There are times when it’s great to buy used and times when it’s not so great to buy used. Almost all of us have lived in a house built by someone else, for example, but most of us might shy away from the idea of slipping on a pair of someone else’s used socks. But when it comes to general purpose lab equipment, buying used and refurbished machines is almost always a cost effective, practical option to outfitting your lab.
Saving Money
For the vast majority of customers this is a primary reason to consider used or refurbished lab equipment, and with good reason. Our equipment is typically priced anywhere from 30% to 60% of the list price of new equipment. We also offer discounted package pricing for bulk purchases. This means that for a typical cell culture lab set up including a refurbished bio safety cabinet, stack of CO2 incubators, refrigerated centrifuges, refrigerators and freezers, ultra-low freezer, analytical balance, inverted microscope, and other assorted equipment the total savings off the list price of new equipment can over 70%. That’s tens of thousands of dollars. Whether you’re on a tight budget or swimming in cash that savings should be a consideration. The money you save on equipment can go toward personnel, marketing, or any number of other productive and effective uses.
Even after the initial startup phase, if you’re just looking to purchase a single item the savings can be significant. A general-purpose five-cubic foot incubator, for example, typically costs about $3,100 from VWR, Thermo, or other manufacturers. We can supply comparable models for around $1,400. Add this up over the course of a year or two and pretty soon your equipment budget starts to look a whole lot more reasonable.
Shorter Lead Time
Take bio safety cabinets, for example. As of this writing The Baker Company is quoting some models of bio safety cabinet and clean benches with six to eight-month lead times. Now there is absolutely a good reason for this: Baker makes high quality products that are almost constantly in demand. But waiting for the better part of a year to receive a new BSC isn’t feasible for many labs. The good news is that American Instrument Exchange can ship bio safety cabinets with new HEPA filters installed as quickly as two to three weeks from the date an order is placed. The same goes for our refurbished chemical fume hoods, clean benches, centrifuges, incubators, ovens, freeze dryers, rotary evaporators, and microscopes.
Environmental Impact
Reuse, Reduce, Recycle. Right? Well, buying used lab equipment encompasses all three of these. You’re reusing equipment that has been decontaminated, cleaned, and repaired. You’re reducing the need for extracting resources that contribute to the raw materials as well as the energy inputs used to build the machines. You’re recycling equipment that is fully tested and in good working order for continued productive use in your lab. Win, win and win.
On top of that, in recent years many manufacturers have begun to focus on improving their green credentials. As a result we’re now seeing better insulation, more efficient compressors and CFC/HCFC free refrigerants in laboratory refrigerators, freezers, and ultralow freezers; more efficient motors in bio safety cabinets, and a variety of other environmentally-friendly construction details in all categories of general lab equipment.
Personalized, knowledgeable service
When you call American Instrument Exchange a real person picks up the phone to answer your questions. You can ask for our sales staff by name rather than by dialing an eleven-digit extension number or instead of following a long series of automated prompts.
While there are certainly many lab equipment manufacturers out there that provide excellent customer service, there are also plenty that are too large and too bureaucratic to provide the level of personalized service that we do. That’s not a criticism – it’s just a reality.
With American Instrument Exchange if you’re experiencing a problem with your order – be it a technical or functional issue with a machine, a snag in the delivery plans, a question about billing, or if you just want to call and say ‘hi’ – you’re going to be able to speak with someone who remembers your order and can assist you.
Now, not all of this is to say that purchasing used equipment is a great option. Use equipment without a warranty, for example, can be a complete waste of money and time – especially if you have to pay to dispose of the device when you find out it’s not working. Additionally, if you’re not very familiar with the operation of a particular piece of equipment or a system is dependent on software to function purchasing new or directly from a manufacturer may be a better option. But all other factors being equal buying used lab equipment is a great way to save money and reduce your negative environmental impact while at the same time receiving professional, personalized service.
So call or email us today with any questions about our current inventory of used and refurbished lab equipment. Thanks!
American Instrument Exchange has been a reliable source for used laboratory and scientific equipment for over 50 years, buying and selling equipment since 1969. Our surplus lab equipment is reconditioned for many types of laboratories, including biotech, biomedical, medical research, chemical, pharmaceutical, and university and hospital research laboratories. All lab equipment listed on our website is in stock and ships from our 30,000 square foot warehouse in Massachusetts. Our facilities include a fully equipped shop with highly trained technicians who thoroughly test each instrument before it reaches your laboratory. Please visit our website at https://www.americaninstrument.com/.