Yimby Tumbler Composter Review

The Yimby Tumbler Composter is the Number 1 best-selling Compost Tumbler on Amazon. It is made by Forrest City, a leading designer, and manufacturer of Compost Systems.

This compost tumbler has the flexibility of two chambers.

Using a Yimby Tumbler Composter

It is very easy to get the best results from this Composter. Simply place it in a sunny spot, (to minimize the maturing time), and progressively fill the first chamber. It helps to add a little soil or compost starter first, then add your kitchen scraps. I suggest you rotate the Chamber a few turns every couple of days.

Depending on the amount of material you have available, it could take you about a month to fill a chamber. Once full, just leave it to mature and start adding material to the second one.
I have seen claims that your Compost will be ready in two weeks. However, in reality, I think it more likely that once the chamber is full, it will take about a month. During that time just continue to rotate the
chamber every couple of days, and keep it moist.

If you are new to composting, waiting 2 months from start to finish might seem like a long time. It’s not, this is a much quicker turn around than an old fashioned Compost Heap.

Once you get started, of course, you are filling the second compartment while the first is cooking. In effect, the process gets faster and more continuous as you go along.

I personally prefer at least three compartments. That way I always have one cooked and available to use, one cooking and one that I am filling. Unfortunately, Compost Tumblers tend to come with only two compartments. Fortunately, the Yimby Tumbler Composter is so cheap, it’s easy to buy two, and place them side by side. That way you end up with 2 compartments complete, one cooking and one being filled at any time.

This should give you a constant flow of fresh compost to use.

Adding some color

The manufacturers have recognized that the Yimby Compost Tumbler is popular for use on balconies as well as gardens.

Because this makes them very visible to your guests, Forrest City has also released an “upmarket option” with their “Hot Frog” range. This adds color to the compartment doors and the frame, making them more pleasing to the eye. They have also added wheels to the frame on the Hot Frog model, making it a lot more user-friendly.

Both models are 37 Gallon capacity, both have the same dimensions and footprint. So it is just a matter of the visuals and the maneuverability which separate the two.

The upgraded option will cost about 50% more, but is still very affordable, especially if buying only one.

If you are tight on space, but still want fresh compost for your pots, hanging baskets etc the Yimby Tumbler Composter is a great solution. One Tumbler on your balcony should meet your needs.

If you have a little more space, such as a courtyard or small back garden, two units side by side is a great option.

Both the Yimby Tumbler Composter and the Hot Frog alternative are designed for excellent airflow, are easy to load and empty. The compartments are made from resilient polypropylene,(BPA Free), and sit on a frame of galvanized steel which will resist corrosion for years.

Assembly

Either option requires assembly of both the Tumbler and the Frame, a task I neither like nor am particularly good at.

Feedback from users on the ease of assembly varies considerably, (probably in line with the skills and patience of the owners) I guess.

However, by carefully reading the instructions first (to get the correct panels in the correct places), I put mine together in about 45 minutes without any problems. There are a lot of screws involved, so I was glad that I have a cordless screwdriver. Apart from that, all I needed was a small wrench.

The Yimby Tumbler is a well-designed product, scores 4.2 of a possible 5 stars from its owners, is durable, small enough to use in most spaces, but big enough to make it worth the effort which is why we rate it highly in our best compost bin lists