Pickup-Mounted Soil Sampler Made From Sitrrator Auger

Pickup-Mounted Soil Sampler Made From Sitrrator Auger MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 20-4-11 An Iowa farmer, tired of paying for soil sampling services, has come up with his own pickup-mounted soil sampler made from a "stirrator" auger out of a grain bin. Lynn Petersen of Elk Horn mounted his home-built sampler on a 1967 Ford 1-ton flatbed pickup. "It didn't cost much to build. I had the hydraulic motor, hoses, and other material on hand so my out-of-pocket cost was $30 or less. I even fitted it with a specially-designed auger tip that allows it to penetrate frozen soil," says Petersen. The 3-ft. long, 2-in. dia. auger mounts on a steel frame that slides into steel brackets mounted on the side of the flatbed. The auger is powered by a Charlyn hydraulic motor that's driven off the pickup's power steering pump. The auger is raised or lowered by turning a large wheel on a shaft fitted with sprockets. The sprockets engage a pair of roller chains welded flat to metal tubing on the frame supporting the auger. The auger deposits dirt into a metal tray and Petersen sweeps it out by hand into a plastic pail. "I use it every fall and winter. Mike's Welding, Kimballton, Iowa, fabricated the soil tray and designed the auger tip which consists of two pieces of steel ground at an angle and welded together. The tip design is similar to what's found on ice fishing augers. I can make about 200 holes before I have to resharpen the tip. "The tray design automatically limits auger depth. The tray is connected to a length of square tubing that slides inside a steel bracket as the auger lowers into the ground. A cotter pin on this piece of tubing limits how deep the auger can drop." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Lynn G. Petersen, 2404 St. F 58, Elk Horn, Iowa 51531 (ph 712 764-6892).

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