Which GC/MS/MS is a better choice?

[ws_lam]

Dear All,

Our lab is planning to buy a new Triple-Quad GC/MS/MS system.
Both Varian and Waters has the configue we are looking for.

Anyone has experience with those systems?
Is Varian's system a reliable system?
Please share with us your experience.

Thanks a lot.

WS LAM

[BigGeoff]

Hi there

I have experience of Waters, namely Quattro LC and Quatro Micro. Both are excellent systems, pretty robust and the software is easy to use. Plenty of documented applications for Waters kit too Sorry but have never used Varian stuff.

[ingochrist]

Do you already have a 5973 MSD in your lab?

[ws_lam]

Dear All,

Thanks for your kind replies.
We do not have any GC/MSD in our lab right now. We have 6890 but not the 5973 MSD. My boss do not want an ion trap.

I heard that Waters systems are good and robust too, but Varian's offer is really throat cutting.

Any experience with Varian systems will be a great reference for us to made decision.

Thanks again.

WS LAM

[CE Instruments]

Why do you think you need MS/MS ? Most GC is done with EI and single MS because this is library searchable and for most analysis is more than good enough. It is also much less expensive than MS/MS unless you consider Ion Traps. MS/MS applications are usually for very dirty matricies and a small number of target ion screening applications. You might be better asking for GC/MS solutions to your application problem rather than limiting yourself to expensive MS/MS solutions

[Amirav]

I have the Varian 1200 GC-MS and I like it very much. You can do with it anything that you do with a single quad plus MS-MS that works well and is easy to use. It also have a ChromatoProbe for extract free dirty sample introduction. I do with it R&D. One of my considerations for Varian was that as a GC-MS company they have good support while Waters is an LC and LC-MS company. The price difference that you mention is due to Varian being a US $ company while Waters Micromass is a UK Pounds based company and the $ is now week.
Enjoy your new system

[ws_lam]

Dear All,

Thanks again for the replies.

CE, since we are doing environmental sample analysis, the matrix of samples are usually very complex. That's why we want a GC/MS/MS system.

Amirav, thanks alot for sharing your views.

Any further comments on the Varian systems are always welcome.

Thanks again!

WS LAM

[xxx]

If you choose a GC/MS/MS based on a ion trap,and you have very complex or dirty matrix,you must consider to clean the trap ofter as with a quadrupole based GC/MS or GC/MS/MS.

We used to clean more our Polaris Q (ion trap) as our two 5973 MSD (quad).

Bye

[Ron]

If you are doing environmental samples, I would assume that you would be following EPA protocols for most if not all of your analytical work. EPA methods do not allow the use of tandem MS, so if you are doing conventional environmental analysis you will be running in single quad mode most if not all the time. MS-MS does have its place, but it is usually not in environmental analysis. Don't expect to see EPA approving MS-MS methods in the forseeable future. Most labs are so price sensitive there is no way they would ever consider tandem MS.