On another list someone took a real close look at these. He determined that he could get a 20 cu yd load of compost delivered for the same price as a compost drum set up. He then determined that if he lived in the southern states where he could make compost year round, it would take 12 years to make 20 cu yds of compost. A zone 4 or 5'er that about 48 years. I don't think the barrels last that long. Byron