A story about buying a used freeze dryer – cautionary tale
Click here to see the used and refurbished freeze dryers from American Instrument Exchange.
Well, it happened again. Remember when we described the experience one of our customers had purchasing a biosafety cabinet from an auction? This time it was a different customer and she purchased a freeze dryer that isn’t going to be viable. It’s a major loss of time and money.
She had been looking for a freeze dryer for months and wanted to her stretch her budget for FY2019 a little further. We had a Labconco FreeZone Plus 12L in stock and priced at $11,000 which included a vacuum pump and new ports. We offered to discount our price to $10,000 to help her out but her goal was to spend $5,000 or less. So when she saw a up for auction she figured she’d take her chances.
The bids quickly rose to and surpassed $5,000. In the heat of the moment she got competitive and bid up to $6,600 and won. Only she forgot about premium cost – which added another $1,100 to the total. The unit didn’t come with a vacuum pump either but she figured that she could repurpose one that she already had on hand. Removal, packing and freight shipping cost her another $800.
When she got the unit she quickly realized that the vacuum pump she had on hand wouldn’t work. She had to spend another $1,200 getting another pump. Then the freeze dryer wouldn’t hold vacuum. She plugged the ports and, thankfully, the vacuum held – but that still meant at least one of the ports leaked. Several hours of troubleshooting and $400 worth of new ports later, the machine appeared to be functioning properly.
In the end she paid a total of $10,100 for the freeze dryer – more than she would have paid purchasing a testing and warrantied unit from American Instrument Exchange. And while there was a certain satisfaction in repairing the unit on her own she’ll be the first to admit it was probably not the best use of time or mental energy.
(For the record, none of this is to say that lab equipment auctions or auction companies are nefarious or anything like that. They can be great to work with and most of the people conducting the auctions are honest and helpful, and sometimes – sometimes – there are bargains to be found. Our point here is that for big ticket, complicated, and delicate machines, you’re taking a significant and potentially costly risk buying untested and without a warranty.)
So if you’re interested in any used or refurbished lab equipment please call or email us today. We’ll work with you to find a machine that fits your budget and works to manufacturer specifications so that you can get to work quickly. 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/.