It completely depends on how fast you really want the finished compost to be ready to spread on your garden. Speed is the only issue when it comes to the what kind of 'composter' you might want to deal with, at least zones 5/6.

If you are just interested in having a way to turn yard waste and kitchen waste into good compost, that is very inexpensive and easy. It's the method I usually use, since I am both cheap and short on time.... You pick a spot, and dump everything on that spot (grins).

Oh, I do have three side-by-side wire-frame bins to enclose the sequential piles. I think they were about $15 each. Fill up bin. Then start filling the next. When the first pile is slumping, add more stuff. That helps the slumping pile compost more quickly.

In zones 5/6, no-fuss composting is fairly quick. The first bin I fill has a large core of spread-ready compost the next spring. I fork out the surface stuff that has not composted into the third and later bin, and shovel the good compost onto the garden beds. That bin is now empty, and I will put all further waste into the other part-fulls, and save the empty one for later overflow. I dig into the second pile later in the season, as needed.

I don't water, or stir, and aerate.... Just don't have the time. And I don't worry about 'layering' correctly, the only warning being that you don't want lawnmower clippings dumped to create heavy layers. If you must dump a lawnmower catch-bag, then stir it in to break up the 'matting' effect.

Oh, and I usually have included soil from desodding a new area or clearing excess planting soil. Throw soil into the pile as available. The soil organisms are important.

If you are concerned about having completed compost ready for your gardens in a much shorter time, then you need fancier methods and more work. But the time frame of 'summer debris = spring compost' is fast enough for me.

Another thing I have done with the cold-compost method is to actually create garden areas. Had one area where I just piled up garden clearings when we started working the garden. It slumped, and I added, and ditto. In about four years, I had a ready-made rock garden, with nice height, and an interesting irregular shape. Cleared the outer uncomposted stuff to a bin, and added rocks to finish off a long nicely shaped bed of really good soil.

Thank you for the info. I might try using pallets to hold compost. I have access to as many as I need. Then we'll go from there. Thanks again

Pallets should work great! Water and air can enter and leave freely, but they will hold in all the bits.

Should be just the ticket....
Good luck!

My compost bin is just a wire enclosure and I let nature do the work. The extra steps I take are to prevent racoons and worse skunks from foraging. I have three 55 gal plastic barrels that are aerated and have drainage. Through out the summer, I make layers of the saved, shredded leaves and household garbage. Come fall I put down a fresh layer of leaves in the enclosure, roll the barrels to the site, and empty them (usually only 2 as the third carries us through the winter. The following spring, I check the enclosure to see if the mix has composted enough. If not, I stir it a bit and wait until fall to remove it. Speed depends upon temps.

Sorry I am so late again. I use a containment system only to deter critters. I think a perfectly good compost can be made with out worrying about " Having it ready in 2 weeks "Old pallets are fine , in fact as long as they are not contaminated it is in keeping with good recycling habits.As you can see from above the folks have slightly different ways to achieve the same goal. I love the idea of using a compost system where the compost enclosure becomes the garden.If i could raise chickens I would build a mobile chicken trailer to use as a compost " enclosure".