I'm a landscape designer in CA return for site visits at 3 and 12 months post installation. We use a lot of low water plants and this tool is very helpful to diagnose the soil moisture level down at the root ball. The most common reason I lose plants is from over watering! This is a great way to show a client the soil is saturated and they are drowning their plant. The best $70 I've spent. It stays in my truck and I use it regularly. Love the foot step which helps put extra pressure to penetrate our clay soil.
Love this tool! We retired to the country, joined a local Gardening society and were taught to get our soil sampled at the Ag center. This probe solves our problem as we didn't' want to just get surface soil and we didn't want to dig a hole with a spade to do so. Perfect! Thanks AM!
"I got one 10 years ago for my work, and just now got one for my personal use. The tip is sharp enough to get into any soil that I have tried it on. The step isn't really necessary but doesn't hurt to have it. Soil does get stuck in the sampler."
Over all a good tool. Handles need to be longer with some type of padding.
This soil probe was a very good value. A comparable stainless steel probe would run between $150 and $200. The only bad part is you cannot replace the probe tip. I would suggest if the tip dulls, use a file to sharpen it. The thing it does have that most probes don't is a side bar, so you can put pressure on the probe, from either your hand or your foot, to press it into the soil.
