That guy at the Phoenix feed store warned me about copper penny soil tests

I was grabbing chicken feed last spring and this older rancher stopped me by the register. He said testing soil with pennies is a scam because modern pennies are mostly zinc, not copper. He pulled a 1982 penny out of his pocket and showed me how it barely weighs anything compared to an old one. Has anyone else run into bad advice like that from a random stranger and had it turn out right?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jennifer23d ago

Huh, did that penny test ever work for someone, or is it all old wives' tales?

adam_patel23d ago

My dad tried it on a 1990 Ford and the tread was actually shallower around the edges.

the_miles23d ago

The penny test is meant to see if tread touches Lincoln's head, not to check if it's even across the tire. Uneven wear like that usually means an alignment or suspension issue, not a problem with the test itself.