for 5 weeks now and all is well with the exception of the handle which broke off last night. It's a really cheap plastic handle and the screws that were provided were wholly inadequate. I reused the handle, but replaced the supplied screws with longer ones. Seems secure now. The latch is also on the chintzy side, too. For an item that is all plastic (tumbler), the frame is inexpensive tubular metal, the wheels attach to a rod with a hammer...with not the highest quality parts, I'd say it should have been less expensive.

Our son-in-law gave us this excellent compost tumbler. And we love it so much that we have purchased a second one. One is full of delicious compost ready to go in the garden, while the other is compost-in-the-making. It took a bit to construct it, but it's worth it!

Found this product to be of poor design and defective - within 30d, at less than 1/3 full, the latch came undone and spilled compost all over our deck. Like a lot of modern products, it's just designed and manufactured poorly. Spilling compost is an obvious failure mode to design against. But the latch is weak. I would strongly recommend against purchasing this product. By the way, it's Made in China (not made in USA as is advertised in some places). I am going to find a robust, well designed product to buy.