Non-Stick Soil Probe

Non-Stick Soil Probe CROPS Miscellaneous 18-3-8 This "non-stick" soil probe is easy to use and works well even in wet, sticky soil, says Luke Duplessie, Tilbury, Ontario, who came up with the design after he got frustrated trying to use commercial soil probes. The T-shaped soil probe consists of a 36 in. long steel pipe with handles across the top and a tapered, heat-treated tip on bottom. The pipe is 1 in. dia., but the tip narrows down to only 5/8 in. dia. so as the sample enters the probe it has room to expand without sticking to the inside of the pipe. Duplessie empties the sample out the top of the pipe into a 5-gal. pail. "I've even used it to take samples of wet soil under ice," says Duplessie: "The sample comes out in one piece that's 20 to 24 in. long, depending on how deep I insert the probe into the ground. The handle straddles a 5-gal. pail so it's easy to knock the sample out of the pipe. I tried using six or seven different commercial soil probes, but they all tended to plug up when soil was moist. They also got bent because they weren't built very strong. My soil probe works so well I plan to make a hydraulic-operated model for my 4-wheel ATV." Duplessie says he's looking for a manufacturer. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Luke Duplessie, Rt. 5, Tilbury, Ontario, Canada NOP 2L0 (ph 519 682-1767).

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