Alexei
Verified Purchase
Do you like chemistry experiments?
May 12, 2017
If you're reading this, ask yourself a quick question: Did you enjoy chemistry experiments in school? If the answer is yes, read on. If the answer is no then this product is probably not for you.
Instructions provided with this test kit are very detailed and require pretty thorough preparation that might take a full day (ie it's not quick). You have to be very precise with quantities and the soil has to be prepared properly for testing as well as during testing itself. A single missed instruction may compromise your test results (like ensuring that pH test has time to settle but nutrient tests are shaken up with flakes suspended in liquid). Emptying little capsules of test powder require real finesse as well. Precision is the name of the game here, and it's significantly harder than using a test strip or a pH meter with two metal probes.
Now, I actually enjoyed chemistry experiments in school and have a very detail-oriented mind. I found this process interesting but quite cumbersome. It also comes with 5 capsules for each nutrient (and 10 for pH) and refills aren't easy to find. The digital aspect of this test is also a bit of a joke. There is a while LED in the tester with a sensor on the other side. Readings are pretty stable from test to test, but maximum PH this reader measures is 7.5 and you have no idea if you're at 7.3 or much higher than 7.5. My digital tester with two metal probes measured between 7.2 and 7.8 around different points of the yard, but the tester just showed a 7.5 reading.
All-in-all this is both too gimmicky and cumbersome for my taste. It does seem to work, but I haven't compared test results to a real lab. That's why I rated it "just Okay". I think your money would be better spent on the test strip test like Rapitest 1601 instead of this one though.
Timeless Shimano
Verified Purchase
Painless Soil Testing?
May 05, 2017
Unit is easy to use, just don't get reagents mixed up. I found the analyzer to be quick and easy to use. Checked 2 different sections of my lawn and unit reported depleted Nitrogen and Potassium, deficient Phosphorous, unit was consistent. I know what fertilizer and other lawn nutrients I use and what they do. The readings for the Nitrogen appear low as I use a Nitrogen enhanced product and was used 2 months in advance of sampling. I will do more spot checks/sampling as I only do small sections (2 sg ft) now to see how they react to treatment. Better this way to calibrate how much and what to use, saves on material and waste if doing whole lawn with unknown results. Easy once you get the hang of it. My lawn is always a greenish/blue colour after June. I'm making adjustments to further enhance growth and thickness/colour and will adjust accordingly. I think it's money well spent.
Aqua
Verified Purchase
Very satisfied.
September 19, 2016
When I received the kit, I put off doing the tests, as the kit seemed a bit intimidating at first glance through the instructions, but once I fully read the instructions and got working with it, it is actually super easy and I enjoyed using it. It is important to know though, that the capsules with the reagents and/or the vials will be very challenging to work with for those with big hands or who may have any shaking or tremors. Also, it is essential to read the instructions fully to do this right. The results were also easy enough to read if you use a blank paper to help and compare accordingly. Don't exact exact numbers, but it will give you a good ballpark estimate of where your soil is at in terms of pH and the N-P-K levels.
Bill
Verified Purchase
SEEMS TO WORK, BUT MY KIT DIDN'T COME WITH ALL OF THE RIGHT CAPSULES
October 15, 2022
The accuracy I'm not 100% sure on, but the PH kit seems to work. I did one test, and it showed high PH level. I added a little coffee to the test to make it more acidic, and when I ran it again the PH was definitely lower, so I'd say it works.
The main problem, and disappointment is that the kit didn't come with the purple capsules for the Nitrogen, but instead came with an extra packet of blue capsules for the Phosphorus tester.
And the phosphorus doesn't really turn any shade of blue, so I'm not sure if I did something wrong, or what happened.
If it wasn't for this mix up, I'd say it's a pretty good value.
heidi joseph
Verified Purchase
it really works
July 19, 2021
Bought this last year and tested my soil. All tests showed depleted. After lots of soil amendments, fertilizers, etc., retested this spring and all results had changed. I definetly believe this works, although amending the soil properly is the next challenge. I overfertilized with nitrogen which resulted in amazing lettuce this spring but will see how the rest does. The test did show surplus nitrogen. I will be ordering more capsules and testing more often. The prices for this identical product do vary so do a thorough search before buying.
Donna
Verified Purchase
Wait 16 hours for soil/water mixture to settle before using it.
July 20, 2016
Pack the soil into a full cup and use distilled water. One cup soil and 5 cups distilled water. Shake it up for a couple of minutes. I used a large 1.5 litre canning jar. Let it settle for at least 16 hours for a good water sample to use. It does say you can use it after 30 minutes but reviews have said it does not produce a good test. It gives a good test. We were too high in all aspects except no nitrogen. This helped us to save our garden that was not growing.
Joe
Verified Purchase
Very easy to use
September 14, 2016
Very easy to use, this was my first time testing soil and the instructions that came with it were so clear it made using it a breeze! It came with multiple capsules which allows for more than one test to be done over a period of time to see your soil changes during the season so you can make the appropriate ammendements. I would recomment and buy this product again. My garden has never yielded more than it has this year! Soil testing is indeed a must!
Oniononiononion
Verified Purchase
This saved my garden!!!
August 02, 2018
For years I have been unable to grow simple vegetables in my garden. My soul was not sandy or clay, it was dark and soft with lots of worms and it never made sense to me. I couldn’t even grow a friggin’ radish! After using this test I discovered I had NO NITROGEN and NO PHOSPHORUS! Now I know what my garden is missing and since feeding it some bone meal and blood meal on a regular basis it has CHANGED EVERYTHING.
jesse
Verified Purchase
Amount deceiving
April 14, 2020
My only issue is that it is not clear about how many tests you get . The ad and package says 40 tests right.. so when I buy a complete kit and it says 40 I expect to do the whole job 40 times . Wrong they mean you get 10 tests each for the 4 different values. Really since it is sold as a kit it should say "10 tests" not "40 tests" . Cause who is only testing 1 out of 4 things?
Seirra
Verified Purchase
There is nothing really rapid about these tests, and ...
August 18, 2017
There is nothing really rapid about these tests, and not sure how accurate they are, however, it is certainly faster and less expensive than sending the same number of samples out to get tested. Assuming they are "ball parkish" accurate, it is a fairly convenient way to know if you need to adjust your soil.
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