Ok, an update. The composter is breaking materials down really well. Havent been able to fill one side yet as it keeps breaking down. However, had a little problem with maggots in the compost ( apparently not a terrible thing) but I wasnt a fan. Added more browns and they seemed to go away. Its so easy to add greens I have to keep reminding myself to keep adding browns. I mentioned in the video some sites reported using really high ratios of browns and greens but they were likely referring to the ratio of actual carbons to nitrogen. Just keep note of exactly what they are referring to. Also, those divets in the composter become a cozy spot for some momma spiders to set up shop. Not a huge fan of that either. But overall, still loving the unit and look forward to using the compost soon.
i spray the outside especially the base, stand with anti bug spray from hardware store. really keeps them off it not completely but alot bettet than without it
First of all, I was really glad that so many reviewers mentioned using a UA-cam video for assembly!!!!! I had your video up during the whole process. One thing that was not made clear on the written/picture! instructions (or on your video) was the air vent section (on the end panels) is for the sliding door (C/D) panel and these end "vent" sections must be lined up when you start the panel installation. Also, if you look at the "hole pattern" on the edge of the end panels, the one for the door panel (C/D) has a different pattern than the other sides. I learned this the hard way!!!! Once you figure this out, the other panels fit in easily. I viewed your video again and this was alluded to, but I could have used a "this is important" statement!!! The divider panel is pesky at first, but starts to stabilize when you get three or four panels installed. Pro tip: tighten all the panel screws before you move on to the next one......the farther you get way from the loose screw, the harder it is to reach. I hate using age/gender info, but the older I get the more I appreciate it. So I am a 70+ yr old woman and did this myself!!! Loved your video!!!!! BTW - in the two years since you did this, the company did send extra screws-----and yes, I did check!!!
Thank you so much for this video. I totally opened the box, saw the instructions, and was like... “Nahhh...” This video gave me courage to put it together! While putting on the outside B panels, I found that laying the entire unit on its side made it easy for me to install by myself because then it can’t spin at all. Thank you again for the awesome video!
Thank you! I'm actually an engineer by trade (electrical though!), and was totally thrown by the "instructions" that came with this composter. Many thanks to you!
My directions were in French, a friends was in Chinese. I watched MANY videos...... but YOURS actual answered my questions! I even subscribed to you!!!!! thank you!
Had this composter for over two years, and my recommendation on greens to browns is not to measure :) I throw in ALL my greens and any potentially smelly browns. If it gets too wet from heavy rains or if I process a bunch of veges, I'll add a few handfuls of browns from my paper shredder. Every time I add, I take a quick mental note of the moisture and any smell and add the odor-less browns accordingly. Because it's contained, you will notice the "too-green" smell when you open it to add, long before it smells while closed.
Thanks for the video, really helped with assembly.. for green brown ratio I read somewhere that if you put a bucket of greens add 2 buckets brown.. so far this is working for me.. I also went to our local feed supply and found they have bailes of wood chips and straw that I use for my browns as I never seemed to have enough brown.. I love composting now that I have this system of green and browns figured out.. thanks again.. happy gardening
Thanks a lot ! I made sure to watch your video all the way through first, and then with a couple of rewinds during the frame set up, I put this together all by myself, no drills needed! I think it was harder for you then it was for me, because you didn’t have the benefit of watching a video first. Lol
Thank you, fantastic instructions. I’d unpacked, reviewed the “instructions” that came in the box and was about to give up. But is was a birthday gift for my son so….I cheered when I found your video. Yes, it still takes a long time but it goes together smoothly,
Great job on the video! Very informative. I just ordered one yesterday. When I’ve had compost pile before, I also add a couple scoops of dirt from my garden. It contains micro organisms to help break down the materials!!
A big thank you for the video. Instructions that came with the composter were not that great. I used a 3/8 wrench as suggested by you, but also a drill for the 56 nuts. Found out that if you just finger tighten them first, then drill, I did not need the wrench as they tightened down just fine without it. I am a 69-year-old great-grandma, so I do appreciate that surprise. Also had a nut and bolt left over, but can find nowhere that I missed, must be extra. Thank you again!
