Lifetime 100 gal. Double Bin Rot Composter

The barrels seem nice, but definitely wasn’t prepared for the build process. Took two of us a good chunk of a day. Not the easiest project. One of the pins that held the locking mechanism in place broke. Luckily we had a spare that worked.

I just got this and thankfully I did not allow my husband to put it together by himself because it is definitely a two man job. They even give you two sets of instructions which I really appreciated; so I didn’t have to read over his shoulder. It was a lot of assembly but I think it will be a good composter.

We bought it on October 2025. It takes a lot of patience and time to put it together. After using it for 4 months, it does not have enough aeration to create the environment for worms to thrive. No worms = no compost. We've been composting in our California backyard for 20 years. Our 2 plastic bins were finally past repair. The Lifetime being elevated is a great concept, but it desperately needs a lot more air. We put a good amount of plant matter, etc. in one of the bins - instead of going from slightly smelly to no odor (this is a sign the worms are doing their job), it just smelled, there no worms - I had put a lot of worms in to get it started. It just smelled like rotting material. Compost when it is finished, has no odor. The Lifetime also has several rust spots which given the weight of the barrel when full, is disconcerting. I now prop the doors open so it gets more air - that takes away the heat it needs to make compost. It is a great concept with a serious design flaw.

We’ve had this for a while. Hinges and hardware are NOT stainless steel. They should be. Trying to use the web site for parts or waiting forever if you call seem really unacceptable. I would pay extra for stainless hinges and/or latches, but that’s not an option. If you buy one of these, grease the hinge pins heavily and paint all the parts with rust prevention paint