Used Lab Equipment Online stores
July 28, 2022 8:23 AM Subscribe
For an IRL work project- can people suggest a couple of good online stores that sell used lab equipment of various types, that will let me search by manufacturer name and model number?
I have a list of about 150 items; my boss has asked me to find the used price for them all. Even if it's a ballpark - we're just seeing if we can get a better deal on some of this stuff than continuing to lease it.
And re-iterating that used or refurbished is just fine. My boss actually suggested I search on eBay, in fact - my only problem is that there's a bit of a needle-in-a-haystack factor there thanks to some auctions being a bit nondescriptive when it comes to the items (i.e., they don't post the model number and I have to dig down a bit to discover that "whoops, that's not the right model number after all, crap").
Especially interested in sites that sell pipettes of a particular variety - it looks like there's a crapton of that on the list.
....It's a bad sign when your boss comes to you with a grin and says "I have a fun project for you."
Thanks!
I have a list of about 150 items; my boss has asked me to find the used price for them all. Even if it's a ballpark - we're just seeing if we can get a better deal on some of this stuff than continuing to lease it.
And re-iterating that used or refurbished is just fine. My boss actually suggested I search on eBay, in fact - my only problem is that there's a bit of a needle-in-a-haystack factor there thanks to some auctions being a bit nondescriptive when it comes to the items (i.e., they don't post the model number and I have to dig down a bit to discover that "whoops, that's not the right model number after all, crap").
Especially interested in sites that sell pipettes of a particular variety - it looks like there's a crapton of that on the list.
....It's a bad sign when your boss comes to you with a grin and says "I have a fun project for you."
Thanks!
What kind of lab equipment?
Government (State/ Federal) auctions sites, and university auctions/ used equipment sales sites might be an option.
If they're carried by VWR or ThermoFisher, you can contact a local sales rep and see if they have any ideas.
posted by porpoise at 8:52 AM on July 28, 2022
Government (State/ Federal) auctions sites, and university auctions/ used equipment sales sites might be an option.
If they're carried by VWR or ThermoFisher, you can contact a local sales rep and see if they have any ideas.
posted by porpoise at 8:52 AM on July 28, 2022
For lab electronics, Electrorent is far less sketchy than their website might suggest. They're good at providing speculative quotes.
posted by eotvos at 8:53 AM on July 28, 2022
posted by eotvos at 8:53 AM on July 28, 2022
Response by poster: Just to redirect with another additional data points:
1. Prefer sites in the US if possible.
2. There are SEVERAL kinds of things - pipettes, something called a "microplate domino", I see a couple "filter cubes"....
3. I would GREATLY prefer not to have to write to someone to ask for a quote. We're looking for a site that's like "we have the Bio-Long Multi-phasic pipette rack model ZXQ for $399" or whatever.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:05 AM on July 28, 2022
1. Prefer sites in the US if possible.
2. There are SEVERAL kinds of things - pipettes, something called a "microplate domino", I see a couple "filter cubes"....
3. I would GREATLY prefer not to have to write to someone to ask for a quote. We're looking for a site that's like "we have the Bio-Long Multi-phasic pipette rack model ZXQ for $399" or whatever.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:05 AM on July 28, 2022
You want https://www.govdeals.com/. It’s where my local university’s surplus department sells their used fancy lab equipment.
posted by mismatched at 9:10 AM on July 28, 2022
posted by mismatched at 9:10 AM on July 28, 2022
Also, try the University of Washington surplus site. It really varies, but they have a robust medical school and research program.
surplus home
posted by dbmcd at 9:48 AM on July 28, 2022
surplus home
posted by dbmcd at 9:48 AM on July 28, 2022
Response by poster: Okay, maybe I'm searching WRONG somehow? Because I just searched the U of Washington site for stuff, using each manufacturer's name as the only search term - and got ZERO hits, for ELEVEN different searches. Which seems...unlikely.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:01 AM on July 28, 2022
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:01 AM on July 28, 2022
I haven't used either of these but LabX and Surplus Solutions both sell used pipettes. You may need to search by product name/type rather than by manufacturer name? Also if you can be flexible on brand you will have more options - in my experience, a pipette is a pipette and brand doesn't much matter.
posted by Shal at 10:56 AM on July 28, 2022
posted by Shal at 10:56 AM on July 28, 2022
Pipettes would be too small for my university to list online, those would be sold on-site at the warehouse. Only bigger / fancier stuff gets listed, the expected sale price needs to be in the hundreds of dollars.
