Whether you’re a green thumb or a new budding gardener looking to grow fresh vegetables for the family, the Mantis Compost Tumbler CT02001 is a great solution for cleanly disposing of kitchen and yard waste, and for generating high-quality compost. The Mantis ComposTumbler may look like it belongs on the set of a post-apocalyptic movie or video game, but it excels at efficiently generating compost. Mantis has been a household name in the gardening domain for decades now, and the 88 gallon Mantis Compact ComposTumbler brings tried and trusted composting technology to home and garden users. This product can compost most waste in only weeks, where traditional methods can take months or years.
With its bomb-proof construction and easy-to-use spinning mechanism, the Mantis compact compost tumbler is the perfect composting solution for any suburban home. It is not the cheapest composting system around, but it is an excellent value.
In this article, we will take a close look at the Mantis Composter, review it, and consider the pros and cons of this interesting home composting system.
Mantis Compost Tumbler Product Review
The mantis compact compost tumbler devours your food scraps and general yard waste and turns it into fresh, mineral-rich compost for your garden in just weeks. It features a close-able drum, drainage and air flow vents, a removable door for easy access, and is made in the USA.
Basic Features
This unit has the following features:
- Easy to use spin handle. The hand spinning mechanism is gear driven, which means it is very easy to turn manually providing extra comfort to the user.
- Ventilation and drainage ports on the door. This allows extra air-flow and drainage to occur without any manual intervention.
- Very solid construction. The unit is made from galvanized steel which is then powder-coated for better protection against the elements.
- Internal mixing blades. The internal blades help in mixing your compost while spinning the unit.
- 88-gallon capacity. Lots of material space in this compact unit ensuring that you won’t run out of room.
- Quick composting. Your compost is ready in only a few weeks. It’s important to note, that this timer is reset when you add new material.
- The Mantis compact compost tumbler also comes with a 2-year warranty which offers good peace of mind to the weary consumer.
Here’s a quick video touching on the major features of the Mantis Compost Tumbler:
Dimensions and Specs
- Product dimensions: 42″ x 33″ x 43″
- Weight: 60 pounds
- Shipping weight: 61 pounds
- Stand included
- The drum is made from powder coated, galvanized steel
- Gear-driven spinning mechanism
- Holds up to 88 gallons of material
Mantis ComposTumbler: The Details
The Mantis compact compost tumbler is a handy addition to the home garden. It allows for quick and easy composting with very minimal fuss.
Let’s look closer at various aspects of this composting system.
Aesthetics
The Mantis 88 Gallon Compost Tumbler looks like a cross between a happy vampire and a prop from a post-apocalyptic movie. It is certainly odd, but the design speaks to robustness and quality of construction.
This unit features a military-looking green finish and black steel frame that should blend in nicely in a quiet corner of the garden or patio area. The unit itself produces little to no odor when used correctly, and should not disturb those nearby. This means it can be placed near the home without the risk of upsetting anyone inside.
Functionality
The Mantis compact compost tumbler has one of the fastest composting speeds on the market, boasting only a few weeks to compost, though this is not always the case. Time to compost can vary to longer durations depending on climate, time of year and type of material used to compost.
Also, placing new material into the composter while it is processing will reset the timer.
This unit only has one compost chamber, which is a negative compared to dual-chamber composters like the Jora JK270 (see our review of the Joraform Compost Tumbler here).
If you generate lots of new compost during the time a batch is being made, you’ll have to store it somewhere until the batch inside the Mantis Tumbling Composter is complete.
The Mantis ComposTumbler has a well built, easy to use, gear-driven crank system. The crank allows users to effortlessly rotate the drum and turn over the compost.
Users simply turn the handle on the side of the unit once a day for best results (although it doesn’t matter if a day or two is missed).
Material and Build Quality
The Mantis Compost Tumbler is made of high quality galvanized steel, which is then, powder coated to protect the unit from rust. This 88-gallon composter is well made, but users should keep an eye on the finish over time; nicks and scratches in the paint can lead to rust, and if bare metal is visible, you’ll probably want to pick up a can of Rustoleum paint and spray those spots to keep the rust away.
As mentioned above, Mantis does offer a 2-year warranty on the tumbler, which shows that they stand by the quality of this product.
The turning mechanism is gear driven which means that using the tumbling function is very easy for almost anyone to operate.
The gear system is designed in such a way that very minimal force is required to turn the handle.
Assembly
Assembly of the Mantis compost tumbler can look daunting when starting out, but many users find that by the time they are done, it isn’t as bad as it seems. Compared to some of the other units around such as the Jora JK270 or the Yimby Compost Tumbler, the Mantis is relatively easy to assemble.
If you’d like to take a look at the assembly instructions to get a sense of what you’ll be getting into, you can view them here [pdf]. Additionally, The Mantis support staff are very helpful and responsive, and assembly is generally not a huge issue for most buyers.
Tips for cleaning and maintenance
Cleaning and maintenance are pretty straightforward with the Mantis Compact Compost Tumbler, as the unit comes apart easily.
Since the composter is supposed to operate for weeks to months at a time without requiring much intervention, cleaning is not required very often.
The unit has a door that is used for inserting compost material and also has drainage vents. Simply use a hose to clean the interior of the unit, close the door and give the handle a few turns to spin the water around the unit then open the door to let the water drain out.
Tips for Better Composting
Ensure that the waste that you are adding to the compost is high in nitrogen and carbon for best results.
If you have access to a shredder, it is best to shred bulky items before putting them in the compost mix. Things like shrub clippings, corn cobs, and melon rind should be broken up into smaller pieces before composting. According to warnings from Nature First Pest Control, one should never add any waste item that may have been treated with chemicals for pest control.
Types of material to compost:
- Lawn clippings
- Leaves
- Coffee beans or grounds
- Fruit or vegetables
- Weeds and other garden waste
- Sawdust (not painted or pressure treated wood)
- Kitchen waste, rotten fruit and vegetables, peels etc.
- Animal manure (not from dogs or cats)
The Bottom Line
The Mantis Compact Compost Tumbler is a terrific product for anyone looking to get into composting and gardening in the suburbs. Its compact size allows for it to fit in with any type of suburban home and is easy to clean and maintain. It is made from galvanized, powder coated steel so it is protected against the elements and produces almost no odor!
For the price and convenience, this product is an excellent choice for suburban use.
It is not the cheapest compost tumbler around and only has one chamber, but it is very well made. If you prefer a dual chamber unit, consider the Jora JK270, and if the price is a significant concern, check out the Yimby Compost Tumbler.
That said, the Mantis is every bit as good as these units and is extremely well made.
- Enclosed composter drum eliminates odors and prevent access to pets...
- Air vent at top of compost bin allows free flow of oxygen into drum
- Drainage vents allow excess moisture to escape composter.Drum...
- Compost tumbler barrel features removable door for easy loading and...
- Compost Tumbler is made in USA. Time to finish compost: finished...
Last update on 2024-12-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The sides of the barrel and the gear are made of plastic. In two years, the plastic gear has broken twice. They sent new ones, but each time, I have to wait until the end of the growing season to replace it and it is REALLY hard to replace. They do not honor the warranty any more than that. This is very poor value for the money. Sad… I had an all-metal one of these that I bought in 1997 and used until 2015 and it was fantastic.