Have you checked craigslist? I can buy them for as low as $10 for food grade in Indy.

You can get them from a car wash free. Just ask. They may not have one at the time but if you leave your # or visit every few days they will have one shortly. I work part time at a car wash and get my barrels and buckets there.

The ones I use are ex olive barrels from Greece. I called the importer into Australia and went around to their warehouse to pick up a couple for almost nothing. Maybe try some big delis or supermarkets? Good luck mate.

Here is a link that might be useful: Photo of used olive barrel

Junk mail, not to change your mind about the type of compost bin you are contemplating but have you looked at the problems of having such a bin.

First of all, it will be a heavy brute wont it....soil and water, water and soil, grass clippings and so on...that'll be some weight to deal with.
Then it will be one bin...and as the contents percolate, and finally come to something useful, it will be mixed with the new add-ins...so that has to be separated.
Where to put then the good stuff --from the bad.
Then there's the problem of getting the contents turned over...that's a must if you expect good decomposing.
And it has to be given water...water has weight..
Is the thing going to be rolled around in an attempt to mix the contents....then ask some brawny man to lift it...
better get insurance.
There will have to be an opening in the bottom to extract some cuz you wont be able to do that outta the top.
Try using a spade in a garbage can in an attempt to lift something out...as in soil. Cant be done, there's no room unless the bin is put at an angle--like a cement mixer, that's one way to mix the contents and be able to lift out some of the contents.

If you can instead make a bin--two's better/3's best out of old wood/chicken wire....there's directions for making one all over the net.
Then you have a better way to separate and use.

A 55-gallon drum might be considered for a rain-barrel--lots of soft water for plants.

@goren When you build a stand and put an axle through the stand and the barrel it becomes very easy to turn. A simple door cut in the side with hinges and a hasp will allow easy access to load or dump compost out. Depending on the height you build the stand you may be able to put a wheel barrow under it before dumping. Having more than one will allow different stages from fresh to a finished product. Also the drums I'm using are plastic and not that heavy. I plan on having 3-6 of these going all year.

Yes, these types do what you suggest, in a limited fashion.
I don't know about putting a wheel to the bin, but I wish to just point out the benefits of having a bin that can be built from scratch lumber/chicken wire and anything else that is usually thrown away. Bins are easy to fill, easy to work, and easy to MT.
Six tumblers in some backyards would be called 'a mess'.
The neighbors, viewing such liquor barrels would be aghast at the local municipal laws that allow such lowering of property values to exist and not do something about it.

All in gest fun.

But it is true, such numbers of barrels in a confined space such as a backyard is the farthest thing that one would consider just to put garbage in.

I would suggest instead, get an old heap of a car, send it to Mako and park it in the backyard, then fill it to your heart's content. Now you've got something to admire.

Goren,
That is some funny stuff, I am just cracking up, now I am convinced more than ever, that someone has hacked your username ;-)

All kidding aside, those barrel composters are a lot of work, it is just soooooo much easier to create a circular bin, and my experience, it also works wayyyyy better.

I had three barrels and they did work as prescribed, but as was said, it was much easier and efficient to use wire mesh bins.

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How is it easier to turn a pile on the ground rather than rotate a tumbler??
I'm not worried about looks. I only have one neighbor that would see them and he don't care. I live in a rural industrial area not residential.
As far as a lot of work, I only spent about an hour cutting holes, the door and mounting the hardware. I see maybe an hour building the stand. After building one the rest will be easier and faster.

Drums definitely have their uses, if they didn't ,
Floyd = The Master Composter, wouldn't have seven of them, they keep out rodents and allow composting of meat,dairy and other undesirable additions that would attract vermin and such, to open bins. So, to each his own, everyone has to come to their own decision what works best for their particular situation.

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No need to keep cross posting the same pics Jon. I would build some like yours if I could afford to. Maybe in the future but I doubt it. So far the materials for 2 tumblers have cost me $16. What's that...16 blocks?

I've got 3 barrel composters I made and it's easier to turn than a pile and gets more turning since I have to simply rotate the barrels. It's a bit of a pain to empty but if you let the compost dry a good bit and get a large scoop it gets done.To each their own I guess. I found my barrels at a local site where they shred organic matter that people dump.