Sudbury soil testing kit

[e3120]

I recently picked up one of these at a sale at vast (£1) expense. It's old - the order form for replacement consumables is priced in new pence, but only just, by small amounts quoted. Doesn't look ever to have been used, though a top has been knocked off a bottle and rusted a hole in the box.

Is it worth putting any time into? It supposedly can do pH, N, P & K, but even DIY pH testing would be helpful. If the experts @Mounty @Cab-over Pete @Shovelhands advise to bin it, I'll write off my investment.

Cheers

 

[Mounty]

Would need to see a pic really. Without even seeing it, none of the consumables/solutions will be of any use now so you'd need to replace those. If its got tubes you just need a bit of soil indicator and you can do your pH. Even a white saucer will do if no tubes. As for the other tests, I've never tried but you could test with some new solution and cross ref the resulst by sending some of the soil from the sample to the lab.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Do you know where he might buy said consumables Mounty?

 

[Mounty]

No idea Pete....................






Oh, hang on a minute.....https://www.mountliming.co.uk/soil-analysis/buy-a-soil-testing-kit/

 

[Cab-over Pete]

aaaahhhh....................!! YES, that's the firm.

 

[Shovelhands]

I recently picked up one of these at a sale at vast (£1) expense. It's old - the order form for replacement consumables is priced in new pence, but only just, by small amounts quoted. Doesn't look ever to have been used, though a top has been knocked off a bottle and rusted a hole in the box.

Is it worth putting any time into? It supposedly can do pH, N, P & K, but even DIY pH testing would be helpful. If the experts @Mounty @Cab-over Pete @Shovelhands advise to bin it, I'll write off my investment.

Cheers

Thank you for tagging me in such illustrious company, and I rarely get called an “expert” or refer to myself as one , so thanks, I feel like a star now! Don’t worry, the effects will only be temporary.....

Mounty has probably said all that needs to be said I think, put a pic up of what you’ve got . If it’s a nice tray with some test tubes, then it will be useful. But any solutions that are in it will be for the bin. The pH soil indicator that we use only has a shelf life of a year, so I don’t think you could really trust any results from what you may have currently.
We don’t test for anything other than pH, so I couldn’t comment on DIY testing for other elements. But as you say, DIY pH testing will be useful, so good to get yourself kitted up for that

 

[e3120]

What do you think?

 

[Mounty]

All the solutions will have a shelf life so can't expect accuracy. The lime testing bottle solution looks like it may be red in colour, difficult to tell from photo. If its red, don't use it. It should be dark green.

 

[Mrs Brown]

Bought one of these kits 40 years back as our grass wasn't performing, kit said to apply120units potash while collage analysis didn't mention low potash, applied 90 units and saw immediate results. Still have the kit but haven't opened it for yonks as it was a lot of faffing about drying mixing.