How To Make A Compost Tumbler

How to make A compost tumbler from a pickle or water barrel. A compost tumbler allows you to prepare dark, rich, nutrient-dense compost for your garden using yard and kitchen scraps.
If you prefer a more detailed version I have extended clips available in this workshop:
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[@joetate8526]

Thanks for the editing and fast forwarding through the no brainer parts . All the important stuff in under 7 minutes . Great Job !

[@maxinekiermeier7898]

Great job explaining with out a lot of talking!! Thank you for such a wonderful DIY video with ease of use!

[@SJmystic]

Really clever design with the wheels! Love the whole thing and how well you showed the construction process. Much gratitude!

[@josephrodrick6451]

Love your design, function, and craftsmanship. Can hardly wait to build my own. Thank You for your instructional

[@georgefeliz7875]

Very straight forward no nonsense - this is how a diy video should be! Congratulations to you both 🎉🎉🎉🎉❤

[@patrickgreen2361]

By far the best video I've seen so far. Very Detailed.

[@toniadeane2559]

Wow! This is even easier than the first video I watched. This is the project that I am going to try. Thank you so much for this extremely simplified video of how to DIY a compost tumbler.

[@idarthcadeus]

Excellent, this will definitely be a winter project for me. Thank you.

[@TatSavitur345]

Clear, concise and easy to do.Thank you.

[@jtsmith4434]

it's like you took a dryer and a grill design into one. i love this

[@l0g1cseer47]

Great garden utility! Thanks for sharing!

[@blkfmlyful]

Great video, no wasted time, just fast info!

[@DaysWellSpent]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@marthazarate6490]

Very clever, thank you for sharing your practical knowledge.

[@davidbetts9587]

Thank you! I can’t wait to make one! Gotta keep my eye open for components from dumpsters to minimize costs.

[@michaelmcclafferty3346]

Very practical and well explained video. Thank you from Scotland.

[@jdjz62]

Excellent video! Great instructions​! Thanks for taking the time to make and share.

[@DaysWellSpent]

Thanks for watching; I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@bosstheory9873]

I love watching the different build ideas

[@DaysWellSpent]

Thanks for watching

[@deegee1242]

Fantastic design, simple design and easy to use. I will have a go at this.

[@DaysWellSpent]

I'm glad you like it. We are uploading several new videos this week and next so be sure to subscribe if you haven't already.

[@shrachi91d]

An excellent video. Step by step from start to end.

[@Shello2008]

I liked the idea, smart and easy

[@LiveAndLearnWithMe]

best DIY compost tumbler

[@rasndas]

Your design exceeded my expectations! Good work and a service to everyone. Thx

[@DaysWellSpent]

Thanks!

[@mr_t711]

To the point and very informative. Thanks!

[@shmigal]

Awesome! Very nicely done! (the tumbler AND the video)

[@DaysWellSpent]

Thank you!

[@Mypplz]

Thank you! I so want to do this!

[@sheilahughes5185]

That's the best i've seen yet! Thanks

[@SuperXrunner]

Alright. This is the best DIY composter I've seen on all of KZbin this far. Now if only there was a way to insulate it like the Jarro composters

[@somaRegroJ44]

Just what I was looking for! Thanks for this

[@DaysWellSpent]

Thanks for watching!

[@sfgcrafts]

What a great project! You guys are an awesome team :) #gardening #homesteading #DIY

[@jackierodriguez3576]

Thank you for sharing your ideas.

[@DaysWellSpent]

Thanks for watching!

[@lindatruax8749]

ONE OF THE BEST INSTRUCTIONS ON YOU TUBE THANKS

[@DaysWellSpent]

Thank you

[@mraza99]

Very nicely done. Excellent work. Thanks for sharing with rest of the world.

[@DaysWellSpent]

Thanks for watching!

[@jonoel9488]

Nice job. Perfect...

