Soilsaver Classic Composter

This purchase was a gift, however, I chose it based on my experience with the Soilsaver composter. Composting is "both a science and an art," so attention to composting basics will prove helpful in producing useful soil amendments from prescribed organic ingredients.

I received this composter as a Christmas gift. Let me just say that the only reason I still have it is because 1) it was a gift and 2) my time is too valuable to disassemble, pack and go through the return process. It was NOT as easy to assemble as described. The lid does not fit properly and is certainly not critter proof. I didn't realize it was missing one of two lock knobs (part 1508) which exacerbates the problem. But what really put the icing on the cake was that there is no way to contact the manufacturer. There is no website. There IS a phone number on the box (NOT on the documentation) but it is a Canadian cell phone that is no longer accepting messages. I would have been glad to order and maybe even pay shipping for a lock knob, but well, you get the picture. I'm very disappointed that Amazon would allow such an unsupported product in their line-up. Buyer beware!

The construction is nowhere near as sturdy as the interlocking system of my Scepter Gourmet Garden composter (which is like new after 15+ years in the Arizona sun). These corners are simply overlapping lengths screwed together in two places with nylon screw/bolt assemblies. Worse still, instead of a well-fitting lid with a deep lip, this has a flimsy "hat" that barely fits and is dependent on two locking mechanisms to keep it in place. I can already imagine what a pain it will be to remove every other day. The one feature I do like is having a removal door on two sides, and these slip up more easily than the one on my Scepter. I only bought this brand (based on reviews) because the Scepter was either out of stock or no longer available, so I'm not overly happy with the purchase. However, it will probably do the job for a few years -- almost any cold composter works beautifully during the blazing AZ summer as long as it holds up.

I have tried 5 brands and configurations of compost bins and this one is by far the best. It retains moisture and produces compost the most efficiently of the models I've used. It is also the best constructed and durable. I don't use a floor as I just lift the unit up after its done its job in about 3 months and use a manure fork to transport the compost to my raised beds. Hint: pick up the earthworms on your carport ever time it rains hard and toss them into your bin. They work magic and they will be huge when you see them again in 3 months. I shovel out from the bottom layer using the doors and move it to the top about once a month .

This is a great composer - we’ve Pritchard three over the years BUT, the customer service to get replacement parts- a lid- lost in a storm is very poor. This seems very shallow for a company purporting recycling.