[Aim]  To assess whether a simplified, and significantly cheaper, soil fauna extraction device made from inverted water bottles could be a viable alternative to the traditional Tullgren funnel, which has the disadvantages of high cost, bulky size, heavy weight and complex assembly. [Methods]  The performance of the simplified, lightweight soil fauna extraction device was compared to that of the traditional Tullgren funnel under both 40 W and 15 W photothermal sources. [Results]  (1) The lightweight, simplified funnel was significantly (~80%) cheaper, ~75% lighter and smaller in volume, and much easier to operate. (2) Although the Tullgren funnel extracted a significantly higher number of soil fauna under 40 W conditions (P < 0.05), there was no significant difference between tunnel types at 15 W (P > 0.05). (3) Furthermore, no statistical differences (P > 0.05) were found in the numbers of the dominant soil fauna groups (mainly mites and collembolans) extracted from grassland, farmland, or forest, soils. (4) The time intervals required for effective extraction were, 4-6 h (40 W) and 12 h (15 W). [Conclusion]  This study demonstrates that a lightweight, simplified soil fauna extraction device with a 15 W photothermal source has similar performance to a traditional Tullgren funnel, while at the same time being significantly cheaper, lighter, and easier to assemble and use. The simplified soil fauna extraction device is suitable for immediate on-site sample collection in ecological field surveys, particularly in remote areas.