One of those tools that is unnecessary, not needed, and a waste of your money if you buy one.

I think you'll find that among the cognoscenti the official term is 'Whacko', not 'Crank'. Seriously, though, I agree with kimmsr.

IMHO a good garden or hay fork is a better investment.
Kris (fellow compost crank uh, whacko. :-) )

Hi trekker

I've never used one so am not qualified to answer your direct questions.

It seems the concept would work and anytime compost is stirred or mixed is usually good. A short person might have some problems with it due to the combined height of their pile and the length of the device but then one could always drill in at an angle.

I do have one of those "wing style" aeraters and it does the job it claims to do and it is fairly easy to use. Once again, a short person might have some troubles.

I'm tempted to go out and get one of these cranks just to try it out. People are often looking for, or asking about, different ways to mix/aerate so having one as a demonstrator might be worthwhile. Seems the few reviews I found were positive.

Lloyd

P.S. I also agree with Kris, a fork comes in real handy and is one of my primary composting tools.

Trekker, the idea is good. If you have such a tool and its kept near the bin, then you'll probably use it to advantage more than maybe you would otherwise.
But you don't need a tool like that that costs ?? dollars, you can make your own by simply using an old unused shovel handle or a wooden rod of size. Its used by simply pushing it down to the bottom of the bin, and use a wide turning action to open a space for adding further material or opening up the area from the bottom up.

I have had a similar tool sitting on my Christmas wishlist for a couple of years now. (see link below) I think I'm going to have to just break down and buy one myself--everyone skips the "tools" and tends to get me more girly stuff. It's only $25 which seems rather reasonable.

My current method is using a pitch fork and/or seasonal pile maintenance when I dump my 3 large bins, spend and entire day "mixing" and then refill the three bins. This tends to be very serious back-breaking work for me and I have to make sure I prepare with lots of advil in advance.

Even though I'm a tough girl (I ride a bicycle 10 miles to and from work spring through fall), using a pitch fork on my compost in those standard square shaped black plastic bins is really difficult. I have broken my back a few times (not stirring compost, but I've been cautioned that it is very easy to re-break it and I think compost overhauls maybe on the risky activity list) so I try to seek methods of gardening that are kinder to my back.

I would love to hear if you end up purchasing one and how it works for you & I'll do the same if I get the tool that's on my own list.

Here is a link that might be useful: link to tool on Amazon.com

If you need this thing, you are not composting the way the vast majority of us do. I read the ad, which did not have the cost, suggesting a high price.

I have found two tools are all that are necessary for composting. A compost thermometer, 18" long and $15 a few years ago. And a compost fork ($35?) for turning the piles.

Forget mixer/aerator rod thing-es like this, that marketing folks dreamed up.

Update:

A couple days ago, I purchased a tool that sort of looks like the compost aerator (I think it was called a garden claw) to use instead of the pitch fork that kills my back and doesn't really work well in a square compost bin.

For the most part it works--I can punch it into the pile and use the wide handles to turn it, which because of the leverage is more effective than the pitch fork. However, I've decided that my compost piles would be much easier to turn if I were able to shred the larger materials prior to adding them. My next investment will be a chipper/shredder.

Years ago I bought one of those "wing" aerators. Never worked very well because half of the time the wings wouldn't open.

I think the crank looks like it would work much better. Some member here (I forget who?) uses a power auger on a drill and says it works well. That crank should be similar only require a little physical work. Might be hard to use for someone with back problems though.

Karen

"Some member here (I forget who?) uses a power auger on a drill and says it works well. "

I use an auger with a cordless drill. I think somebody else does also.

Karen, I had the same experience with the wing aerator. One side always stayed up. Plus I find that pulling up motion is very hard on my back. I also wasted money on some chopping compost tool. It has a triangle shaped end on it. I haven't found anything it's good for.
But the auger with the cordless drill sounds good to me. I have the drill; just need the auger.

what size auger and can you get them at the local lowes or home depot ??

I found a bulb auger (used to create holes for planting tulips, etc). I found it at either Lowes or Home Depot. I'm not sure if they carry them year round or only during certain seasons.

