Product Description

Compost Turner Ritlee TM3

Tractor mounted, model TM3 (Compost Mixer, turner, Tow behind, )

Our TM3 tractor mounted compost turner is a very stable with virtually no vibration. Built for efficiency, it is low torque and durable with a tractor mounted mixer / slicer / oxygenator / fluffer.

Compost turner action picture

TM3 Quick Reference why no need to lift entire composting Roter and housing

TM3 Turner Specifications & Requirements for composting

Ritlee TM3 turner supplied with, as standard!

• Supplied with 2 PTO shafts (1x with slip clutch)
• Has 50 mm water hose clamp with water connection
• Has a centrally located applicator hole mid mounted in turner housing.
  • Water exit on compost row is located immediate above compost row being turned — Mixes water in immediately throughout row of compost. (Ideal 60% moisture content)
• Hydraulic hose connectors to your tractor coupling point for hydraulic lift & lower of turner rotor.
• Rubber curtains to contain ‘flying’ objects therefore make turned rows look neat.
• Application tank with dropping boom with on/off control — This is an optional.
• Tractor coupler mounted at weight section of tractor then stabilizer bar specially measured and welded with turnbuckles for ideal tensioning and line up of turner.

Weights and measure:

• 480cm long x 170cm wide x 240cm High.
• Will easily fit into 20ft container with a 225 tractor mounted wood chipper
• Weight with tank 1750kg
• Additional tank mounted: 500 litre with drop piping!

Turner performance at ideal operation:

• Turns Rows 3,00 meters wide x 1,5 meters high
• Turns 675 cu meters per hour at 300 meters per hour ground speed

Tractor requirements:

• Min 45 kw tractor 2 or 4 weel drive is fine!
• If area very slippery when wet, consider a 4 wheel drive.
• MUST HAVE A CRAWLER GEAR –
• On average for above tractor PTO set at 540 RPM and revs at 1,700
• Turner is fitted with 90° (degree) gearbox with the correct ratio to rotor from 540RPM from your tractor PTO settijng. 130Kw angle drive gearbox

Composting Site Requirements

• Sized a minimum of the size of a soccer field of some 60 meter and larger if you have the ideal area!
• This area to be free of protruding rocks to prevent damage to turner rotor and spatulas when in operation will require from 20mm from ground level.
• Very slightly embanked area to allow leachate from compost rows to be run off, run down and collected at lowest point and obviously allow rows to drain off excessive moisture.
• Preferably not a clay like area as this will cause tractor to slip in wet conditions which will happen.
• Building new rows:
  • Each row should be roughly 1,8-meter-high x 3,8 metrer wide. This will stabilise to 1,5 x 3,0 rows.
  • Distance between rows should be width of tractor + 500mm.
  • If area at a premium. Build 1x Row then 1,2-meter space then next row, then the space for the tractor, then repat the 2 rows again! — The 1,2-meter space is to allow the swivel wheel to travel both “Üp and Down” while tuning rows.
  • Be sure to have a water point close by, OR, have a water trailer for feeding the required water to the turner!!

TM3 Compost Turner Specifications & Requirements

• Tractor Min 45 kw tractor and MUST HAVE A CRAWLER GEAR –
• If area very slippery when wet, consider a 4 wheel drive.
• On average for above tractor PTO set at 540 RPM and revs at 1,700
• Turner is fitted with 90° (degree) gearbox with the correct ratio to rotor from 540RPM from your tractor. 130Kw angle drive gearbox
• Supplied with 2 PTO shafts (1x with slip clutch)
• Supplied with 50 mm water hose clamp with water connection that also has a centrally located applicator hole mid mount on turner housing.
  • Is Located immediate above compost row being turned — Mixes water in immediately throughout row of compost. (Ideal 60% moisture content)
• Hydraulic hose connectors to your tractor coupling point for hydraulic lift & lower of turner rotor.
• Rubber curtains to contain ‘flying’ objects therefore make turned rows look neat.
• Application tank with dropping boom with on/off control — This is an optional.
• Tractor coupler mounted at weight section of tractor then stabilizer bar specially measured and welded with turnbuckles for ideal tensioning and line up of turner.
• Weights and measure: 480cm long x 170cm wide x 240cm High with tank x 1750kg
  • Turns Rows 3,00 meters wide x 1,5 meters high
  • Turns 675 cu meters per hour at 300 meters per hour ground speed

Benefits of compost!!