[@rokdude1954]

I am making two compost tumblers based on your excellent video. I bought my barrels from a local food wholesaler advertising on Craigslist. I recall 3x 55g black food grade (pickels) cost $20 and they had hundreds for sale. Note that all barrels are not the same size. I had to increase the length dimension to 43". Since I am using untreated wood, stainless hardware would be a waste as the wood will be unsupportive in 5 - 10 years. Stainless hardware welds itself together making disassembly impossible. I can still take apart rusty zinc-coated steel hardware from 30 years ago. These barrels will winter in my raised garden where any spillage or liquid drainage will go right into garden. Expected life of this system 5+ years in Michigan.

[@bc-guy852]

You two work well together. A long time since this was posted but I hope you're well an still building! This is a neat design for sure. I'll add these features but look to get it / them wheelbarrow height. Best from BC.

[@tracybaby6840]

Brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Great design!! I am making this today!!!!!!!

[@DaysWellSpent]

Wonderful!

[@tobiashockert]

A clever and clean design. Nice!

[@DaysWellSpent]

thanks

[@josephcampese5347]

outstanding!

[@mark_osborne]

Fantastic !

[@sandararoon6999]

Im watching your videos very thankful that gave me a another idea

[@JamesColeman1]

Nice work

[@TwoOnesTanks]

top notch design

[@user-ug7hu1vu4w]

Great idea. Will have to make one to mix my potting soil.

[@watchmartinbastin]

Great video.

[@bernardfarley1469]

Nice job I'm going to make so soon

[@OldTimerGarden]

I've viewed several designs video's and yours seems to be the best design I've seen.

[@DaysWellSpent]

Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@juleswithnorthstar]

Just build your stand 32" in the air so that way you can put a wheelbarrow underneath your drop door. Makes it a little easier to empty the barrel.

[@sangramkolhatkar6124]

Perfect

[@titosoven887]

Excellent !!

[@DarkHoodness]

Thank you so much for this - Agreeing with what others have said, I think yours is one of the best designs out there, so it's what I built, and have been using them for a month. They work great, and produce compost quickly! But I did make some changes: * Made a reinforced wooden frame (compost is heavy) which was high enough (75 cm) to fit a wheelbarrow under it (like Myles Standbridge below did) - The door can be rested on the frame while it's upside-down, making it easier to empty. * Added handles on one side of the barrel every quarter along its circumference, to make them easier to turn. * As well as the circular vent hole in the “lid” end of the barrel made using a jigsaw, I also added extra, smaller vent holes at the “bottom” end, using a saw hole drill attachment to make a dice pattern 4, keeping the barrel structure intact. I covered both holes with fine mesh to keep more compost in, wrapped around stronger, welded wire mesh. I thought that the extra air flow would probably help the composting process. * Larger 30cm x 35cm door. I re-used the plastic off-cuts from the vent holes, riveting them onto the door hole edge for extra reinforcement - It gives the door something else to rest against while the barrel is turning, rather than just the latches. * Big 125mm heavy duty fixed castors. * Stainless steel hardware where possible, even though I also built a little shelter over them to keep the sun off of them and stop it from cracking the plastic. * I could only find 200+ litre "sealed" type of barrel, instead of the smaller type with the removable lid. It was a little harder to convert them, but it's possible. I started by cutting out the side door. They're also missing a hard plastic "collar" at the "bottom" end - Mine sag and dent a little bit at the "bottom" end wheels 'cause of this, maybe because they're larger too, but can still be turned. If I were to build these again, I'd also try riveting a wide metal strip or rib to the outside circumference to distribute the weight a bit over where the “bottom” end wheels go, or use the smaller lidded barrel type like you did, which seem stronger. Once again, excellent design. :)

[@sophien117]

How much did all of this cost you?

[@DarkHoodness]

​@@sophien117I'm in the UK. I made two composters and paid £75 for both of them together, but I reckon they'd have cost me £150 together or so if I hadn't already had the timber and some of the ironmongery. * £15 per barrel from eBay, collected from a local seller (total of £30) * £45 on ironmongery from Toolstation (including £30 on fixed castors) * The screws, bolts, rivets and wood preserver would've been worth an extra £25-£30, but I had them already and am using the remainder for other projects * I refurbished some used timber which I had already, cutting and planing old floor boards into 2x2, so I don't know how much that would have cost me. * I also already had the wire mesh. Commercial compost tumblers cost a lot more with less capacity, so it was well worth building these. In my case, I moved house last year, and rodents were entering the garden from the nearby river and starting to take an interest in the pallet box compost heap I made for kitchen waste. The tumblers were a logical step up from simply using static, rodent-proof containers.

