Eco 86 Gallon Recycled Plastic Compost Bin

Comments about Tierra-Derco Eco 86 Gallon Recycled Plastic Compost Bin:

I am very pleased with the Eco Compost bin. The round shape is more efficient. Square bins have cooling at the edges which slows the composting process down. The Eco bin costs more than the Earth Machine, but is a great improvement on the design of the Earth Machine. The smooth plastic is more attractive then the segmented Earth Machine Design. I take the whole round plastic bin off when I want to turn the compost. I do not like a bin that has removable segments. Although the bottom piece of the Earth Machine is removable with some difficulty, matter and worms becomes trapped in the bottom screen . The thickness of the plastic on the Eco bin is superior to the Earth Machine. I have owned two Earth Machines and both of them developed crackers over time. I believe this thicker sturdier plastic will last longer.
The one change I would make would be the elimination of the side door. It is not useful to take compost of the side door. This is not only hard on the knees and back, but the compost will not be finished properly without turning. If one expects to just throw stuff in the top and take finished compost out the side door, they will be disappointed. Without turning and the addition of browns and greens, the compost will take 6 months to a year to finish and will be unsuitable in texture. A common beginning compost mistake is to add native soil instead of browns and greens, and wait for six months expected beautiful compost that looks like potting soil to magically come out the side door. Furthermore, I am having some trouble getting the side door to remain attached. There is a small gap in the top where the door is attached, but this may be due to me not properly install the side door. But, it is not a drawback because it is still holding the matter and composting well, in spite of the small gap between the door and the unit. I have added a photo of the side door with the door gap. I tried to fit the door many times, but I could not make it fit securely.