Compost rebuilds your soil structure, it manages your soil compaction and water retention.

Improves nutrient retention and promotes healthier plants because it reduces the need for chemicals and most fertilizers!

The one i love is that it Rebuilds microbial and fungal life in your soils– This is so very important and tome what composting is actually all about!

Please Note: The beneficial microbes responsible for composting are naturally occurring and live in rich oxygen laden conditions.

Uncomposted manure has NO area for oxygen laden air– With a Ritlee TM3 the crusty heavy clay like manure is broken up and fluffed to allow penetration of oxygen and fresh air!

To populate your row with beneficial microbes, it is suggested to use your local microbes contained in local dung, urine, soils, clay, chipped wood, grasses etc.

Correctly composted organic matter is a stable, aerobic, microbial, eco-friendly and well balanced nutrient source.

Moisture holding capacity increases (1% organic matter in soil increases water holding capacity by up to 170,000 litres per Ha) (80 to 90% of its composted weight).

Despite some losses, composting does retain most of the nutrients provided by the raw material, and stores them as stable organic compounds.

One Ton of well composted raw manure is equivalent to approximately 7 tons of uncomposted raw manure (Organic Matter)                               Suggestion: 

1. 1. 1. When you have completed composting your compost row and 100% happy with your end result!!
         1. Use 80% for applying in areas where planned on your farm, or separated for commercial sales.
         2. Use the 20% balance to cover over the new row you have been preparing in the meantime.
         3. This to generate and allow population of this new row with your local microbes and fungi to allow them to once again multiply and populate this new row!

Ritlee compost turner development and sales over the years

Turner development:

Our first TM3 compost turner was made back in February 2004.

This was designed and developed in answer to a market need to improve soil conditions and life in the soil!

Turner sales history!

We launched our TM3 compost turner at the Nampo Show the same year.

From launch to first sale took Ritlee 3 years to prove our point for the massive benefits in making Aerobic Compost.

We pursued this 100% because we knew that once our turner proved itself within the farmer field, show the farmers the benefits of composting, she will start selling well! Which was and is the case!

Since launch we have now sold (June 2023) 197new units into the field!

Unique to both our TM3 and TM4

Swivel 3rd wheel bearing mounting

Swivel wheel bearing mounting on both TM3 and TM4 compost turners

Lifting and lowering Turner Roter with its blades only!!!

Our TM3 compost turner has Hydraulic connection couplers for adjusting height of turner rotor up or down by over 50cm from ground level for easily handling from difficult to normal turns–

This all controlled from tractor/operator seat!

Thus, No  need to lift and lower entire heavy overweight turner housing with rotor. we do rotor only—                         Perfectly logical!!!

Others have the rotor located in a fixed position within the housing where roter only is NOT adjustable.

• This does not allow a first difficult turn setting.
• Entire HEAVY roter and housing is lifted in and out!

This roter lifting and lowering is ideal for handling compost because when

compost heavy, wet and clay like material  then position to start with at higher roter position being set by using the 2x hydraulic piston for ease of turn for turner.

OR

If normal material then position roter at ground level with hydraulic control to start its turning!

This done for efficient, proper full turn where material completely crumbled, compost totally agitated to release high temperatures, and to release excessive co2 to replace with fresh air laden in oxygen. and at ambient temperatures.

This to allow realistic amounts of compost to be lifted and processed properly and not to have massive amounts lifted because roter is not adjustable!!

Turner drum with spatulars:

Our 12mm thick drum with the bennox spatulas will:

Turn rocks of brick size and smaller in compost and deposit them on side of row to allow clearing y labourers to eradicate them from Composting site!.

