Anyone here use a composter?

[imschur]

My old lady wants one and Im overwhelmed by choices, prices and mixed reviews.

[TacBlade]

Keep it away from where you will be passing or going to be for any amount of time, they stink up the place!!! <munch>

[imschur]

oh it will be at her place

[DocLarsen]

Do everyone a favor and buy a 40lb bag of powdered lime (not the pelletized form) or dolomite from the hardware store. It will remove the stink by keeping the pH up and will help the bacteria do its job of breaking down the materials. The job will be done faster as well. The acidic byproducts of decomposition are what stinks and the lower pH is not environmentally favorable for the bacteria. Don't let the compost get bone dry either. Slightly moist but by no means wet is the ideal.

DocLarsen (former citrus farmer)

[lynxpilot]

If you compost correctly, it doesn't stink.  Stink is from anaerobic bacteria, which is a sign that you got your compost too wet and cut off oxygen to it.  I don't mess with expensive commercial composters.  We do it on a grand scale here and pile our yard waste, wasted hay/straw, chicken coop cleanout, llama poop, leaves, and food scraps in a corner of our lot and I periodically turn it over using the tractor/loader.  On a smaller scale, I'd recommend a loosely connected walled area that breathes really well.  Walls on 3 sides only.  If you use wood slats, leave a gap between them.  Just dump your stuff in it and turn it with a pitch fork every month or so.  If you're in a dry area and get very little rain, you'll want to hose it down once in a while to dampen it.  Not too much.

[imschur]

I ended up getting this for my lady