I also use a bulb auger (about 3' long) on a power drill. It sort of works ok, but doesn't move around the bin (horizontally sort of) the way I'd like it to. It just goes straight down & then up, and then, make another hole, etc. It also doesn't get to the bottom b/c it's not long enough to. Sometimes, when I try to move it sideways, it gets all caught up & wiggles so much that it loosens out of the drill.

But, overall, I like it for what it does.

So, sometimes I use it, sometimes I use the pitch fork, just depends on what I feel like dealing with.

All the Best, Tree

I've had one for several years and I think it works great. It's good for working compost in a barrel or a bin, and it works much better than the winged types (I hate those) because you can't really control how much compost material you grab and then the winged ones will get stuck.

You don't really use it as a auger, it's more like you "screw" it into the pile, and after you have it in far enough to grab an appropriate amount of material, you pull it out to turn the pile. If you've put it in the pile too far, you simply "unscrew" it to reduce the amount of material you are turning.

I like it better than a pitchfork for a barrel or a bin because you can turn the pile deeper without having to turn the whole pile over. For a free standing pile, I'd agree that a pitchfork works better and quicker.

The link below shows a picture of one, where you can see it's really not so much an auger as it is an adjustable way of grabbing the material to pull or turn.

Here is a link that might be useful: compost crank photo

Thx jay

Musing to myself...I wonder if I can build something similar?

Lloyd

Oh my, Lloyd is off to his secret invention laboratory.

"Hey, Igor! Get a move on. I have a plan. A plan! Woohaha."

The barn door closes, gentle readers, and we wait with 'bated breath.... ;-)

Kris

The "secret" is beer, and lots of it, but alas I am otherwise engaged in a far more important quest at this particular moment.

I shall put it on my "to do" list.

Lloyd

I think I like you Loyd ---- but I like anything that starts with " the secret is beer" ---- some of my best creations come from the hops inspired state of mind--

I assume you would only use this crank for a pile or bin that is well on its way to becoming the black gold we all seek ----otherwise I fear I would be pulling my goodies up to the surface to become critter food ----right ????

My piles will be 10' long, 4' tall and 4' wide at times. The compost crank aerates and loosens the pile when I can't take a couple of hours to turn it over. I've used it in a pallet bin and a plastic bin with good results too.

Every time I see the title of this thread, I think somebody is asking me a direct question. Then I realize I might not be the only crank here.

I know Lloyd is in Manitoba, not Alberta, but I think there's something about plains and mountain Canada that makes them take their beer pretty seriously.

If beer isn't one of the food groups, it oughta be!

Heck it's made with grain, can't get much healthier than that!

Lloyd

Like many others, I keep seeing the words "compost crank" and thinking - "Yeah that's me" I am a compost crank!

I have had the CC for a year, and I think it is the Tool of the Decade (2001-2010), and I'm a tool guy. I do bin composting (drilled and undrilled) in eastern Saudi Arabia for footprint space and moisture management. I can fluff up five bins in five minutes with no bending (I have a bad back) like I would with a pile or reach-in bin. And after a year in our salty water, no rust on the stainless steel.

I have the compost crank and I absolutely love it. I don't have a big compost pile but one of the black plastic composter. I just bought one( crank) as a Christmas gift for a friend who composts. I love turning the compost and seeing how many earthworms I have and how pretty my compost material is looking. Found this site looking for a site to purchase another crank as a gift and was very surprised at the negative comments.

We have used this and LOVE it. It makes turning the pile so much easier, without hurting my back. Worth every penny. Have given them to two friends for Christmas, and they love them too.

The garden claw does not work as good as a pitch fork, I was thinking of trying the compost crank and thought to go over some info on it, glad I did as I will not be buying it now :) I'd rather rent an aerator from a tool rental.

The compost crank works perfectly for us to speed up composting of leaf matter primarily since we have no grass. However, it is even a more compelling tool to use on new beds that have been covered with cardboard and six inches of chopped leaves and other vegetable matter in the fall. Take out that compost crank in the spring and mix the soil and the decayed leaves and cardboard together, plant your seedlings, mulch the areas that arent planted, and you're on your way to a good garden. All fall and winter the worms have already migrated to this new food source and the soil is "improved" with relatively litte labor!