LOSTRONAUT Soil Sampler Probe 12 Inch - Tubular Contractor Grade Enforced T Handle - Stainless Steel With Core Sampling Area - Includes Soil Sample Kit Test Bags - For Garden Lawn Farm Or Golf Course Review

I just unboxed this and it looks like someone already used it and returned it it is all rusted on the inside. I thought it might have been dirt so I tried to clean it but it’s not. Which means this isn’t stainless steal either. I wanted to contact the company first but there is no way that I see to do that. I don’t know how well it functions, I haven’t gotten that far yet but I think I will be returning it.***Update*** It is definitely going back. I had to force with all my might to get it into

I live in the NW US where the soil is hard packed clay. I used the probe to sample my lawn. Sampling was done in the spring after several rainy days. The lawn has a layer of thatch over a thin layer of top soil with hard pan underneath. It's recommended to sample 6 inches below the surface. I had a difficult time extracting a sample deeper than 3 inches below the surface. I weigh about 170 lbs and it took all of my weight while twisting the tool back and forth. The tool is actually made very…

Lostronaut Soil Sampler, strange name. It works fine, a lot depends on how compact, damp or type of soil you have. Here in Southern California I have a sandy/loamy type soil, I did notice the more compact and dry the smaller the sample. Some spots I got nice samples and others not so nice. The tool does work, I found if you twist it while pushing down it worked for me.Now let's talk about the weld job on the handle, it's a little skimpy, welding rod doesn't cost that much, they could have…

Very good value for this soil probe. Worked much better with the t handle compared to a more expensive alternative without the t handle.

First use, it bent and the ground was not packed hard and I hit no rocks or clay. Straighten it out best I could and I was able to finish collecting my sample but I may not be able to use it again. Look elsewhere if you want something durable.

Works well was able to take 20 plugs out of lawn for soil testing. It is a but hard to push in especially if ground is hard. A T shape at top would be better. However models of this nature are 3x more expensive, and for some basic DIY lawn guy getting some simple soil tests, this was perfect.

The product description was inaccurate. The welds that connect the handle to the sampling tube broke during routine sampling.

Opened the package, and noticed the handle was at an odd angle. One of two, yes two, small tack welds was already broken. Upon the first attempt to take a sample the handle's one remaining spot weld broke. This is a Chinese made piece of garbage. Will never buy from this vendor again.

Easy enough to use, but does not work well in clay soils. I could never get samples to fill the tube, it mainly just compacted the soil down and made a hole. Finally ended up just using a hand trowel and digging up samples. I do not recommend for clay soil.

It has 2 small tack welds and pretty sloppy ones at that. The ground was pretty soft as we had 1/2 inch of rain yesterday. Pushed it in slowly about 6-8" I felt the handle move as I pushed it in. only pulls about a 3' plug. One weld broke on the next sample I pulled so I new it was just a matter of time. The handle broke off after 6 -7 plugs. Also the side openings are sharp and I cut my finger on it. You are better of using a shovel.

I think this is a situation when I should have spent a bit more on a model with handles. When trying to get a soil sample at 6", I found it difficult to get this into the ground. I ended up using a soft mallet to hammer it down into the dirt, which eventually smashed away the rubber top. I was eventually able to get 5 samples around my yard for a soil test, but this may be a single use thing.

I tried multiple times and areas but never could get more than 1 inch of sample soil. Because there is no T type handle have to use rubber mallet to drive into ground. I returned. You get what you pay for with this product.

This did not work well for me. The dirt is almost impossible to get out and in trying to push the dirt through with a stake, I sliced my finger on the raw edge of the opening in the middle of the probe. All this and it collected no more than a tablespoon of dirt.

I send off soil samples to the LSU agriculture center to see what and how much fertilizers I need to add to my yard. This is wonderful instead of having to use a small shovel. Sturdy and just the right size for easy storage.

Came used with dirt in the probe. Cleaned it up and used it to take my sample. I have heavy clay. Out of the 8 samples I took, only 2 came out clean. The others would just punch a hole in the ground. With different soil, I’m sure it would work fine. Clay is a pain

This is the only soil core tool I have used, but I would have thought it would be easier to get the sample out. It may be the fault of my soil, but I have tried in both wet and dry conditions and the core compresses when I press the tool down, then won't come out.

The internal bore was full of metal droplets from the cutting of the slit in the side to remove the core. If the bore is not smooth, the core will get compacted. I've tried cleaning out the metal from inside which helped some and I was actually able to pull a core, but that took about an hour of work. I'm not sure if I got a version that was not inspected, or if it's a normal think for this brand.

I love the ease of use with this product. I was able to pull a soil sample from my yard and use it perfectly. May not work well for testing soil at different depths.

Bought it new, opened the cardboard box it came in and immediately found that it was used. There was literally dirt still in it.

I use a rubber hammer with the core sampler and it works well. My soil has a lot of clay and the core samples tend to compress so looking at layers is a little more difficult. The tool is sturdy and easy to use. For my occasional needs it will be very handy.