Abstract: A relatively simple soil sampler includes a carrier for mounting on a vehicle, a mast, a carriage slidable on the mast carrying a hammer and in the form of a flighted auger of sample extraction a core tube beneath the hammer, whereby, when the carriage is moved downwardly to a position in which the core tube engages the ground, continued downward movement of the carriage brings the hammer into engagement with the core tube to drive the core tube into the ground, a winch on the mast connected to the top end of the carriage by a cable for moving the carriage upwardly to retract the core tube from the ground.