Thanks for this video! After I got the stand and the base set, I was firing through those nuts and bolts. Got a few hand injuries from the stripped screws cutting me, but otherwise I’m very pleased. To anyone unsure if this composter is what you want, I’d recommend doing a bit more research but this composter by far is best for the function and the money.
Nice video. Organize it her way. 2 hands can do it, but 4 hands make it easier to do the 56 screws/nuts. A tip: when adding the 7 panels, it's helpful to soft- tighten the nuts where the new panel will be inserted. Makes insertion much easier.
omg thank you!! I bought an FCMP Tumbling Composter once it was back in stock but it has been in my basement in pieces ever since I glanced at the assembly instructions and my brain went: "lol wut". Your video helps make their instructions understandable & I'm confident I'll be able to put it together this weekend. :) Also glad to hear it's working well for you!
Thank you for your video on assembling the tumbler....I didn’t even need the printed instructions, yours were perfect...and now I know what a Roberts head screw is! Must be common in Canada
Hey! I coincidentally broke my arm just after I ordered my tumbler. I appreciate you making an assembly video, ii will make things go faster when I heal up. 🥰
Very helpful video. I was able to assemble mine with no problem because of this video. Watch this video from start to end before you start to assemble.
Suzanne, great video. Having put many toys together on Christmas Eve and saving some task requiring brut force by my husband before I could finish, your video sold me on this composter that it would be easy to accomplish. I grew up composting with a large pile that we would add leaves, clippings, and vegetable matter from the kitchen. With the pile, I had to dig to the bottom for the rich compost. The hotter the decomposition happens, the less likely you will have maggots or other pests. There is a guide called "Let it Rot" which is old but has timely recommendations. With this composter I also plan on adding exhausted soil from repotting plants to enrich it to use again. Thank you.
I have raccoons put door side up and keep it away from anything they can brace themselves on. Then when they try to get to the door it spins. Mine have left it alone.
Thanks for the video. You did a very good job, although I didn't see it till after I put it together. I stumbled for awhile but got it together. Damn there are so many screws but persistence paid off. Being a newbie I put in chopped up leaves and that didn't work well so I started to add greens and old veggies and we'll see how that works
This video was really a lifesaver, especially since my bin arrived without any instructions. I truly couldn’t have assembled the thing without this excellent video. Some thoughts: Yes, the bolts are really short, and seriously, couldn’t they have thrown in an extra or two? Having teensy hands would have been a help, especially when tightening the nuts right smack next to the divider disk. Speaking of which, I had trouble keeping the disk inside the track for the first few panels; by then it was truly lodged. I haven’t had much experience with a panoply of nuts, but bear in mind there are two varieties of same on offer here. The first has a rubber/plastic-y lining evident on one side only, and it matters which side goes on the bolt first - Google told me the metal side. The second variety has no lining but one side has a flared-out collar thing. Which side goes first? I asked a Google again but answer came there none. Maybe this is common knowledge, but I had no idea. I guessed the collar side and hope I was right. Apart from these glitches, assembly was pretty straightforward. It took me about an hour and a half. Thanks again for the best instructional video I’ve ever seen on UA-cam.
Thanks so much for the kind words! The "flared out" side of the nut goes inside. It acts like a lock washer to help keep the nut from loosening. Glad to hear the video was helpful!
Nice video.. I have one suggestion with your compost to stay on deck and put a container under to capture the juice and feed that to your plants or garden 😀
Very helpful. I'm not afraid to open the box now. One assembly video said to dab every screw with Loctite or nail polish so they won't loosen. Thoughts?
Glad you found it helpful! It wouldn't hurt to use Loctite or nail polish as a thread locker but we didn't and we haven't had any issues. If you do use Loctite, make sure it's not the permanent stuff or you'll never get it apart if you need to!
Mine will arrive tomorrow. I've never composted before so all of this is new for me. Thank you so much for showing details of the assembly. That was super helpful to me. Since I live alone do you have a recommendation for the extra set of hands I don't have here? Also, did you use some sort of a compost starter?