Turn and allow Nylon cord and rope to twist on drum — this allowing operator to clear off from drum till all eradicated from compost row within some 2 to 3 turns.

Roter before clearing all the nylon and plastic bags it extracted from a badly contaminated compost row

To manufacture a compost turner which can easily work on undulating land with the use of the stabilizer bar!

Mounting of Torsion bar for stabilising compost turner

Our Spatulas:

Ideal size, strong quality (Brennox Steel), mounted very stable on drum, mounted at well researched and tested angle and the number of these spatulas used is also a result of a lot of research and investigation.–

Roter design and pattern used on both TM3 and TM4—Note Dynamic balancing weights!

This all for best slicing, fluffing, turning, breaking of anaerobic clusters, releasing high temperatures and Co2 and replacing with ambient fresh clean air.

Sized and angled to easily fetch compost from bottom of compost row fluff mixing and crumble it and dispose this mixture into its typical compost row triangular shape. —

Same function from sides to middle and middle to sides!

Spatulas are perfectly mounted on drum without constantly coming loose, breaking, bending or wearing fast.– We have special nuts and bolts which are HT, these do not react with acids in manure and cause nuts to come loose!!

Water line on TM3 compost turner with coupler etc!

3 and 3,5 meter wide compost turner manufactured by Ritlee

Composting in the Midlands 3

Compost turner web picture category!

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TM3 showing assembly setup clearly with stabilizer bar and tractor mounting front bracket!

Unwanted nylon string which was pulled out from compost row clearly shown on roter– Operator to clear this as often as required till all extracted from row!

Also– larger rocks and bricks will be deposited on side of row while turning– this too to be cleared till you have a great compost row without any contaminants!

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Real interesting and important!

Join Ritlee in a walk around our compost turner!

Here we are trying to show all the features and benefits of our turner.

PLEASE WATCH THIS VIDEO– Exceptionally informative!!

Composted manure verses raw and uncomposted.– Composting is so very very important!

Enjoyable video of our turner at some large composting projects!

Both these composting venues are in KZN 

Microbial life!Let's get that 'microbial and fungallife back into your orchards, plantations, pastures home and industrial gardens etc

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Some useful info and details all compost makers and users would like to know!

Want to test your soil or compost??

Press below for downloads of:

• Best practice when collecting soil / compost samples.

• List of professional laboratories around Africa which can be used  to analise your soil or compost samples

• Typical report you will receive after analysis.

• Info of Lady who Ritlee uses as compost consultant and strongly suggest you contact as well if compost or soil questions.

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Your life in your soil!

Benefits of a Aerobic situation

Tempreure probe for compost

Best address Ritlee could find for a waterproof sealed Temperature probe –Import from USA

Soil and Compost Thermometer – The Reotemp Compost Store

Lay Flat hose

Give Ritlee a shout for your lay flat hose!

Water drag line hosing 40mm x 100m Blue 4-Bar

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• Some Important facts

  • The higher the quality of the Humus Compost produced, the greater the benefit to the soil and the greater the increase in crop quality and yield – far greater than the results that can be achieved with typical compost.
  • Aeration or the exchange of carbon dioxide in the windrow with air having its full oxygen content.
  • Tests were done: CO2 content in front of turner in the compost was 21% then immediately after the Ritlee TM3 turned this same sample compost, CO2 levels dropped to 1%

1. Learn more about Aerobic Composting here.

Microbial and Fungal life in the soil explenation

Really a great must see video on life in your soils

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Interesting video turning Tea Tree waste– Very bulky!– See how our TM3 handles it!

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Benefits of using a compost turner rather than a front end loader!

1. With Ritlee TM 3 composting from lay down to final product is in average 8 to 10 weeks!.
2. Ritlee TM 3 compost turner blends, aerates, fluffs, expels co2 and mixes in water
3. Ritlee TM 3 consistently and efficiently fluffs the material, expels the high temperatures, expels the co2 and replaces it with ambient temperatures and oxygen laden fresh air
4. Ritlee TM 3 –Moisture control and distribution is 100%–
5. Ritlee TM 3 Operating and fuel cost is at a minimum.

