Exaco Aerobin 400 Insulated Composter

My spouse and I waited almost 4 years after we purchased our home before we were able to purchase our Aerobin. I had wanted a compost bin for several decades as I knew that we could put our kitchen scraps and yard clippings in one and it would allow us to reduce the amount of trash that needed to be picked up. I also knew we could then make our own plant food and soil for our yard thereby not having to transport bags of soil from another location to our house. I also knew I would know what we were making our soil out of, in our case organic egg shells, cardboard from 100% post consumable recyclable toilet paper rolls, and similar soybean ink printed envelopes mixed with our yard trimmings that we never spray and our other vegetarian kitchen scraps with foods like organic soy porridge (from the making of homemade soy milk,) coffee grounds, tea bags, and lots of homemade bread crumbs. I knew I did not want to smell my compost bin so after my spouse and I got our home I heard about the Aerobin 400 and how it’s unique structure meant I could place it right next to my house and not smell it. Finally almost four years later, and several decades looking forward to being able to own my own home and land complete with a compost bin it is true. The amount of waste we made before getting our Aerobin was already so minimal I wondered how we could improve in a positive fashion more than what we already had? Most of our food is homemade and it is all vegetarian. We use mason jars to store leftovers. We do not eat out. We do not buy soda, we make it. We make our own Frappacinos and lattes and low fat ice cream sodas. We even brew our own beer and make our own yogurt and soy milk. We do not use paper napkins, plastic straws (we use stainless steel,) paper towels nor tissues. Outside of our yard clippings we had very little trash. It took less than a week after we set up our Aerobin that it did make even more of a difference.My spouse calculated how many bricks we would have to purchase to raise our Aerobin up 3 bricks high as it must be raised up above ground level. He found out it took 96 bricks to do this. I am sharing this information in case you purchase an Aerobin so you know how many bricks to buy at the store to raise it above the ground. It could be raised up as little as two bricks but since I am 5’9 inches tall and my spouse, he is over 6 feet we raised our Aerobin up three bricks. Also, if you buy an Aerobin know that you will need to purchase hay to place on the bottom along with compost starter or moist soil. Instead of compost starter we used 40 pounds of bagged soil with manure. Hay can be purchased at local feed stores or online and shipped from American Pet. I recommend purchasing ½ to ¼ bale along with the compost starter when buying the Aerobins, in addition to buying bricks or longer stones. We are never selling our Aerobin, nor are we giving it away.I will share some things I did not know about the Aerobin 400 before I purchased mine. All Aerobin 400s are the same style and size so if you are going to purchase one of your own you should read this. I found out it seemed best to buy the additional hose to attach to the outlet at the bottom that pours the liquid plant food. Make sure there is easy access to both doors of the Aerobin. As I quickly found out a few insects did get inside, and I did not place them there. There are small holes at the bottom and they must have gotten in that way. By opening the doors of the Aerobin regularly, the insects can jump out and escape safely. I would not recommend getting one if the person or person(s) were not able to open the doors regularly to let any trapped insect out. See as compost is added it might make it more difficult for them to get out the way they came in, (through the bottom holes,) and it gets hot in there and it is dark. So, for ethical reasons they must be able to get out. Also, note that small flies are attracted to the top of the Aerobin. Predators such as spiders must not be allowed to ‘hang out,’ around the Aerobin. I had to remove a spider that was lurking on mine.There was a little bit of a smell after a few days. I found I just needed to layer in some yard clippings and the smell disappeared.When owning a composter one must be careful when placing yard clippings in that they do not contain insects as it would not be ethical to trap an insect in a composter. Since I already was doing that before throwing out my yard clippings before in the trash bag,( I did not want to trap any in a landfill or trash truck,) this has not been a burden to me. I had even stopped using sealed vacuum bags as I was concerned about this ethical issue.Also with the Aerobins they recommend backflushing the outlet with water but I do not since I would worry about flooding insects. Instead I will make sure I pour the liquid plat food out weekly and make sure it does not dry out by adding things like the mayo water and soy porridge so I will not have to backflush it.At first I was thinking about purchasing a compost pail but I try to percolate and see if I really have to buy whatever as I am mindful about resources and also want to be ethical and never downgrade my quality of life or others. For example, I chose not to have children for many reasons including my spouse and I had been burdened by others who had children a great deal. The other thing is obviously there is not a shortage of humans, as I knew many that were in apartments or condos or rentals. It seems a wise, ethical, caring and loving decision not to have children.After first getting our Aerobin started my spouse and I had some liquid plant food to put on our lawn/garden within one week. Soil is also already being made. The pamphlet says it can take up to three months for this to happen. I think ours was faster because of the hay, soil with cow manure, and the hot Turkish coffee grounds I throw in. Instead of buying a compost pail I made one. This is how I did it:I took a small light weight plastic bucket I own, made a