I’m not sure I put mine together correctly…are the panels “chiral”? I’ve been using it for a few days; when I rotate it some of the coffee grounds fall out.
It isn't clear whether the vents should be left open or closed. I closed mine thinking heat might retain better but I noticed yours were open. Should I open mine?
I received mine in the mail today and am a bit overwhelmed with the assembly. Thanks for posting this. Are there any other browns you can suggest? Does flower count as a brown?
Thanks for the feedback, good point on the air vents. While you don't necessarily need the wrench when assembling the main body, we'd still recommend using one for putting the metal frame together. Thanks for watching!
i had one extra screw n nut. took me an hour but if i ever have to build it again i shud be able to build it alot faster especially i didnt use the manual, i just winged it lol meowww
Frustrating to follow because the music was terrible, but I didn't want to miss the verbal instructions. So instead of watching easily through, I had to keep up volume and down volume. My model is just a little different and it says put the middle separator in after 4 panels are together, before the base is done at all. I came to this video to make sure I had the middle separator in the right direction. Thansk for the video, despite my constructive cricism.
Just a thought. Looked like you maybe had onions in your composting material adding to tumbler. If so you should not use onions in your compost as they will kill bacteria and microbes that are necessary to your composting.
We need to hear you when you are explaining how to assemble this unit. WHY are you playing music OVER your voice? Sorry, not even 5 minutes into the video and I have to find another one to help assemble my composter. Music over the instruction was just too much.
Ok, an update. The composter is breaking materials down really well. Havent been able to fill one side yet as it keeps breaking down. However, had a little problem with maggots in the compost ( apparently not a terrible thing) but I wasnt a fan. Added more browns and they seemed to go away. Its so easy to add greens I have to keep reminding myself to keep adding browns. I mentioned in the video some sites reported using really high ratios of browns and greens but they were likely referring to the ratio of actual carbons to nitrogen. Just keep note of exactly what they are referring to. Also, those divets in the composter become a cozy spot for some momma spiders to set up shop. Not a huge fan of that either. But overall, still loving the unit and look forward to using the compost soon.
Thank you!
My papers say 2 parts brown to 1part greens. Put a bucket under to catch the water for compost tea to use in your garden.
i spray the outside especially the base, stand with anti bug spray from hardware store. really keeps them off it not completely but alot bettet than without it
First of all, I was really glad that so many reviewers mentioned using a UA-cam video for assembly!!!!! I had your video up during the whole process. One thing that was not made clear on the written/picture! instructions (or on your video) was the air vent section (on the end panels) is for the sliding door (C/D) panel and these end "vent" sections must be lined up when you start the panel installation. Also, if you look at the "hole pattern" on the edge of the end panels, the one for the door panel (C/D) has a different pattern than the other sides. I learned this the hard way!!!! Once you figure this out, the other panels fit in easily. I viewed your video again and this was alluded to, but I could have used a "this is important" statement!!! The divider panel is pesky at first, but starts to stabilize when you get three or four panels installed. Pro tip: tighten all the panel screws before you move on to the next one......the farther you get way from the loose screw, the harder it is to reach. I hate using age/gender info, but the older I get the more I appreciate it. So I am a 70+ yr old woman and did this myself!!! Loved your video!!!!! BTW - in the two years since you did this, the company did send extra screws-----and yes, I did check!!!
Thank you so much for this video. I totally opened the box, saw the instructions, and was like... “Nahhh...” This video gave me courage to put it together! While putting on the outside B panels, I found that laying the entire unit on its side made it easy for me to install by myself because then it can’t spin at all. Thank you again for the awesome video!
Thank you! I'm actually an engineer by trade (electrical though!), and was totally thrown by the "instructions" that came with this composter. Many thanks to you!
My directions were in French, a friends was in Chinese. I watched MANY videos...... but YOURS actual answered my questions! I even subscribed to you!!!!! thank you!