[@airlinesafety5667]

Can you make a video with your modifications please??

[@haodaily]

Good work!

[@DaysWellSpent]

Thanks!

[@margaretwinter2161]

This is great.. thanks

[@theartist2106]

Thank you ..Great video

[@frankbullitt4556]

Clever idea

[@DaysWellSpent]

I'm glad you liked it

[@Epiphalactic]

Great design. I'm thinking of doing a tumbler for specific kinds of compost, that I don't want animals to have access too, and this is def the method I'd use.

[@mpugliano]

Very nice design thank you so much

[@hughcolemanjr61]

Great video with lots of well thought out design. I just seen one that used a pvc pipe as a axle and the barrel was a working height. I will be using a combination of there axle your scopes and holes as I think the other had a bit to large a hole but I am not sure but can always make them bigger. Thanks for the time and effort you put into this project and sharing it with us :) Hugh

[@DaysWellSpent]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@Mitchieboo1970]

That is an amazing DIY project. Well done, I need to make one as it's too expensive to buy one.

[@ralph5450]

Especially if you want 3.😊👍

[@esanford]

Great VID

[@nehatandon9575]

Very good idea 👌🏼

[@DaysWellSpent]

Thanks a lot

[@cg7926]

We just made ur compost tumbler work great so far 😍😍😍

[@DaysWellSpent]

That's awesome!

[@bsmith4804]

Wish I would have watched this first , gotta have those wheels. Great video

[@vladimirpuran6177]

Best one I c so far

[@ImGinaMarie]

I agree with this is the best design I've seen so far as well. What do you think about making a stand?

[@undrachevr]

I like the PVC scoops in the compost tumbler. Its a better design than I've seen

[@DaysWellSpent]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@cr76802]

Agrer very innovative idea

[@teresajohnson849]

Why do you need the scoops in it ??

[@undrachevr]

@@teresajohnson849 for proper mixing

[@teresajohnson849]

@@undrachevr thanks

[@bobbyguimond7459]

You got me! I hope my girlfriend will apreciate this way with the wheels. It seem to be cheaper than the other ways.

[@bobbyguimond7459]

@@haydentristian198 thank you so much for your help I guess

[@jivadaya6439]

Superb!

[@DaysWellSpent]

Thanks!

[@texputter7928]

Thanks for the tutorial, I used your ideas to build one last year since I already had a barrel and all of the needed material laying around the shop. The tumbler works great with one caveat. Be careful to not put too much material in the barrel as the weight will cause the plastic to start caving in where it rides on the casters, making it very difficult to roll. Great simple design.

[@safary582]

How about a metal barrel?

[@obsidiansea]

@@safary582 A lined food-grade steel barrel would be stronger.

[@vishalprao]

Awesome! Thank you for sharing :)

[@DaysWellSpent]

My pleasure!

[@Mityob67]

Good idea, clean design, excellent video great job

[@DaysWellSpent]

thanks

[@jimtalor7971]

Ive had my composter for five years now with a similar design but with legs so I can roll in a wheelbarrow. Unfortunately for me the metal hardware has corroded so its time for a refurbish and upgrade to scoops that you have,great idea.

[@bobgolden5006]

Good video. I liked most of it. To improve it, I will make the hatches larger to be shovel friendly and face the barrels all open to one side so as not to have to squeeze in between them to load.

[@bobm7325]

I just finished making one. I have to go back in and install some PVC pipe that's a great idea.

[@DaysWellSpent]

The pvc really makes a difference

[@photonspawn212]

Excellent video! Short introduction, well laid out & informative, and no time wasted. Your video should be the prime example for how to post an instructional video on KZbin! As for content - Another excellent rating from me. I will be building my tumblers soon. Did you make an instructional video on how to maintain a compost tumbler with should & shouldn't do's? Thanks for the great video.

[@DaysWellSpent]

I did not make a video but I am working on a blog post that will cover it.

