The least expensive compost bins are those made of scrap pallets that can be, sometimes, obtained from many businesses, however, many of these pallets are now being recycled and the shipper may charge the business if the pallets are not returned. Next least expensive is 12 feet of fence fabric, Tot Lot fencing is more expensive than just 2 x 4 mesh welded wire. There are plans all over the web for composters and one, from Seattle Tilth, is linked below. As a rule a bottom is not required, just a bit of care when emptying your bin. Plywood could be used but for one to last a while it would need to be pressure treated which is both expensive and environmentally not a good idea. Before looking into purchasing a shredder/chipper rent one or more to see what you need and also look closely at how much you will really use one. Once every 3 or 4 months may indicate it would be cheaper to rent than own, but once a month may indicate it is less expensive to own. Here is a link that might be useful: 3 bin composter

Thank you Kimmsr The frozen pieces are on the outer perimeter and crusted. Open to air, a while back I placed a cover over the entire pile. After a month or so I checked it and thought it was to dry, I removed the cover exposing it to the elements. Snow and rain moisten the pile, however it must drain rather well because I never find it drenched. I have a friend who's garden is fabulous, he has a large truck load of leaves dumped off from the leaf truck. These leaves have gone through the vacuum picking them up and are very nicely shredded. He leaves these in a pile till the next growing season, thats all he uses for fertilizer and mulch, works great for him

I tried to put it back together before I took the photos, and the pieces would not fit. Maybe if one put it together in the beginning and then used like some stronger tape or crazy glue, the pieces would not come to the point in which they cannot go back together. But, if you have to struggle with glue and tape, why not just buy the once piece construction to begin with? EM would not look as nice with a big piece of tape, and I am not even sure that would work. One would need to put the tape on before the plastic began to change shape. In the current state I don't think tape would help. Compost has a lot of heat and as it expands with the heat there is pressured placed upon the unit. It might work better as a storage unit for only dead leaves instead as a composter. But, if one is getting serious about composting you need more than one unit. The first bin is for your active composting, as you are starting the process. Then you want to move to a finishing bin in which you let it stay put until it finishes. Afterwards you need a "finished compost" bin to store "ready to go" compost so you have easy access when you need to use it. If you store the finished compost in a tub with a bottom, it won't keep well. It needs to drain off back into the ground. I want something I can remove whole thing by myself without any help. The round bin is easy to pull off completely, as long as it does not have a bottom screen. I don't know what "tool" if any would be used to put the segments together. It's a snap system in which there are little tabs that you line up into little grooves. That is actually one of the better units, I have seen them with three segmented body pieces instead of two. Those segments end up lying around the yard like garden junk, unused. The unneeded bottom screen doesn't come off easily. There are plastic bolts. That would require a screwdriver. I don't know if they will come off easily or break, but they do not look easy and you cannot turn them with your hand. I am against the bottom screen concept. On the plus side the door is working fine. The lid keeps raccoons out. But, you have to learn to turn it correctly or it's hard to get off. The Eco bin has a better designed lid, that is easier to removed, but a worse fitting door.I once asked a friend to drop an apple core in the EM bin and she said she could not get the lid off. It just takes practice. You have to turn it like a child proof pill bottle cap. If you buy a compost bin, you want it to last as long as possible. I hope that the designs of future bins will take these things into consideration.

LOL I shudda known one of you wise guys would come up with a "good" solution. No surprise that Lloyd understands cold winters as I've lived in Manitoba. :-) The reason for my inquiry is that I seem to recall there is someone here (no naming names) who has said (or at least implied) that if compost is "made" properly it will heat regardless of outdoor temps. So I really, really would love to know how to do this. We'll use this thing for the convenience factor and I'll give it my best effort and when weather improves the contents can be moved to a bin. Thanks for all the opinions and the laughs.