big pig or little pig

s7ryf3925pivug

Have half acre with a good few trees, shrubs, bushes and lots of cuttings piled around the place from the previous owners. Have a good shredder. Want to compost garden waste small enough to fit in it.

Looking at big pig and little pig. The big pig is better value in the sense it is 100 more or something but significantly larger capacity. But it might be capacity we dont need, or wont need once we've gotten through the piles of cuttings.

Anyone any ideas on which would suit requirements better? Is there any advantage to little pig outside of it being cheaper - takes up less space I guess though space isn't really an issue.

New Home

If I were to buy one myself, and if space were no problem, I'd go for the larger one, anyway - you know what you need it for right now, but things may change in the future - it was like when they built the M50 thinking that two lanes would be plenty. But, like I said, I don't own one.

my3cents

To avoid confusion is this what your on about OP https://www.quickcrop.ie/product/joraform-big-pig-jk270-composter ?

gozunda

my3cents wrote: »

To avoid confusion is this what your on about OP https://www.quickcrop.ie/product/joraform-big-pig-jk270-composter ?

Lol - when I read the title I thought for a moment it was thread about our porcine friends ...

But yes I would go for the 'big pig' - it's always possible to rustle up extra compostables imo

my3cents

gozunda wrote: »

Lol - when I read the title I thought for a moment it was thread about our porcine friends ...

But yes I would go for the 'big pig' - it's always possible to rustle up extra compostables imo

Yeah me too I could imagine what a big pig was but was at a loss to work out what a small pig might be. Vietnamese potbellied pig sprung to mind for some reason, probably because I know few people that had them as pets.

Roen

Big.

Kitchen waste is 80% of mine. Even when you get through the garden stuff you'll always find something to chuck in it unless you have other plans for food waste.
Stock up on wood pellets.

s7ryf3925pivug

If I need them I'll be impressed. I want this to dispose of excess carbon waste. Existing composter is fine for our kitchen waste. I have lots and lots of shredded wood (pellet size), lots and lots of branches, and plenty of pruning to do on trees and shrubs.

Got the bosch turbine cutter shredder which munches through branches with leaves on or not.

Roen

If your heart is set on it you can experiment of course.

Thing is though pellet sized wood and pellets are two very different things. Pellets are made up of tiny chips that all break apart on contact with any moisture.
The surface area of a broken down pellet will be many, many times that of a piece of wood the same initial size.

That said if you're in no rush and don't care about a 7-8 week turn around you'll be fine.

magicbastarder

i would guess that a compost tumblr is best suited to someone short on space but producing a lot of compostable material; if you've half an acre, you should have plenty of space for cheaper, slower options?

New Home

So, get a smaller pig, and wait until it grows up? :pac:

dball

here's another option that might save you a few quid!

Only looking at them - i've not seen them in person so can't vouch for them yet. but they do look the part and no rust
https://www.coopsuperstores.ie/Garden/Composts-Bark--Plant-Food/Compost-Bins/Carbery-Roto-200l-Composter-1665180

s7ryf3925pivug

Roen wrote: »

If your heart is set on it you can experiment of course.

Thing is though pellet sized wood and pellets are two very different things. Pellets are made up of tiny chips that all break apart on contact with any moisture.
The surface area of a broken down pellet will be many, many times that of a piece of wood the same initial size.

That said if you're in no rush and don't care about a 7-8 week turn around you'll be fine.

That's good to know and a reason to get the big one. I want it mainly as a low hassle system to dispose of wood and weeds. (I object to backyard burning and wouldn't do it myself.) The compost is just a bonus.

s7ryf3925pivug

magicbastarder wrote: »

i would guess that a compost tumblr is best suited to someone short on space but producing a lot of compostable material; if you've half an acre, you should have plenty of space for cheaper, slower options?

I have a tumbler composter and it's good but full. The main advantage of a tumbler is that rats can't get into it. The second advantage is that it is easier to mix. A well tended standard compost bin is actually faster but more work.

I also have a heap of grass clippings. I plan to use standard compost bins to contain that because it would be neater.

