Luster Leaf 1818 Rapitest Mini 4-in-1 Soil Tester

by Luster Leaf

Product Features

• Rapid test mini 4-in-1 soil tester
• Compact and easy-to-use
• Tests soil fertility, light, moisture, and ph
• Unique three probe meter design allows one meter to measure all the essentials
• No batteries necessary

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000RUI9QK
• Item model number: 1818
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #927 in Patio, Lawn & Garden (See Top 100 in Patio, Lawn & Garden)
  • #7 in Patio, Lawn & Garden > Plants & Planting > Gardening Tools > Soil Testers

Product Description

1 tester to help provide a healthy growing environment for all plants. It tests for soil alkalinity/acidity, soil fertility, soil moisture, and sunlight.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

145 of 145 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty useful; has its limitations, September 22, 2008

By 

K Nexsen (Virginia USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Luster Leaf 1818 Rapitest Mini 4-in-1 Soil Tester (Lawn & Patio)

I've only owned this product a few weeks, but so far, so good. I HAVE noticed that it seems to need to be in SOIL to accurately read (Anecdotally, I have read other reviews for similar products where people complained it wouldn't read for moisture when stuck in water, and so I curiously tried placing this one in a glass of water. It's true. It doesn't always ping to the far end for moisture when you do this, but who cares? It DOES when you place it in heavily saturated soil). I DO recommend pushing the leads deeply in your soil, and to move it around a plant you suspect is not responding well to either its environment or your watering habits. I have noticed, by using this item, that areas around a few of my plants seem to have isolated patches of soil compaction, where they are holding more water. If I'd only done one reading per plant, I would not have gotten a fully accurate reading.

I don't really use the "light" measure, and the fertilizer and pH measure seem to work well. I suspect I will use meter this quite a bit.

***Ammended review***: After having this for some time, I've noticed some issues with it. First, the metal tines are not built for long-term use. In a short period of time, they began to bend every-which-way and now any time I try to insert the device in soil (not even compacted, at that!) they bend in different directions, which makes it quite difficult to get readings!

Also, if you were interested in keeping it inserted in an individual "sick plant" to gauge its progress--or even aid in diagnosis--think again. I've found that, over time, the tines also begin to react to the moisture and minerals in the soil and stop rendering accurate readings. However, I've had other moisture gauges, and as this particular type of gauge goes, this is probably the better one on the market. Hope this helps!

61 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Extremely Pleased, August 23, 2009

By 

Ms. M (Southwest ~ USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Luster Leaf 1818 Rapitest Mini 4-in-1 Soil Tester (Lawn & Patio)

I initially purchased this product to test the soil's pH. It does a very good job of giving you a general idea of the soil's pH as long as you follow the instructions.

Per a previous review, you must completely submerge the meter into wet soil. If you try to use it on dry soil, or not fully submerged, it won't give you an accurate pH reading. Plus, let it sit in the soil for a few minutes so it has time to adjust.

The other three functions ~ water, light, and fertilize, seem to work OK. They weren't my major focus for purchasing this product. Plus, the instructions were poor and too generalized. That's why I gave this product four out of five stars.

Once again, this is a good product for general pH soil readings. You can get a good idea if your soil is too acidic or alkaline.

I was able to verify the soil's pH, the reading the product was displaying, because I have soil test stripes to confirm the pH level. I want to stop using test strips because they're expensive, and I can't reuse them. With this product, there's nothing to replace, such as batteries, or repurchase, such as test stripes.

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a good value for what it does, May 29, 2009

By 

Jamie R. Wilson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Luster Leaf 1818 Rapitest Mini 4-in-1 Soil Tester (Lawn & Patio)

We got this gauge to check the pH of our vegetable garden, but have found that it does so much more. It does check for moisture, it works well for pH, it works good for fertilizer too ... light sensor seems to be the weakest link of this product.

I must also agree about the metal probes bending when inserting it into the ground, so I take some of the soil and mix it up in a tall cup with some water until I get a mud like consistency, that keeps the probes from bending. I realize that is not always possible but it works better for us.

Good value if you are looking to check the basics at a basic price.