few very small vent holes in it with one of my veggie kabob skewers, then covered the holes with a piece of cheesecloth I then affixed with museum wax. My spouse and I place our compostables such as coffee grounds, egg shells, etc., in that plastic bucket I labeled with liquid chalk and a sticker from a set I bought that works also to label mason jars. That is the bucket I take and pour in our Aerobin that my spouse and I own daily.All sorts of food I wasted before was no longer wasted since getting my Aerobin. For example, I discovered I could take waste water from our bread pans and pour it in empty mayonnaise jars, shake them and pour the liquid mayo waste in my compost pail adding more nutrients to the soil it makes. Crumbs on the counter that used to go in the hand vac and the trash my spouse and I sweep into our easily lifted to the counter home made lightweight compost pail to be placed later in our Aerobin.2/11/18 Update:Almost 4 months of using my Aerobin has caused me to discover several things about using and owning these type of composters. After I place my kitchen scraps in I cover them with leaves or clippings from my lawn. This way there is no odor, even when I open the lid. Note I am a vegetarian so my kitchen scraps reflect that and maybe that is why there is no ‘trashy’ odor when the lid is opened. Every so often, I open both of the doors as this is recommended. It has not produced much compost yet, but I can see it is working on it as the level of contents drops pretty quickly and I have not filled it completely so I can continually use it each day. I discovered the tube my spouse installed so we could get the liquid plant food easier became blocked. The manufacturer recommended back flushing the tube with a garden hose but as I thought deeply about it I disagreed. I have insect activity in the composter, therefore I felt it would be unethical and flood the insects if I did this. So I searched for another solution to keeping these tubes clear. A pipe cleaner would work, but before I purchased one I considered carefully, what I already had. Could I do it using something I have in a new and different way? I had already taken one of my garden hoops and converted it into a wreath frame for a homemade wreath. I could use another of my garden hoops to keep the tube cleared, the ends of the hoops are dull. That is exactly what I did and am doing. You might consider reusing the things you have and see if that can be done rather than buying something else. For example, instead of buying more coasters I use saucers. I also am telling you if you buy an Aerobin and have insect activity in it please be ethical and do not back flush the liquid plant food port flooding the composter. The amount of plastic trash bags my spouse and I use has been reduced so significantly that we now are able to have even more variety in our vegetarian diet since we no longer need to buy as many bags. A tip, if you buy in bulk at stores like Costco and get a case of toilet paper know the plastic it comes wrapped in can be reused as a trash bag liner. I do this with my Seventh Generation Toilet paper made from all recycled materials.2/25/18 AMAZING DISCOVERY UPDATE by Julie SandsGuess what? I opened one of the side doors on my Aerobin to find very healthy looking MUSHROOMS are growing inside it as it makes soil. This tells me that Aerobins can also be used as giant mushroom growers if seeded with mushroom spores and given only vegetarian composting material. So upon reflecting on this and the fact that in the space of one week (I open the side doors once a week,) mushrooms appeared I know that now is a great time for me to get mushrooms started in my Aerobin for harvesting and eating. The mushrooms that are already there appear to be white button mushrooms but I will not eat them. I purchased a Baby Bella (small brown pizza mushrooms,) growing kit. . I placed it in my Aerobin at the coolest level but was unable to grow that type of mushrooms in it. I do conceive of another invention just for growing mushrooms year round in back yards about the size of the Aerobin.UPDATE 5/12/18Seven months after I began using my Aerobin I finally got some fantastic composted soil from my Aerobin. I took it out from one of the side doors. It was a small yield. There is more in the other side door but I have not removed it yet. I used it to start some seeds in some plastic egg trays I am re-using as seed starters. The remainder I placed in one of my planters. It still was not enough to top it off. Perhaps now that I removed the composted soil the remainder will compost quicker since there is more air-flow at the bottom. I noted there were some small insects in the soil and so I do not recommend using Aerobin composted soil for indoor plants. I did not harm the insects but left them in the seed starters and will transfer them to the 4-inch pots when I transfer my seedlings to them.UPDATE 7/31/18Just got some of my second batch of compost yesterday. There was more in the Aerobin this time. I am writing to ask those that compost to be careful with the tools they use to retrieve the compost. For example I could not use my garden rake or spade, etc., since there are insects and worms in my Aerobin and that might injure them. I had to come up with a work around. In my case I found a very bendable flexing plastic cooking spoon coupled with a small bendable used yogurt container to help scoop the soil onto the spoon worked best. I hold a lightweight bendy plastic bucket under my composter to easily catch all the soil I retrieve from it. Since I have it raised up on bricks I set my low garden chair beside it when I do this to make it even easier. I use kitchen style plastic gloves that come up above the wrist I rewash to do this. There is no odor from it.UPDATE 8/2/18Great day! I checked the other side of my Aerobin for compost and I found out there is lots and lots of high quality soil in it. So much so that I realize my Aerobin will now meet most of my soil needs. No more toting 30-pound bags of soil from the store! I can just scoop out what I need from my Aerobin. I still will purchase the lighter weight Wonder Soil once in a while for some of my planters that require a soil-less growth medium. But my and my spouse's Aerobin will take care of my spouse’s and my regular soil needs (for planting, topping off planters, etc.,) from now on. It has been a little over nine months since we began composting.