Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Algreen Products Soil Saver Classic Compost bin

Top positive review

I really like this compost bin

Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2010

I'm sure there are many people like me; you want to start composting but picking a bin is just a total hassle. The prices are unbelievably high on some, should I get one that tumbles, it's big so shipping will be expensive too, etc. I was at Home Depot and bought a unit that was on sale but it was really flimsy so I returned it. Costco had one but it looked like a giant alien space ship; I like my neighbors too much for that. This unit seemed like an okay price, straightforward design, price a little high, but I finally decided it was the best of the ones I'd seen.

Bottom line: I really like it and I'm happy with my purchase. The plastic is recycled (kudos) and thick so it's sturdy. Assembly was easy with plastic bolts and nuts (so they don't rust) and they provided the tool. Took me 15 minutes and I was drinking beer - put a screw in, take a sip of beer, contemplate, repeat. About 12 screws. Design is very well thought out IMO.

Some notes: It has no bottom, which I expected. It has rain holes on top, not sure if that will be enough but I could add more. Comes with a very basic composting guide but helpful. It has two doors along the bottom which I opted (read: didn't notice until I was done) to put on adjoining sides but could have put on opposite sides. The knobs you see on top are the locks, one on each side, nothing it getting without turning the whole thing over, e.g. bear, dog, etc. Comes with a 25 year warranty!!! Made in Canada. I think this item is made for Sam's Club and I've seen good prices on it at their site but it was out of stock everywhere.

As an aside, compost doesn't stink. I received my kitchen bin first and started saving stuff. It adds up fast, you'll be amazed. So I needed a place to store it when that filled up and used a bucket and lid out on the porch, in the sun. Two weeks later it still didn't smell, fruit, veggies, cereal, coffee grinds, eggs - nothing...

See my pics of the unit above!

531 people found this helpful

Top critical review

Critical reviews›

paul dew

Video is deceptive (the lid DOES NOT hinge), Assembly required "adjustments"

Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2023

We just wanted a simple compost bin like this one. Our old (similar) bin produces a real nice batch of compost every spring and fall with a little patience and no stirring. But, that old bin did not have a hinge on the lid. A hinge would allow for one-handed operation of the lid as you hold your bowl full of kitchen compost in the other hand.

I realize this is a small problem, but it WAS one of the reasons I bought this Allgreen Soil Saver. The advertising video (I believe intentionally) led me to think that the lid was hinged. This is not so. It showed someone closing the lid as if it had an unseen hinge on the other side. Instead, both sides have a lock. You need to unlock both sides to lift and close the lid from one side as shown in the video, or to lift it completely off. Ultimately, from the lid-operation perspective, it is no better than my old one. It seems to me that the materials are pretty sturdy. Indeed it was heavier than others I saw online. I think it will last for several years. In the end, I am planning to keep it, and believe I'll be generally pleased.

ON THE OTHER HAND - although assembly was not rocket science, it required some home-grown solutions to get it assembled. A few minor quality control oversights were discovered during assembly. (1)The two main parts of the lid would not come together for aligning the bolt holes. There were 3 spots where I used a work knife to shave off some residual plastic tabs (anomalies) left from manufacturing. Then everything aligned and the lid was easily assembled. (2) I thought I was having trouble getting the sides of the composter properly aligned because the bolts would not go through. Then I realized about 1/3 of the holes were “gunked up” with residual plastic. A couple of the holes, almost completely plugged. Problem solved by cleaning the extra plastic out with an X-acto-knife. (3) The caps on the lid's locking handle would not push on completely by hand (maybe this was my weak fingers). But a gentle tap with a rubber mallet set them properly in place. This is to say, I needed a couple of simple tools for the assembly. Ultimately, I’ve spent way-more time writing this review than I did assembling the composter.