IME, used lab equipment is "beggars can't be choosers" and you aren't going to be able to pick brands - this might be a better project for the people who will actually use the equipment, if possible, as they'll be able to tell what will work vs. not for particular uses (although pipettes are pretty standard, the expensive ones are usually just more ergonomic / nicer to use / get included in startup sets with other stuff).
My graduate advisor furnished his lab off eBay, and I get occasional stuff there, it's my go-to for used lab equipment when I can't go to the surplus warehouse.
posted by momus_window at 11:13 AM on July 28, 2022
IME, used lab equipment is "beggars can't be choosers" and you aren't going to be able to pick brands - this might be a better project for the people who will actually use the equipment, if possible, as they'll be able to tell what will work vs. not for particular uses (although pipettes are pretty standard, the expensive ones are usually just more ergonomic / nicer to use / get included in startup sets with other stuff).
My graduate advisor furnished his lab off eBay, and I get occasional stuff there, it's my go-to for used lab equipment when I can't go to the surplus warehouse.
posted by momus_window at 11:13 AM on July 28, 2022
Response by poster: Argh - Surplus Solutions had one of the things I was looking for, but they don't post the prices, you have to ask for a quote.
Oh well, my boss said "don't go nuts", and admitted I wouldn't find everything - so I'm going to do what I can. A LOT of this list is just different kinds of pipettes; do they even SELL those used? Because if they don't I'll just get a price quote from the manufacturer and that would wipe out most of this list in one fell swoop.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:22 AM on July 28, 2022
Oh well, my boss said "don't go nuts", and admitted I wouldn't find everything - so I'm going to do what I can. A LOT of this list is just different kinds of pipettes; do they even SELL those used? Because if they don't I'll just get a price quote from the manufacturer and that would wipe out most of this list in one fell swoop.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:22 AM on July 28, 2022
Most / all the molecular biology labs I worked with recently have gone disposable on pipettes. It's too much trouble to wash them after a single use. Gone are the days when Mrs. E. had a full-time job washing lab glassware.
posted by BobTheScientist at 12:09 PM on July 28, 2022
posted by BobTheScientist at 12:09 PM on July 28, 2022
I've used reuzeit for large equipment (at the time they were called AndBio). They liquidate large labs. It's worth calling them to see if they have pallets of consumables.
posted by fake at 12:23 PM on July 28, 2022
posted by fake at 12:23 PM on July 28, 2022
In academia, most labs use pipettes until they are completely dead, and these things last forever so that could be 20+ years. Where I have worked, if a lab closes down any working supplies are redistributed through the department which means not much makes it to surplus. It wouldn't surprise me if the market for used pipettes is smaller than you would think.
posted by Shal at 1:12 PM on July 28, 2022
posted by Shal at 1:12 PM on July 28, 2022
For anyone else looking, UW's online store is temporarily closed while they try to get in person shopping logistics sorted out. Probably won't be available until late August :(
posted by Grim Fridge at 4:40 PM on July 28, 2022
posted by Grim Fridge at 4:40 PM on July 28, 2022
This isn’t used, but they do have a lot of surplus goods, link below goes to the “lab and schools”,section.
American Science and Surplus
posted by dbmcd at 9:59 AM on July 30, 2022
American Science and Surplus
posted by dbmcd at 9:59 AM on July 30, 2022
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posted by offog at 8:47 AM on July 28, 2022