A good bit of space is taken up by piles of branches left by the previous tenants, some of which have lots of nettles growing in them. I'd spend the same on a skip to get rid of them. And I'd have no means to avoid repeating the same thing.

my3cents

I'd consider bagging the wood chips (use those meter squared fork lift bags that hold about a tonne) and then mixing them in with green material like grass clippings as you create them.

s7ryf3925pivug

dball wrote: »

here's another option that might save you a few quid!

Only looking at them - i've not seen them in person so can't vouch for them yet. but they do look the part and no rust
https://www.coopsuperstores.ie/Garden/Composts-Bark--Plant-Food/Compost-Bins/Carbery-Roto-200l-Composter-1665180

I saw that before and considered it but went for a dual compartment one around the same capacity and price. The pig composters are insulated so they get hotter. This means the contents break down faster and you can put weeds in them. Some people put dog poo and animal food waste in them but I'll pass on that. I hope it's too hot for those little vinegar flies to colonize too (my current one has lots at the moment).

Day Lewin

dball wrote: »

here's another option that might save you a few quid!

Only looking at them - i've not seen them in person so can't vouch for them yet. but they do look the part and no rust
https://www.coopsuperstores.ie/Garden/Composts-Bark--Plant-Food/Compost-Bins/Carbery-Roto-200l-Composter-1665180

Only person I know that has one of these reports that it was heavy to turn and slow to compost - there wasn't enough ventilation.
(composting is an aerobic process)
They drilled some holes in the sides and presto, better composting.

Roen

@Blergh. It took about a week to kick off first time I used it. Fair few flies for that week. Then one day nothing.
Temp raised to a point that only the meso and thermophilic bacteria could live in it. Went silent and still overnight.
Cos there's always left over bits from your last pile in it it's much quicker to kick off for the next loads.
Only takes about 4 or 5 days then. Some flies but gone very quickly.

s7ryf3925pivug

This is the one I have and I would recommend it as a non-insulated tumbler. Got it on Ebay for 120 or something including delivery. Don't think the seller is still selling them.

Draper 17986 TC210 Compost Tumbler, 210 Litre https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MA4WDRI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_wHQcDb7CRJMXQ

New Home

Emilia Short Superman wrote: »

I saw that before and considered it but went for a dual compartment one around the same capacity and price. The pig composters are insulated so they get hotter. This means the contents break down faster and you can put weeds in them. Some people put dog poo and animal food waste in them but I'll pass on that. I hope it's too hot for those little vinegar flies to colonize too (my current one has lots at the moment).

Pigs in a blanket? :pac::pac::pac:

Somebody stop, me, please...

gozunda

New Home wrote: »

Pigs in a blanket? :pac::pac::pac:

Somebody stop, me, please...

That's it. Out you go! That's quite enough young 'un....

uck51js9zml2yt

What's stopping you using insulating foam as a liner?

s7ryf3925pivug

Haven’t ordered this yet. Existing setup is swarming with fruit flies since adding shredded wood to it. Maybe a coincidence since this is what is recommended to get rid of them. They’re spilling over into the house as of yesterday. Thinking I’ll try to remove the drums and immerse them in a big tub of hot water...

Any fruit flies with the big or little pig?

The only criticism I’ve found about them is that some people find them not robust. Wondering if5he little pig might score bette4 in that regard as a resul5 of being lighter and more compact.

Insulating foam sounds like it would work in a normal flip lid outdoor bin. It would be tricky to apply in a tumbler. Might look into that before buying a ___ pig.

Roen

As above, only for the first few days and only in summer.
Is it going to be on top of the house? Mines about 50m away. Never really any smells in the vicinity unless I screw the mix up.
More wood pellets is always the answer.

s7ryf3925pivug

emptied one tumbler into brown bin. Had not composted much. Put the other in a rubble sack and filled it with water. Moved it to the far end of the garden. No longer a swarm if you open it. Far fewer fruit flies in house, think we're mopping up the ones that came in originally rather than dealing with more. Vinegar traps in most rooms catching plenty. Composter had been deceptively close to side of house. Think the shredded wood pretty much stopped the composting process, too much in I guess. I guess the conditions were cooler and possibly wetter from added water and more suitable for fruit flies to breed.