BLACK+DECKER 40-Gallon Dual Chamber Compost Tumbler Outdoor (BDSTGA9701)

Up to now, I have been using an old plastic garbage can with holes drilled into the sides that I flip on its side and roll around on the ground to turn the compost over. I keep a couple of bungee cords to hold the lid on and while it works pretty well, it does get heavy to move it around. In addition, some rats decided to chew through the plastic to get inside for a free meal. So I added some heavy screen around the bottom to keep them out.Since my wife cannot move the can around, I decided it was time to get a better design compost bin.The BLACK+DECKER 40-Gallon Dual Chamber Compost Tumbler is perfect for out needs. Rotation is simple using the hand crank and it rotates very easily to tumble your compost. I got the 2 chamber model as we generate a lot of compost.Assembly was straightforward and not too complicated. During assembly, one of the last steps to do was installing the drum and while the instructions say it's a 2 person step, I managed to do it by myself. One item of note, the instructions indicate there is a bag containing 10 M6x35 round head screws, but the bag containing these only had 8.However, there was a bag labeled Arm Assembly containing 2 of the same size screws, but are not applicable to the arm, so I used them to finish assembling the frame.Overall, pretty impressed with the design and how everything fit together. I did use a rubber mallet to tap the long threaded rods while assembling the barrel to get them pressed into position.If you take care and follow the instructions, assembly is easy. Just take care to pay close attention on some of the assembly to avoid any frustrations.

I started this composting journey with the Miracle-Gro Dual Chamber Composter, which was basically a glorified plastic shoebox held together by wishful thinking. It was flimsy, sat ridiculously low to the ground, and came missing parts—because why not add an extra challenge? For the same price, this BLACK+DECKER 40-Gallon Tumbling Composter is an absolute game-changer.Assembly:Putting it together was… an experience. It required two people, and unfortunately, my “helper” was a child, which somehow made it more complicated. My photo documentation started strong but quickly turned into more of a “look at this adorable chaos” album than an instruction manual. Biggest tip: Don’t tighten the nuts on the panel rods until both sides and end caps are on, or you’ll have an existential crisis wondering why the rod suddenly shrank. And double-check all your parts before starting—unlike my Miracle-Gro disaster, which came with bonus frustration instead of missing pieces.Performance:Once assembled, this thing is solid. The dual chambers make composting easy, the tumbling mechanism actually works without feeling like it’s going to fall apart, and it sits at a reasonable height so I’m not bending down like I’m foraging for mushrooms. The handle and gear system make turning smooth, and the whole design just feels sturdy—which is exactly what I wanted.Final Thoughts:I love this composter, but if there were a 110-gallon version, I’d buy it yesterday. Seriously, Black+Decker, let’s make that happen. In the meantime, if you need a reliable, well-built composter that won’t have you rage-quitting your gardening dreams, this is the one to get.

This holds a decent amount of compost for an amateur gardener. The device was moderately easy to assemble. The only issue is that the end-caps on the feet have inexplicably fallen out. However the device seems sturdy.

The assembly is easy. However, I am missing the shaft to complete the assembly. I call Black & Decker to get the missing part and they tell me another department handles the warranty. They transfer me to Orbit who has no clue what a Tumbling Composter is. However I need to order the part from a text service/AI that needs the part for the order process to happen. However the Tumbling Composter is not on the Orbit website nor an exploded view/parts list to get the part number needed. In the manual it’s only referenced as part H. So I speak to Black & Decker customer service 6 different times to explain I need the part number. They send me back to Orbit that many times and they won’t give me the part number because I ordered from Amazon. I go back to Amazon and get to customer service and it states I need to contact Black & Decker for parts. I am completely disappointed with their “customer service “. This is the biggest joke of customer service I have ever experienced. This is for a $2.00 part that was missing. They packed an extra set of rods versus the shaft (see the image). From time to time this happens, which is understandable. However to order a part from a company that is too big and too dysfunctional is painful. Amazon asked me if I wanted to return and I do not. My solution after researching online is buying the shaft myself from Dewalt. The part number Dewalt has for the shaft is not recognizable by Orbit or Black & Decker, but works well for Dewalt which I am sure owns Black & Decker and Orbit. This entire experience has caused me 5 days of back and forth and $13.55 for the part and shipping cost to complete the assembly of a product that had a missing part from the factory. Black & Decker you can do better! Terrible, terrible job at customer service.