[@mml1224]

great vid, liked it. new to compost. wat do you put in there (egg shells, grass clippings,peels etc.?) also is there an acting agent u have to spray it or water? or even add soil to it?

[@richerathernotsay427]

Need handles to make the rotation easier. Where you bolted the blades on the inside, bolt a strip of wood or PVC on the outside. This also stiffens the barrel. Make the base higher so you can put a tub under the door to make emptying easier. Wheels/casters: the bigger and wider the better.

[@ACIMessentials]

good suggestions!

[@brucesannino6181]

Good video. I built a very similar tumbler several years ago. Like other commenters I build a waist high U shaped stand that I can run my wheelbarrow under for my tumbler. If I have a complaint it's that the tumbler is to small. I empty it out twice or three times a year and I'm always disappointed about how much compost I end up with. Right next to the tumbler I have a three sided compost pile that gets a lot of use. I get a lot of satisfaction out of useing both.

[@manojratnakar9425]

Its one of the best design I hav seen...pls make a video too, on under wheel...eager to know and make it at my home

[@DaysWellSpent]

The wheel section is included at the start of the video. For time's sake, we did speed up the time-lapse. We do have a full blog post here with more detailed instructions: www.dayswellspent.com/how-to-build-a-compost-tumbler/

[@robertoferrer9267]

Great design I built one just like it I have compost 40 percent having trouble spinning any tips?

[@whisperingwind2]

Nice design, I suggest that you use large washers on the outside of the barrel when mounting your scoops. Otherwise they may tear out in time

[@GN_TecMed]

Great video, Ive already made the tumbler following your design, and I have a question. How mich can I fill the tumbler wirh organic material? ive use a 160 liter barrel.

[@dennisseeker36]

nice,

[@DaysWellSpent]

thanks

[@keltykelly]

I love this! We are going to make a double tumbler so we are using this and another video as I want to just crank/turn from the side. We have everything but the PVC pipe. I watched the video and went through the comments- I can’t tell what the diameter needs to be? Someone has one on marketplace that is 2” wide - is that wide enough? Really appreciate any info!!

[@grivaivana2127]

I have the idea to make this object, but I wonder what to make and how the utile for grind the waste into small pieces, what can be used for that except the small choppers we have in the kitchen, I need something for a larger amount of food at once and stronger power to be able to grid the little branches! Thanks for the idea!

[@ppjolla]

great design........so i made one. had a major problem though............was filled with sheep manure, cabbage leaves and dry leaves. i added sulfate of ammonia...............which i do to all composts..........and the plastic went soft on the castors............and i was unable to rotate drum. went to a steel drum and no probs. a lot of ppl have problems composting properly. the secret is to load up in one go. i use manures and green and dry leaves and i add amonium sulfate or urea. this ensures the compost reaches optimum temperature range 49 to 77 c(120 to 170 f) this will kill all weed seeds and will produce finished product with ten days. as a commercial gardner i would see compost tumblers quarter to half full of food scraps. this never heats up and all you achieve is partial anerobic composting. happy gardening

[@murderhill1947]

So I had one of those blue barrels laying around from another project and decided to try my hand at it. I shop at Lowes and I didn't try to keep my costs to a minimum. I don't have a frugal bone in my body and refuse to let money get in the way of my successes (too many other things get in the way of my successes). I decided that stainless steel screws and hardware was the way to go. the screw size that I chose was an #8-32-various lengths with large fender washers where needed and vinyl lock nut. Depending on the application, I used a Pan headed Phillips or a flat headed Phillips with a finish washer. Bad choice of size though because a larger screw would have been easier to handle. Maybe a 1/4". The store didn't have stainless hardware so I settled on Zinc coated hinges and locks instead. This fellow is a better handyman than I am, better organized and I thought I was okay but while the video shows the guy just whipping thru the work (yeah, I know it's speeded up at times), I had to struggle with making adjustment to the door and reaching in to screw on the baffles required two people in some locations. I also attached short pieces of 1/2 inch schedule 40 conduit for grabbers every eighteen inches or so in a left side/right side pattern around the barrel so so you could grab on and spin the tub. What I also did was build a horse style support a couple of feet up in the air with four rollers at the base to support the tub. That was a whole lot of figuring out and redoing to get it right. The numerous holes that are drilled in this video are something that I am going to pass on for the time being because I just don't think that compost being too wet will be my problem but keeping the mass warm enough will be. And besides, the commercial varieties don't use all those holes in their design. These folks are in Texas and I am in NE NYS just south of the Canadian border. Maybe their composters overheat down in Texas. It is going into place today and I have lots of compostable material waiting in a can for a starter. Someone suggested a little yeast and sugar to speed things along. Who knows?