-Julie SandsGENERAL INFO ON COMPOSTING UPDATE 8/24/18I have some tips I have discovered since owning my Aerobin and also owning my home and land and tending to it. For I spent hours ‘winterizing’ my sensitize plants. I was unhappy with the garden cloth I was using and began to look for a different solution. During that time I and my spouse used to spend hours raking leaves, placing them in MANY plastic trash bags and they (those bags with leaves we put out to be picked up,) were picked up by a waste removal (sanitation) truck. Then I was even spending time placing wood chip mulch at the base of some plants that had to have a leaf mulch base that happens when my deciduous trees shed their leaves. As I was picking up leaves I began noticing how the wind seemed to be artfully placing them across my yard so I could see how incredibly helpful they are. They are at the base of delicate plants requiring a ‘mulch’ blanket for example. The plants are quite healthy through winter with just the mulch of leaves. So I changed my and my spouse’s behavior. Instead of picking up leaves during autumn, I selectively picked some (only one bagful,) up but not others. I then tried something as I thought about those trash pickups that were picking up plastic bags of leaves and not being able to dump them out of the bags. I left that trash bag of leaves closed but did not put it out to be picked up. I opened up the bag in the spring and lo and behold, I had around a 20 pound plastic trash bag filled with GORGEOUS perfectly composted topsoil! I placed it in some of my planters. Shed leaves are much better utilized if kept at home. My system involves just letting deciduous leaves fall and not bagging or raking them. Some I spread around lightly just with my feet, it is quick and easy. Some I collect and place in my planters as mulch for winter. The leaves disintegrate and turn into soil/plant/tree nourishment just as it starts to warm up when they know their ‘blanket’ is no longer needed. Any that have fallen on some concrete areas of my yard also disintegrate and turn into soil and I just take my spade and scoop the soil up into my planters. The plants I used to cover with the winter cloth do much better with my leaf system also. Know if you are keen to start composting but can’t buy an Aerobin without putting it on a pay over time credit card (debt) do not despair and do not go into debt. Well, if you do not have any back or knee injuries an easy home made composter can be fashioned from those big plastic trash cans with lids and wheels. These are less expensive to purchase than an Aerobin and can also be purchased on Amazon new. You can throw kitchen scraps in trash cans with lids and wheels, but I do not recommend placing dairy in there or even meat to keep odor away. Then, in a matter of some months that trash will have turned into soil with NO turning of the compost required, just like a sealed bag of leaves. Why do I suggest the kind with wheels? Because soil is very heavy and laying the trash can down to get the soil out will be easy if the trash can has wheels. Otherwise, if you have one without wheels place it where you can use leverage to tip it over once it is filled with soil, just remember to tape the lid shut first. Then just remove the tape and scoop out the top soil. It’s really that simple. People that already own large plastic bins with lids can also use them as a composter if they want to make their own soil. Those that are handy at recycling wood pallets (experienced or self do it carpenter types,) could if they want to also make a composter out of these by just thinking about it a bit and can even build them to be easy to use even with a back or knee problem. If you have a back issue like I do I recommend just waiting and saving up until you can buy yourself a new Aerobin. I waited several years before I was able to buy mine.UPDATE 1/29/19I love my Aerobin. I have potting soil whenever I want always ready. I found out many other people that also own Aerobins end up buying additional units if they have the room for them. I keep mine at least 3/4s full and it is often almost maxed out though I can always fit my daily kitchen scraps in it. If I have more yard clippings that don’t fit I burn them and use them as fuel for my grill type of thing. Since mine has insects in it I found if I go to get soil it is best to give a knock on the side door I will open, then wait a few seconds so that the insects can move to the other side of the Aerobin. Before I did this some insects would be on the inside of the doors when I opened them and it was gross. I do not use traditional metal garden tools to gather potting soil or to move the compost down since that would possibly be hazardous to the insects. Instead, I use things like flexible plastic parmesan cheese containers, non-fat yogurt containers which I use like a plastic cup to dig the potting soil loose from the sides, etc. rather than using a sharp or too hard metal garden fork. This way, insects are not injured. I use a plastic flexible spoon handle to poke down the stuck leaves at the top and to loosen the potting soil as that bends and flexes to prevent injuries. I never flood the composter and it works great. I also recommend those that own those composters with handles to stop turning them as the heavy weight of the soil might not be the best thing if there are insects in there. The compost will still break down, it just might take a little longer, but will then be on a regular schedule so they will have enough soil from those also but they also no longer have to do that daily chore of turning them.-Julie Sands