A word about this style of composter vs a tumbler: I have both and each has its advantages.
I’ve had VIVOSUN 43 gallon tumbling composter for two years. Another customer video recommended that type over the stationary bin. For our volume of garden and kitchen compostable waste, the tumbler is too small at critical times of the year. The tumbler does seem to compost faster and tumbling is admittedly much easier than stirring a stationary compost bin. But as I said, we patiently let time and nature do the work in our compost bin (no stirring). Maybe that’s bad practice, but it works for us. Tumbling is perhaps easy, but it IS A MESSY BUSINESS. Whenever I tumble the compost bin, I wind up with "decaying compost juice" on my hands. I suppose a tumbler with a handle on the side might be better - but the ones I’ve seen online are out of my price range.

7 people found this helpful

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From the United States

Brad

I really like this compost bin

Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2010

Verified Purchase

531 people found this helpful

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Jane

works great. I have two.

Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2016

Verified Purchase

I have owned a Soil Saver Classic Composter for well over a year now. It is easy to assemble and has all the part necessary to do so. It is very durable with thick hard material; the screws are durable hard recycled plastic like the rest of the bin. There are locks on the top that are easy for a human or robot to turn while extremely difficult for everything else. there are two sliding doors (like an external, removable, tiny garage door) built into two of the walls you can place where you wish when assembling it.

Just to cover all the considerations, the bottom is open and if you use it on a non-dirt surface the composting process could be slowed and as well as stain the non-dirt surface.

If you place it on an uneven surface (doesn't have to be level though) the lid will be a little more difficult to remove since there are tiny slits in the side for the spinning chocolate-bar-like thing to go through to lock it. The more uneven the surface the more work required to align the thingies and gaps could form at the top. Just place it on a level surface and this concern vanishes. It's not that hard really.

Anywho although the doors easily fit a good sized pitchfork or shovel, emptying the compost bin this way could could take quite a while. To calculate how long this takes take 12.6 cubic feet multiplied by (how long it takes to shovel once (in seconds) divided by however much you can fit (in feet^3) on a shovel) + some time to angle the shovel sometimes to get the corners or deal with your meddlesome neighbor wanting to borrow yet something else. I just remove the lid, then while-wiggling-the-bin-back-and-forth-slightly lift the bin right off the compost pile. If done correctly you will easily and within seconds have a bin in your arms, a little compost on your boots, and a glorious pile of black dirt in front of you. I then set the bin back down somewhere else nearby and refill as necessary.

I recommend you not turn the compost and instead just let it sit there. Add as available to the top and do the wiggle remove procedure to move the compost pile in some increment of 2 weeks. I move mine every month or two.

check out "Everything You Know About Composting is Wrong: Mike McGrath at TEDxPhoenixville" on the youtubes to gain a lot of insight toward composting.

25 people found this helpful

Helpful

Simple, sturdy design works well

Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2020

Verified Purchase

We are very happy with the Algreen Compost Bin. We have gone through many types of compost bins over the years and this one works well, is a simple, sturdy design, and is priced well in comparison to others. Easy to put together and easy to use with a locking top to keep out critters. Doesn't take up a huge amount of space and yet holds a lot. We used the Algreen Compost Bin for a couple years and recently bought another one to place beside it. It is plenty big to fill with kitchen compost, leaves, twigs, garden refuse, etc. We intend to use one bin for summer compost and one for winter compost - which would allow the compost in each bin to break down over time. Our summer bin is not sitting in full sun all day, and yet the compost seemed to break down very well after several months to a year. We emptied it last spring and were excited that the compost (including corn cobs, apple cores, watermelon rind) was very well broken down into wonderful airy soil! This, from a bin that was in partial shade each day. We just added another raised vegetable bed and are looking forward to using both bins. I keep a little pile of mowed grass and dirt next to the bins to throw on the compost whenever I add something from the kitchen. This seems to keep the fruit flies away. We stick a garden fork in the bin from time to time and stir. It is a little difficult to get the compost out of the bottom of this bin from one side. It has two doors intended for access from either side. But, because we placed our compost bins next to each other, we decided to place the access panels on the side and on the front of each bin.

