Aerobin 400 composter ?

[newmannewy]

Anybody seen these new fangled Aerobin 400 composter bins ?

even though im (32) my mom still gives me and the rest of siblings £200 a year at christmas (christ knows why - i guess she loves us).. Anyway I still have mine sat in an envelope in a draw as i dont spend much on frivolus items..


My main reason for buying would be..
a) keep the smells down for the neighbours
b) the fact u can just chuck stuff in it and leave it to rot (convenience)
c) supposed to ccompost faster due to humidity inside
d) its compact and looks funky

I was wondering as I have limited room and very close proximity to the neighbours.. Has anybody tried one of these new fangled areobin 400 composters.. and can anybody give any feedback on it ?

[chris]

Nope, but a compost heap shouldn't smell anyway? If it's smelling you need to add some more browns to the mix to dry it up a bit....

*goes off to google to see what these look like thuogh*

edit: PFFFFFFFFFFT ! 200 for essentially a dalek? I'd rather just turn the heap every so often, and wee in it if it needed activating.

[Jeanied]

Just seen the price as well!!

[Two_Sheds]

i dont spend much on frivolus items..

£200 for a plastic bin? What do you class as frivolous?

[newmannewy]

£200 for a plastic bin? What do you class as frivolous?

100 pairs of shoes, 50 hand bags, new clothes every weekend.. That type of thing.. Atleast a pastic bin is useful

I was all set to treat myself.. now you lot put doubt into my mind.. Im more concerned about the smell of the compost than anything.. I dont want to upset the neighbours as they are very close.

I may build one out of wood ..hmmm

Chris are u saying that compost bins only smell because they are damp ? As i thought they needed to be moist in order to ferment & rot

[smallblueplanet]

Chris are u saying that compost bins only smell because they are damp ? As i thought they needed to be moist in order to ferment & rot

Perhaps you ought to spend some of your dosh on gardening books?

[Pies]

Green Compost Converter Bin - 330 Litres

[chris]

Nope, you need the right mix - ideally 50:50 of green:brown - it needs to be moist, but not soaking, nor dry. If it stops composting, have a wee on it (diluted - see below) and give it a good mix. I've two overflowing compost bins, and sacks of compost around my neighbouring fence - none of it smells.

I learnt what I needed to know about composting from asking on here (in digging around forum) and this really good link (there's some tutorial videos I think on the GO site too). Plenty on youtube as well.

Make your own compost, a comprehensive guide from Garden Organic - the national charity for organic growing. Includes video guide

£200 is A LOT of money to spend on something that'll do the same thing and costs £10 (or free, if you make one out of reclaimed stuff -- I've just nabbed 6 massive plywood pallets from work - they're going to be made into two bins for my allotment!

The only time I've smelt something related to compost is if I've gone away from the weekend, and left the crock pot in the kitchen full of kitchen waste/peelings and it starts to ferment - smells like vinegar. I just bang it on the heap, mix it up and there we go. I think last year, due to the amount of green waste I had, and huge amounts of cardboard I got a full dalek in a week odd, weed on it a few times (hoohohoh!! see where I did there? ) and it was ready in 3 months - it'd droped to about a third of the size, rich crumbly brown goodness! If anything it smells faintly sweet.

[Kristen]

Chris are u saying that compost bins only smell because they are damp ? As i thought they needed to be moist in order to ferment & rot

If they are fermenting a compost heap has not got the right bugs in it - there is a sort of "sweet" smell to a compost heap that is working well.

Having said that, its easy to say what is ideal, but even my compost heaps get out of hand sometimes.

If you want a compost bin I suggest you see if your local Council are offering sponsored deals at present:

getcomposting.com | Composting is not just for gardeners - it helps the environment too!

[newmannewy]

thanks for the links and tips.. ill save my pennies then.. and have a bash at knocking one together with a bit of wood.

I dont like those daleks much.

[chris]

Check out some of the pallet bins made here - cheap and cheerful, also saving them from landfill.

[binley100]

erm ...Chris did you forget something.........

[Two_Sheds]

100 pairs of shoes, 50 hand bags, new clothes every weekend..

I'm with you there

Chris are u saying that compost bins only smell because they are damp ?

They smell bad if the rot is anaerobic (lacking oxygen, it usually happens when only grass clippings go in), or if a lot of fruit is thrown in and not enough browns.
Good, balanced mix of contents don't smell

ill save my pennies then..

Send it to Japan maybe?

[newmannewy]

Send it to Japan maybe?

3rd richest country in the world - the government just stumped up 187 billion for the share index - maybe not

I believe I may invest in more wood and build more raised beds!

[Two_Sheds]

Send it to Japan maybe?

3rd richest country in the world

I was jesting, but government money/aid doesn't always get to the people who need it, the poorest. Giving your donation to something like DEC, Save The Children, the Red Cross or Oxfam means it might get to the most needy