Had this composter for over two years, and my recommendation on greens to browns is not to measure :) I throw in ALL my greens and any potentially smelly browns. If it gets too wet from heavy rains or if I process a bunch of veges, I'll add a few handfuls of browns from my paper shredder. Every time I add, I take a quick mental note of the moisture and any smell and add the odor-less browns accordingly. Because it's contained, you will notice the "too-green" smell when you open it to add, long before it smells while closed.
Thanks for the video, really helped with assembly.. for green brown ratio I read somewhere that if you put a bucket of greens add 2 buckets brown.. so far this is working for me.. I also went to our local feed supply and found they have bailes of wood chips and straw that I use for my browns as I never seemed to have enough brown.. I love composting now that I have this system of green and browns figured out.. thanks again.. happy gardening
I probably would have returned my Tumbler had it not been for this video. Thank you for taking the time!
Thanks a lot ! I made sure to watch your video all the way through first, and then with a couple of rewinds during the frame set up, I put this together all by myself, no drills needed! I think it was harder for you then it was for me, because you didn’t have the benefit of watching a video first. Lol
Thanks for the kind words! We're glad you found the video helpful. Enjoy your composter!
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I followed your video and was able to put together the composter. Couldn’t have done it otherwise! So grateful!,
Thank you, fantastic instructions. I’d unpacked, reviewed the “instructions” that came in the box and was about to give up. But is was a birthday gift for my son so….I cheered when I found your video. Yes, it still takes a long time but it goes together smoothly,
Great job on the video! Very informative. I just ordered one yesterday. When I’ve had compost pile before, I also add a couple scoops of dirt from my garden. It contains micro organisms to help break down the materials!!
A big thank you for the video. Instructions that came with the composter were not that great. I used a 3/8 wrench as suggested by you, but also a drill for the 56 nuts. Found out that if you just finger tighten them first, then drill, I did not need the wrench as they tightened down just fine without it. I am a 69-year-old great-grandma, so I do appreciate that surprise. Also had a nut and bolt left over, but can find nowhere that I missed, must be extra. Thank you again!
Thank you for this, I just bought one and the instructions were kind of useless. This made it easier to put it together and now to try it out.
Thanks for this video! After I got the stand and the base set, I was firing through those nuts and bolts. Got a few hand injuries from the stripped screws cutting me, but otherwise I’m very pleased. To anyone unsure if this composter is what you want, I’d recommend doing a bit more research but this composter by far is best for the function and the money.
Nice video. Organize it her way. 2 hands can do it, but 4 hands make it easier to do the 56 screws/nuts. A tip: when adding the 7 panels, it's helpful to soft- tighten the nuts where the new panel will be inserted. Makes insertion much easier.
omg thank you!! I bought an FCMP Tumbling Composter once it was back in stock but it has been in my basement in pieces ever since I glanced at the assembly instructions and my brain went: "lol wut". Your video helps make their instructions understandable & I'm confident I'll be able to put it together this weekend. :) Also glad to hear it's working well for you!
Hey thanks for this, just bought the FCMP composter gonna try and put it together today. You did a great job but that adorable cat gets the Oscar!
Thank you for your video on assembling the tumbler....I didn’t even need the printed instructions, yours were perfect...and now I know what a Roberts head screw is! Must be common in Canada
Hey! I coincidentally broke my arm just after I ordered my tumbler. I appreciate you making an assembly video, ii will make things go faster when I heal up. 🥰
Very helpful video. I was able to assemble mine with no problem because of this video. Watch this video from start to end before you start to assemble.
Appreciate the video, I was much happier following along with you than reading the manual and getting frustrated.
Glad to hear that it was helpful!
Many thanks!!🙏 this video was a marvelous help in turning frustration into an empowering assembly project! Much appreciated! 🌟🙌
Thank you this wonderful video and instructions. I lost mine except the on in French. I just wanted to show my appreciation 🪴🥰
Thanks for the video; it definitely helped us with the assembly, which we just completed.
Thank you for the clear assembly instructions. I could not follow the instructions that came with it. I just now finished the assembly by myself!