2 people found this helpful

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Bizzy Liz

This is built so much better than my last Compost Bin

Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2021

Verified Purchase

I read as many reviews I could on Amazon on this bin. I took each persons suggestion seriously. This morning I put it together. The first suggestion was to go to the hardware store and purchase Stainless Steel 1/4" mushroom top screws and nuts. Take the plastic bag of nuts and bolts (12 pairs) with you so the salesperson can help you if you are clueless as I am. Plastic bolts and screws do not hold up over time. Keep the plastic wrench which comes with the kit, it's handy.
2nd) Every insertion hole check for incomplete openings. The process of taking each side or lid parts out of the mold at the factory, sometimes the insertion holes are not completely open. Have ready a hammer, a metal file and use as needed. Line up the lid parts, I had incomplete "flashing of plastic" that my husband used the metal file down to smooth it out. The holes should all line up perfectly. Do a "dry" fitting before doing the handle. The lid has a "locking" system. It's really nice because it works or it looks like it could work. You will note that each bin side on the top has an insertion slot for the locking system. Follow the instructions to attach the locking system together on the lid. This part is an easy line up and snap together.
3rd) Lay out all sides flat and you can configure where you want the door to open. My choice was side by side not front to back. It's how my compost holding bin is located. Please note: that the mushroom screws have a square configuration under the mushroom. This aways faces the outside.
4th) Line up the holes place the screw and hand tighten them together by hand top then bottom. Once it's all sides are up. Used the Plastic nut wrench and tighten up each set of screws + nuts. Then place the bin where you need it.
Compared with my old compost bin I got at HD which at that time the only one they had. This bin is at least 2x heavier than the HD bin. It's better constructed and the walls are ridged. Where the HD bin had no supporting bar connecting the door opening on the bottom of the bin and the walls were thin. The bar on the bottom on each door opening gives the door more strength for this area. The HD bin had no support bar at the bottom of the opening and it's that area that gave way. The plastic started to buckle and spread apart and door had a hard time opening and finally not closing. My compost bin sits on top of my compost finish bin. The HD bin had a configuration of door in the front and back. Now I have the bin doors basically side by side. This should help me clear everything inside in an easier fashion. We shall see.
Thank you for all the reviewers who helped me in putting this bin together, your details were the best.
I hope this will be helpful for you.

56 people found this helpful

Helpful

Christie

Just as Described!

Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2014

Verified Purchase

EDIT EDIT: I'm on my second bin now! I recently ordered a gently used one for half price and these things are so durable that only one little spot was damaged and it's not even a noticeable issue because of how it sits in the dirt in the yard. I do have a little soil leak from that damaged lower corner, but I'm totally happy with the product. It's a real treat to be able to rely on a product for so many years. It's fun for the kids in the house to see how fast dirt is made and makes a whole lesson about sustainability in only a few weeks with how fast material breaks down.

EDIT: I’ve had my bin from May of 2014 to November of 2017 and just gifted it to a friend. It’s been through two moves and makes excellent dirt. The worst problem I’ve had is that I placed it near my garage and spiders used the space between the composter and the siding to make webs/ in the late fall, sometimes garter snakes get into the bin for the warmth.
Give this baby a good tap on the side with your shoe or garden tools and you’ll be right as rain.
I haven’t broken any piece of this product yet and I’ve thrown the lid down in gravel for two years and onto landscaping rocks for another. It’s so hard to hurt this thing! Dirt can clog the tracks that the bottom two sliding doors run in so just wiggle those when you’re trying to move them.
Also give this composter about two inches of footing, whether you dig it into the space or fill in around it. It’ll make sure the bin stays in place when you turn your materials, especially if you use the sides of the bin as leverage for your tools like I do. (Edit November 2017)
—————-
The product comes with simple instructions and all necessary parts. So far, it's holding up well and I'm two months in (July 2014). I like that the entire top lifts off the container because it's easier to empty my kitchen container in a mess-free manner. The entire thing is lightweight but awkward to move alone once it's fully assembled.

