Quick verdict
A professional kit from AMS, the US soil sampling equipment maker, for taking undisturbed cores of known volume so soil bulk density, the measure of compaction, can be calculated by weighing the dried sample. The core sampler takes a liner with a small 5/16 inch gap to the tip and a cap with a 2 inch waste barrel that removes compaction from the sample itself; a compact slide hammer drives it. It is the right tool for lawn care professionals, researchers and serious growers who need numbers, not a feel.
Strengths
- Takes undisturbed cores of known volume for true bulk density
- Waste barrel in the cap eliminates compaction caused by sampling
- Precision-machined liners and sampler for consistent results
- Compact slide hammer drives cores in firm soil
- AMS is a long-established professional soil equipment maker
Weaknesses
- Professional price for a measurement most gardeners do not need
- Requires drying and weighing samples to get a number
- Heavy kit to carry across a site
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
Compaction as a Number
A gardener pushes a screwdriver into the lawn and says the soil is hard. An agronomist takes a core of known volume, dries it, weighs it and reports bulk density in grams per cubic centimetre. AMS’s 58563 kit is the tool for the second approach: a precision core sampler with liners, a cap with a built-in waste barrel and a compact slide hammer, made by the American company that has supplied soil sampling equipment for decades.
This review is based on the manufacturer’s specifications and on how bulk density sampling is performed in agronomy generally. We have not used this kit ourselves.
Why Undisturbed Matters
Bulk density is only meaningful if the sample has the same volume it had in the ground. Any sampler compresses the soil at the top of the core as it is driven. AMS’s cap includes a 2 inch waste barrel that takes that disturbed material above the liner, so the core in the liner is undisturbed. The small 5/16 inch gap between tip and liner minimises smearing. These details are what separate a research tool from a tube.
The Method
Clear the surface, set the sampler, drive it with the slide hammer to full depth, extract it, cap the liner ends and label it. Back indoors, dry the core at 105 C to constant weight, weigh and divide by liner volume. Compare against thresholds for the soil texture: roots struggle above about 1.6 in loams and 1.4 in clays. Repeat across a site to map compaction.
Who Uses It
Turf managers diagnosing thin greens, consultants reporting on construction-damaged soil, researchers, and large-scale growers tracking tillage effects. For a homeowner it is more instrument than the question needs; a penetrometer gives a relative answer at a fraction of the cost.
Build
AMS machines its samplers to tight tolerances so liners interchange and results compare across sites and years. The compact hammer suits firm soil without the weight of a full slide hammer. The kit is heavy to carry; that is steel.
Who Should Buy It
- Turf and agronomy professionals who report compaction.
- Researchers and students in soil science.
- Serious growers tracking soil structure over time.
Common Owner Complaints
Price and the need for an oven and a balance. Both are the nature of the measurement.
Alternatives to Consider
A soil penetrometer such as the SEEMINE gives relative compaction instantly without lab work. AMS also sells full-size slide hammer kits for deeper cores. A screwdriver is the gardener’s test.
Verdict
For measuring soil compaction as a real number, this is the proper tool from the proper maker, and the waste barrel detail is why its numbers can be trusted. If you need bulk density, buy it; if you need to know whether the lawn is hard, buy a penetrometer.
Full specifications
AMS 58563 Bulk Density Soil Sampling Kit with Compact Slide Hammer and Hex Quick Pin FAQs
The dry weight of soil per unit volume. High bulk density means compaction: roots cannot penetrate, water cannot infiltrate. Most soils above about 1.6 g/cm3 restrict roots; sandy soils tolerate more, clays less.
Drive the sampler to take a core of known volume in the liner, dry the core in an oven at 105 C until the weight is stable, weigh it and divide by the liner volume.
Driving a sampler compresses the soil at the top of the core, which would read as false compaction. The waste barrel takes that disturbed 2 inches so the measured core below is undisturbed.
No. A penetrometer or a screwdriver test tells a gardener enough. This kit is for people who report numbers.