[@DaysWellSpent]

It gets really hot where we are! We hit 116 degrees f this summer. Having weeks with 100+ is not uncommon for us. You can buy bacteria for your compost bin to help it out. If it gets too wet just add more dead material like dead leaves. I know several people that put the cardboard egg cartons in theirs or brown paper bags.

[@lisahyden1534]

How much did you end up spending on the entire project?

[@jeffreyelliott9683]

You could also use (sawdust pellets) horse bedding. No chemicals, is very absorbent, and breaks down well too.

[@SeeMooreVids]

Made one a few years ago very similar. Unfortunately it does not have a removable end-cap, making compost very much a PITA. ONE drawback on these is how difficult it is to tumble once you get a good mix going. I need to figure this out and cutting open one end and be able to secure again. Mine was originally filled with food grade liquid, balsamic vinegar.

[@vishyoutubevideos]

excellent design!! ever thought of adding a catch on the bottom for compost tea?

[@DaysWellSpent]

That's a good idea.

[@kleinroodt7166]

What kind of brackets were used on the wood stand..

[@benniehanas]

are those side boards 2x6's?

[@av8er79]

Looks nice! I am thinking about making a couple. After making several and using them for sometime what would you change about the design or construction? Thanks, Scott

[@DaysWellSpent]

Thanks. I'm not sure there's anything we'd really change. It works well for us. Maybe fewer air holes starting off.

[@daleval2182]

Love the idea cool, does it produce fast? Any idea how long to produce safe soil?

[@DaysWellSpent]

Yes it does! It takes about 3 months.

[@cameronwong7608]

hi! great idea! where did you pick up the barrels? and about how much should one expect each barrel to cost?

[@DaysWellSpent]

We got them at a local feed store for less than $20 each.

[@hildebecker2016]

What a great idea! Finally an alternative to common tumblers. Many I ask how long it took you to build it?

[@DaysWellSpent]

A few hours but everything takes longer when you record a video while doing it.

[@adamtlewis8340]

Great job. Where did you get the food safe barrel and the latching top?

[@emilee.paigee]

They said the barrel came from a feed store

[@kishorelachhani1202]

Awesome idea. Keep them coming

[@voodoomotion5855]

These tumblers look perfect, great tutorial! How are they doing after 4 years? Really like your idea of using the wheels, are they easy to roll with a lot inside? Thanks

[@DaysWellSpent]

They are doing fine! We don't have an issue with the way they roll but we don't fill it more than 3/4 of the way. You need to make sure there is room for air circulation.

[@voodoomotion5855]

That's great, sounds like they will last you many years to come! Thanks for the 3/4 info, I'll make our set asap!

[@dfernandes1433]

Hi thanks for the very useful video. I have downsized by making this composter out of an empty paint bucket. However when I fixed the bolts and hinges, I notice that due to improper spacing of the hinges, the plastic door tends to buckle at the hinges and it doesnt open and close easily. Is there a rule of thumb I should follow that would fix this issue?

[@gsgleason]

I think that's why they marked the holes and installed the hinges before cutting it all the way out.

[@erindaoust7802]

Have you had any issues with flies? I love this design and like some of the other commenters' notes about making the frame higher so it's easier to unload into a wheelbarrow. I may try to line the inside with screen to keep flies out but would that impair the actual generation of compost?

[@DaysWellSpent]

We have not had an issue with flies.

[@Norman1965arg]

what are the distance of the wheels on the frame? I didn't see that, looks like you have specific markings for that or is it not important?

[@theartist2106]

What size barrel have you used 220litre?