1. With front end loader: 8 to 18 months!
2. Front end loader designed to lift move and dump
3. Front end loader designed to lift move and dump and slow or fast dump the co2/oxygen exchange is prevented!
4. No Moisture control at all.
5. I am told operating and fuel costs up to 6x more expensive to compost from beginning to end! using front end loader

Ritlee’s final result:

A compost turner well balanced, the most stable in the business, of simple design and with practical features like:

1. No need to lift and lower the housing and rotor in and out of work under any circumstances because:
   1. Rotor mounted on 2x hydraulically controlled lifting and lowering pistons in stable slides giving a adjustment of 50cm allowing rotor to be set at highest for first turn if compost thick, wet and heavy then lowered for final turn.
   2. Unit has full width easily tensionable stabiliser bar for absolute smooth and vibration free turning (Watch any of our videos!– or opposition for that matter!)
      1. Stabiliser bar also allows easy turning on level or undulating composting sites!
2. Has water application point directed into working area of row thus no messy runoff of water– all is turned into row immediately and thoroughly
3. Has easy Transporting mounting if unit stored away from composting venue.
4. Built without any unnecessary weights and counter weights meant for stability– our extra weight is a stabilising adjustable steel pipe!

Ritlee are innovators not immitators.

Ritlee compost turner mounted onto tractor ready for action

Mounting of Torsion bar for stabilising compost turner

Rotor in Hydraulic Mounting plate for rotor height adjustment

Compost Turner from Ritlee in Transport mode/setup

Sadly some opposition are harping on that our Ritlee machine cannot be lifted out of a compost row 

• This is true if you refer to the entire rotor including its housing.:
  1. But why?–Why do you need to?–

Ritlee TM3 lifts and lowers the rotor only within its housing on slides (Done hydraulically controlled by tractor operator!)

Ritlee do not lift the entire turner housing assy Not necessary!

With our TM3 operator can lift and lower Turning dum  with its blades only

BECAUSE:

1. 1. 1. No Lift Facility!   Rotor position can be set and locked with Hydraulics from tractor operator seat–Roter can be set to turn at ground level or lifted when needed for first difficult turn! Or when working level area,  can be dropped level with ground in order not to allow anerobic clusters at bottom of row
      2. No Lift Facility!   Compaction problems are massively less with TM3 as we do not use the heavy counter weight cement blacks– only a Tensionable stabiliser bar
      3. COMPACTION PROBLEMS ARE MASSIVELY LESS WITH THE RITLEE TM3 Turner
      4.   
      5. No Lift Facility!   TM3 has out of the way mounting area for 500 and/or 1000 litre tank if so required with boom for application!
      6. No Lift Facility!   If customer wants to use Biddim cloth– Rollers can be made and mounted so that turning can happen under cloth!
      7. No Lift Facility!   TM3 has easy and quick transport coupler.
      8. No Lift Facility!   Our TM3 has a support tube from far end of turner joined to special coupler mounted on front of tractor this tube incorporated two tensioner turnbuckles– This bar goes over top of row being turned.– Great idea to tie a marker rag in middle to allow tractor operator to make 100% perfect parallel rows!
      9. No Lift Facility! — Most obvious is Price is a hell of a lot cheaper

TM3 Compost Turner Components

• Tests were done: CO2 content in front of turner in the compost was 21% then immediatly after the Ritlee TM3 turned this same sample compost, CO2 levels dropped to +1%
• Anerobic clusters were 100% broken up within first 3 turns of the compost
• Ritlee feel our turner is the best fluffer and crumber of compost in the SA market— Lets get that CO2 out, high temperatures out and replaced with as much fresh air as possible (Oxygen)

Rotor in Hydraulic Mounting plate for rotor height adjustment

100% of compost row is picked up and deposited other side of rotor

Here turner drum lifted hydraulically —

Compost Turner drum – side view showing wall, welding and carrier shaft with taper lock! NOTE: Tube is dynamically balanced and is 12mm thick walls

Showing Hydraulic height adjustment of rotor (On Both sides)

Compost Turner from Ritlee in Transport mode/setup

Linking water line to turner to drop water immediately above compost row when turning row.– Max 60% moisture!.