It seems to be working very well and I'm almost a month into using it. I'm hard enough on products that I usually know if I'm going to break them by this point- this is very sturdy!

Helpful

Woody

Solid

Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2014

Verified Purchase

I purchased an identical composter over 20 years ago. I recently broke one side while using the side as leverage to turn some heavy compost. Oh well. Time to buy a new one.
The plastic body of this composter is thick and strong. The lower doors are convenient for removing aged compost. The large opening on the top is convenient as well.
I see they now predrill a bunch of holes in the top to allow rain water in. I did this myself with my old composter.
A few things to consider before purchasing.
Do you mind turning the compost occasionally? If so, buy a tumbler type. But they don't work as well. The tumblers do not allow ground contact with the contents of the bin. And the chambers tend to be smaller.
Ground contact (no bottom) allows bacteria and worms to enter the compost material and help the composting process in a more natural methodology. The tumblers can require a compost starter material. Garden dirt, store purchased starter, etc... And from what I have read, the tumblers can produce thick and slimy gook that is unusable.
If you purchase this guy, perform some upgrading.
There are 2 plastic nuts and bolts that hold the sides together at the corners. They appear to be metal from the picture but they are black plastic.
Replace those with metal bolts. Any type will do. The cheap steel bolts will last 20 years or more before they rust enough to break. Get the nuts with the plastic inserts.
Additionally, drill 8 more corner holes. One above and one below the holes predrilled for the plastic bolts. About an inch or so from the top and same on the bottom. If you don't the weight and pressure of the compost will eventually distort the squareness of the box and cause bulging and possible failure of the sides. The lower doors will also fall out of their tracks when this bulging occurs. A couple of the plastic bolts broke as well on my old composter.
I had mine for a year or two when this bulging started to occur. I emptied it, drilled the 8 new holes and used 16 steel nuts and bolts. That was over 18 years ago.
By the way, rodents do not usually enter the composter from the bottom. They don't seem to like the compost. They may try and enter from the top where all the raw veggie and old whatever is dumped, so keep the cover tight.
This thing comes in a box via UPS and takes all of 10 minutes to assemble. 20 if you add the extra bolts.

9 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Heavy duty.

Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2024

Verified Purchase

Easy to assemble

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SLUOC84

After 16 years, I bought a 2nd bin - the 1st one is still in very good shape

Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2023

Verified Purchase

Sixteen years ago, after some hesitation due to the price, I bought my first SoilSaver Classic Compost Bin Mk IV. It’s still in very good shape but I was generating enough material from year-round gardening in Central Florida to need another compost bin. Being a scientist, I researched the alternatives (including building my own) and once again - despite the price - ordered another SoilSaver Classic Mk IV. It seems identical to the one I bought years ago; it’s thick and made from recycled plastic. I anticipate that both bins will provide decades more compost!

I added some hardware to strengthen both bins, though. 1 - I strengthened the sides by securing them near the top and bottom with pop rivets. If I ever need to disassemble the bins, the rivets will be easy to drill out. 2 - To keep animals from pushing the doors up (the doors slide up easily), I secured them using hook and eye fasteners. That’s worked great so far; even raccoons can’t get in. 3 - To prevent small mammals from tunneling into the bin, I placed them on top of heavy wire screen. The last time that I moved the original bin, I placed it on top of large pavers but without the wire screen, and rodents slipped through between the pavers and the bottom of the compost bin. Lesson learned.

Overall, a great, durable product that has excellent UV resistance. My original bin hasn’t deteriorated in the hot Florida sun and is nearly the same color as the brand-new one. If the price was $10 lower, the SoilSaver Classic Compost Bin would be a no-brainer and probably rack up even greater sales (hint, hint to the manufacturer).

12 people found this helpful

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Starrygirl1212

BUY THIS ONE!

Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2017

Verified Purchase

My inlaws are avid gardeners and after talking to them, this was the style to buy. My mother in law was actually willing to GIVE me her rotating style composter and go without because she hated it so much and can't seem to pawn it off on anyone!
I wanted to wait a little bit to see how the unit held up before making a review. We live in the woods in NH with a LOT of wildlife to give you some context, and I wanted to wait to see what happened during what I call "bear season" as last year we lost 2 bird feeders we didn't take down soon enough and a bag of trash (in a closed bin) that wasn't outside for more than an hour right next to our front door. So far, it hasn't been disturbed, even though it is a good 50 yards from the house. Every morning I expect to see the bin toppled down into the woods and half composted goods strewn about, but so far NOTHING! The composter is not quite 1/5th full right now with mainly food scraps but I'm sure it will get a little fuller as the leaves start to fall and we mow the lawn one more time before winter. We did put down a layer of leaves and grass clipping like the manual said to before starting, but we haven't had any compost yet because of this and the colder weather. The black color makes sense as it absorbs heat, helping to break down the compost. I like how the top is the whole size of the container so its easy to dump whatever in and see if things need to get moved around. There is no odor coming from the unit even when opened, even though I think my nitrogen/carbon ratio is off. I can see that the sliding doors to get your compost out might be difficult to get back down, like some have stated, but I'll report back if it becomes an issue.
I will say I bought this unit from Amazon Warehouse deals and it was missing the bolts to hold the unit together, but this isn't the manufacturers fault. I wish I had known it was a returned item as opposed to a damaged item ahead of time, because I might have rethought my purchase. That being said, Amazon customer service gave me a 10% refund to get the bolts locally, and if I couldn't find them, I was given the option to return the item for the other 90% back. It cost me a little more than the refund price for the bolts, but now I have stainless steel ones as opposed to plastic. I still saved a bundle on the unit overall.

9 people found this helpful

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Plant Lady

Well constructed bin, latching lid is a nice feature

Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2018

Verified Purchase

This composter with latching lid is really great for kitchen scraps, especially if you live in an area where critters could get into your compost. I imagine it's also a good solution for people in more urban environments, because it will make your compost tidy and not unsightly. I would need about 5 of these to handle to fall leaves, so I opted for a cheaper alternative for leaf litter and use this for kitchen scraps. I've not had a critter problem. I think if you're an urban gardener, this is your best bet for a composter. It's also super easy to set up, and you have the option of putting the two bottom sliding doors adjacent to each other or on opposite sides. I recommend this bin for its ease to set up, acceptable aesthetic, and solid construction.

Now for the compost PSA part of my review.

The only issue I've had, and this is not so much a this-specific-compost-bin problem as it is a general-compost-and-being-outside problem, is wasps. One time there were about 50 yellow jackets eating tomatoes I threw in this bin. I'm very, very allergic, so I immediately high-tailed it back to the house (seriously, I could probably have outrun Usain Bolt in that instant). They were gone by the next day. In a year's worth of use, this was the only time I'd ever seen a wasp in any of my compost piles/bins. Googling has revealed that occasionally happens with compost, regardless of bin type. The problem was that I unlatched both sides of the lid, lifted it off, and set it on the ground before noticing the death trap I had just opened. I'm going to keep using this compost bin, but I may leave the lid off during the summer months. That way, if there are wasps eating my scraps, I can see them before sticking my hands over them.

Moral of the story: be careful. A different bin won't remove the possibility of stinging insects. It's outside, and you're probably putting food/garden scraps in it. Wasps have to eat, too. If you need a lid, then get a bin with a lid. This one is a great choice and I recommend it. If you have kids, an adult should remove the lid first, especially because this bin is approximately eye level for kids. You don't know what's in there (though laying down 1/4" hardware cloth at the base of the bin would keep things from tunneling up into the bin without removing the draining effect of an open bottom). If you don't have a critter problem or neighbors who can see your yard, consider leaving the lid off on days when you'll be around it extensively. That way you can quickly see, from a distance, if a whole nest of yellow jackets suddenly decides to feast on your scraps.

244 people found this helpful

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