Thanks for the kind words! We're glad you found it helpful
Suzanne, great video. Having put many toys together on Christmas Eve and saving some task requiring brut force by my husband before I could finish, your video sold me on this composter that it would be easy to accomplish. I grew up composting with a large pile that we would add leaves, clippings, and vegetable matter from the kitchen. With the pile, I had to dig to the bottom for the rich compost. The hotter the decomposition happens, the less likely you will have maggots or other pests. There is a guide called "Let it Rot" which is old but has timely recommendations. With this composter I also plan on adding exhausted soil from repotting plants to enrich it to use again. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this video! I would never have gotten this assembled with the supplied instructions.
Thanks for sharing the assembly. I'm waiting for mine to be delivered and your video will prove to be very helpful.
Good luck with your composter! Thanks for watching
@@Handyverse. Thank You
This video was great! It really helped with the assembly of the composter. I greatly appreciate the work you did. Thank you!
Would love an update video on this a year or more of using it
Thanks for this informative video. We assembled without any difficulty.
Thank you so much! I just got my bin together and am going home to fill it up!
Nice video. Thank you.
Questions:
1. Any issues with critters. We have raccoons like crazy.
2. How long does it take to be garden ready?
Thanks Again!
I have raccoons put door side up and keep it away from anything they can brace themselves on. Then when they try to get to the door it spins. Mine have left it alone.
Thank you for this video!! Really helped me put my tumbler together!!
Thank you! Your video made my assembly work easy and fun!
Thanks for the video. You did a very good job, although I didn't see it till after I put it together. I stumbled for awhile but got it together. Damn there are so many screws but persistence paid off. Being a newbie I put in chopped up leaves and that didn't work well so I started to add greens and old veggies and we'll see how that works
Thanks for the instructions, they were really helpful!
this video was super helpful to me! i watched it through the entirety of me putting it together.. sooo time consuming :P but fairly easy overall!
Great editing- this was a really clear and informational video. I'll be assembling mine later today
keep it up 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thanks! How did yours go? We like the composter so far. Seems to work really well
Thank you so much for the video 🤗very helpful😅
Great video very helpful thank 😊!!!
This video was really a lifesaver, especially since my bin arrived without any instructions. I truly couldn’t have assembled the thing without this excellent video. Some thoughts: Yes, the bolts are really short, and seriously, couldn’t they have thrown in an extra or two? Having teensy hands would have been a help, especially when tightening the nuts right smack next to the divider disk. Speaking of which, I had trouble keeping the disk inside the track for the first few panels; by then it was truly lodged. I haven’t had much experience with a panoply of nuts, but bear in mind there are two varieties of same on offer here. The first has a rubber/plastic-y lining evident on one side only, and it matters which side goes on the bolt first - Google told me the metal side. The second variety has no lining but one side has a flared-out collar thing. Which side goes first? I asked a Google again but answer came there none. Maybe this is common knowledge, but I had no idea. I guessed the collar side and hope I was right. Apart from these glitches, assembly was pretty straightforward. It took me about an hour and a half. Thanks again for the best instructional video I’ve ever seen on UA-cam.
Thanks so much for the kind words! The "flared out" side of the nut goes inside. It acts like a lock washer to help keep the nut from loosening. Glad to hear the video was helpful!
@@Handyverse Hooray! I guessed right.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO, IT HELPED SO MUCH!!!!
Nice video.. I have one suggestion with your compost to stay on deck and put a container under to capture the juice and feed that to your plants or garden 😀
Very helpful. I'm not afraid to open the box now. One assembly video said to dab every screw with Loctite or nail polish so they won't loosen. Thoughts?
Glad you found it helpful! It wouldn't hurt to use Loctite or nail polish as a thread locker but we didn't and we haven't had any issues. If you do use Loctite, make sure it's not the permanent stuff or you'll never get it apart if you need to!
@@Handyverse I think I'll skip it, since I would surely end up gluing my fingers to the bin. Can't put meat in compost!
Hahaha. Worst case, if you find that they are coming loose on you, you could always add it later (nail polish, not fingers!)
Thank you so much for the informative video!
Thank you for the great video and instructions, this was so helpful! :)
Mine will arrive tomorrow. I've never composted before so all of this is new for me. Thank you so much for showing details of the assembly. That was super helpful to me. Since I live alone do you have a recommendation for the extra set of hands I don't have here? Also, did you use some sort of a compost starter?