Attachment point for water to apply in compost

Important Info

1. Learn more about Aerobic Composting here.

Microbial and Fungal life in the soil explenation

Please download and read the following informative reading!

1. RITLEE COMPOST AND THE SOIL MICROBIOME READING
2. RITLEE COMPOST MAKING GENERAL INFO
3. –> COMPOSTING & MICROBIAL LIFE IN THE COMPOST
4. RITLEE COMPOSTING & MICROBIAL LIFE BEST READING
5. –> COMPOSTING WITH KRAAL MANURE

Composting Site Requirements

• Area the size of Rugby field or larger will be ideal.
• Area to be preferably level, with a slight slope to allow run-off of leach-ate.
• Reliable Water supply point with easy on off control and sufficient pressure to feed water-drawn drag line to turner

Some Important facts

• The higher the quality of the Humus Compost produced, the greater the benefit to the soil and the greater the increase in crop quality and yield –
• Aeration or the exchange of carbon dioxide in the windrow with air having its full oxygen content.
• Tests were done: CO2 content in front of turner:
  • In the compost was 21%
  • the Ritlee TM3 turned this same sample compost, CO2 levels dropped to 1%.

Watch how we expell the CO2

Press the picture

Composting

Compost Turner Image Gallery

Discharging compost from back of turner

TM3 busy at Fancourt George in the Cape

100% of compost row is picked up and deposited other side of rotor

Turning compost in Saudi Arabia

Our TM3 Turner releasing CO2 and high tempretures and replacing with fresh air and water

Back view of compost turner

Zambia – Preparation of new row for composting

Eco Biz Zambia Compost Rows Maturing

Zambia – Using Ritlee TM3 to do the turning and helping the composting process

TM3 Compost Turner in Zambia – Bagged Eco Biz compost

TM3 Compost Turner Videos

• Composting Chicken Litre in KZN Harding area
  • When aerobic compost digestion takes place, bi-products like excessive heat generation and carbon dioxide (CO2) content will dramatically intensify- These are all neutralized with the compost turner action which also inoculates compost with fresh air (Oxygen), breaks up anaerobic clusters and reduces temperatures to mean temperature. — This is done as gently as possible by our TM3 in order not to damage too much microbial and fungal life present in the compost with the actual turning action!–Ritlee are proud to say that our present blade profile, speed and angle is the best in the market– 2nd to none made in SA

Other compost Videos to watch

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For your interest:

All equipment is for: Compost Tea brewing, charcoal manufacturing, Wood vinegar and bio char by-products using Charcoal/ Pyrolysis Biochar Kiln which can retort as well.

Charcoal, compost tea and related equipment– Making of.

• Compost Tea Brewing +Reading!

Kiln 3m3 ready to work

• Charcoal,
• Biochar + Reading
• Wood Vinegar  + Reading

Additional Information

News & Information

Also from Ritlee for your reference and interest! –

Built for the Big Industrial and commercial composters makers making proper AEROBIC compost!

6 meter wide Self propelled

New 6 meter self propelled compost turner

Click here to see all about our new 6 meter self propelled compost turner —

Site in Bapsfontein area using 6 meter compost turner CT6

Watch this space for new 3 meter self propelled compost turner!

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Product Pamphlets

RITLEE COMPOST TURNER PAMPHLET
RITLEE RANGE OF PRODUCTS GENERAL

Interesting Reads

Composting with Chicken Littre
MICROBIAL PHYSICAL & CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF CITRUS WASTE COMPOSTING
COMPOST IN VINEYARDS
MAKING MYCORRHIZAL
WHAT IS MYCHORRHIZAE

Some Compost related posts!

Composting on a Commercial Scale

What Are The Benefits of Aerobic Composting

How Compost Benefits Your Plants

Composting FAQ

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