When we moved into our present house 15 years ago we had adobe clay soil. Not kidding or exaggerating. Growing anything was tough.
My first composting set up was a heavy vinyl wrap around thing about 24" in diameter that had a cute little matching coolie-type hat. The best compost I got from it was what remained underneath it when it was emptied. Those worms and beasties worked 6" down into the soil! So I moved it from spot to spot each year.
By that time I had the bug so I went looking for a spot for a larger set up. I got bigger vinyl wrap-arounds that were at least 36" in diameter and put them in permanent spots supported by a cinderblock wall on one side and, eventually, a chainlink fence on the other. Now my composing area is about 12' x 8' with big piles on both sides. I've joined the wrap-arounds (which have held up for 10 years or more) into several sections so my piles are about 6' long and 3' wide.
It takes most of a year to fill one. I usually pile them 4' or so high before I consider a pile "done". They're totally passive. ...tho a friend set up irrigation above them so they get watered more regularly now.
There's always one finished in the Spring. The wrap-arounds come off. That's the only time I turn them: when they're mostly humus. And that's when things like partially composted stumps, roots, bones, shells and anything else that needs more time goes on top of a working pile. The bottom of the newest pile if they're actually stumps.
I sift the humus that I keep in big trash bins to use throughout the year. What stays in my sieve goes in another bin as mulch. When I'm doing heavy planting, I just dig through a finished pile without the sifting and sorting.
I am happy to say that after 15 years of composting I have really nice planting beds. Some still have that heavy clay if I dig down more than 6" but I see less and less of it every year. ...at least in the planting beds. The lawn is still adobe that turns into a slip-and-slide when it's wet.
rabbits 
Steve