I’m not sure I put mine together correctly…are the panels “chiral”? I’ve been using it for a few days; when I rotate it some of the coffee grounds fall out.
Thanks for the video! The directions that came with the bin were awful 😂 enjoyed your review and commented update! Have a great day! 🤍
The metal poles of the stand are etched with the part numbers.
Great help! Thank you!
thanks for yuo video help to much
Extremely instructional video. Thanks for posting! You could definitely drop the music. Very distracting to 71 year old guy with severe tinnitus.
did you ever find out what the proper ratio browns to greens is?
Thank you.
It isn't clear whether the vents should be left open or closed. I closed mine thinking heat might retain better but I noticed yours were open. Should I open mine?
What was that powdery substance you were adding from the bucket?
Sawdust!
Is it okay for the curring side to get turned? I thought it wasn't supposed to.
Do you think I could leave this for approximately 30 days while I'm traveling?
Oh my god thank you so much for making this video!! I picked this guy up on Amazon and the instructions are a joke!
Is it okay to add kitchen scraps daily? Would it cause that to produce maggots?
what is the white powder that you added at 12:12?
Earlier post she said sawdust they had.
I received mine in the mail today and am a bit overwhelmed with the assembly. Thanks for posting this. Are there any other browns you can suggest? Does flower count as a brown?
Browns are dried leaves, shredded paper, shredded cardboard.
are there gaps between the two sides?
You did amazing!!!
Thank you for saying so! 😊
Its been a while. How is the composting project going now?
I purchased the same and now have it in my back yard.
I foresee those nuts & blots being a real problem coming loose all the time. Please give us an update if possible. Thank you, Judie
We hope they don't! So far, so good. We'll let you know if any of them come loose. Thanks for watching!
As long as they didn't strip the screws going in they should be fine in the long run either way.
The only change I would make is to mention air vents line up across each other.Delete you need a wrench at the beginning. Otherwise excellent video
Thanks for the feedback, good point on the air vents. While you don't necessarily need the wrench when assembling the main body, we'd still recommend using one for putting the metal frame together. Thanks for watching!
Thank you big help
Very cool!
Thanks Ashley!
i had one extra screw n nut. took me an hour but if i ever have to build it again i shud be able to build it alot faster especially i didnt use the manual, i just winged it lol
meowww
Just FYI - London Depot in Ontario sells this composter for $35
She correct. It’s easier to use a screwdriver than a drill unless you have a smaller one.
Great job! If you need help design your garden let us know Campbell’s Freedom Farm
Any problems with animals breaking into it?
No, we haven't had any issues at all although the only animals in our area that might cause issues would be raccoons. It's probably not bear-proof! 😜
Hello, what is that you put from the Home Depot pail?
Sawdust from Jason's workshop. Thanks for watching
Frustrating to follow because the music was terrible, but I didn't want to miss the verbal instructions. So instead of watching easily through, I had to keep up volume and down volume.
My model is just a little different and it says put the middle separator in after 4 panels are together, before the base is done at all. I came to this video to make sure I had the middle separator in the right direction.
Thansk for the video, despite my constructive cricism.
Just a thought. Looked like you maybe had onions in your composting material adding to tumbler. If so you should not use onions in your compost as they will kill bacteria and microbes that are necessary to your composting.
So you can't compost meat, eggs?
no meat or eggs - egg SHELLs are OK. Meat will attract critters (there are other reasons too)
Thanks for this! The assembly instructions included are really awful. They should just point people to your video.
I bought this and am not really excited about it.
Why do youtubers ruin their videos with annoying background music while they are talking. Could have been a great video.
The instructions are little more than a parts diagram. They’re terrible. Assembling this too me WAAAAAY too long. I found myself backtracking a lot.
We need to hear you when you are explaining how to assemble this unit. WHY are you playing music OVER your voice? Sorry, not even 5 minutes into the video and I have to find another one to help assemble my composter. Music over the instruction was just too much.