It works good! High winds will take that cover off! Needs a look or latch.

We researched several composters. This one checked all the boxes: compact (since it it tall, not wide), good price, no maintenance, easy to put together, holds up well to weather. Can't comment on the actual composing ability as we've only had it for about 4 months and the composing process takes longer. But so far, we are very pleased.

This items turned out to be an extremely overpriced plastic garbage receptacle.Assembly was difficult since pieces were not labeled to aid in placing them correctly, if snapped into the wrong slots (sides all looked pretty much alike), they were very difficult to remove. Aerobin customer service was not very helpful providing assistance.The unit is very tall and trying to dig down to the bottom to turn the waste requires a long handled tool (not provided) and it's very difficult. Often the bottom trap door pops out while you are trying to turn the waste spilling it out the side. After much frustration I purchased a drum type composter on a stand for a fourth of the cost. I just go out and turn the drum with a hand crank and the compost gets stirred. A much more efficient and less costly alternative to the Aerobin.The ad for the Aerobin states "Unique patented self aeration lung means no turning needed" however when I called customer support they advised that was incorrect that you DID HAVE TO TURN THE COMPOST MANUALLY. Had I known this I would not have purchased this item. Exaco Trading Aerobin 400 Insulated Composter and Self Aeration System

The entire middle (compost bin) was missing from the order. Exaco Trading Co. sent the black top and bottom, as pictured, with 4 pieces of cut cardboard as “buffer pads.” The package was completely open and unsealed upon delivery, took longer than scheduled to arrive, and appears to be used with scratches and dirt on the product. I’ve requested a full refund.—Update: The side components of the compost bin arrived (with a Home Depot receipt) after reaching out to the seller. All items are scratched and are covered in dust/dirt. Because it’s a compost bin, I’m not too concerned about the scratches and dust if the times works. I’ll try to provide a third update in a few weeks.

Very easy to put together and insulated which makes it very much hotter. I haven't had it long enough to even try to look for compost and won't do that until probably closer to fall but I do have it full and it continues to get lower in the bin indicating something is breaking down. I started it absolutely text book however and added some compost starter, and for a while steam would come out when I opened the lid. Lately it has stalled (I may have put too much in it or watered it a little heavy), so I have put more compost starter on it (just yesterday), so we'll see if that kick starts it. It replaced an open aired compost pile butting up against my hot house (damaging it in the winter when it froze) so this is a much more pleasurable space use and all in all I'm quite pleased with the purchase.

This unit is huge and allows for continuous additional materials to be inserted through the top, while still providing rich compost through the bottom opening for my garden needs. It may have been a bit overkill for a family of 2 but still love it and would purchase it again.

am repairing the damage--holes were missing where nuts go in and some wood was damaged, using wood glue, not worth sending back. should have arrived PERFECT, doncha think?