Chromatography Forum

As if the crap with the foreline pumps isn't enough our refurbished "in working condition" 6890-5973 arrived today. Fubar is the best word I can use to describe it.

-There is oil at the bottom of the analyzer chamber so it obviously backstreamed.
-The seller didn't include a source at all
-One of the latches on the sideboard controller cable is missing
-It needs $6400 in communications upgrades to make it LAN
-the heater/sensor cables look pretty knarly
-The side pannel o-ring is so warped it doesn't fit the grooves anymore and a section is just hanging out

that is just from visual inspection

I just thought I'd post so you can feel better about your day.

This is why on-line auctions get such low bids, so much of the kit is little more than scrap
Also a good reason to buy only from those who are not just selling you the kit but giving some sort of warranty and installation.

Seller to retrieve their "instrument" at their own cost, and repay you in full both purchase price and all reasonable expenses incurred by you. Otherwise all Hell breaks loose. You must have some sort of trading standards where you are? Selling something under a false description is fraud.

Return item for refund, was not detailed accurately in the product description. I've had great results with refurbished systems from Quantum Analytics http://www.lqa.com/, and also from Alpha Omega http://www.aoti.net/

That's an understatement. I've never seen an MSD so abused in my life. It looks like it came from an undergrad lab and the undergrads were allowed to play with it unsupervised. I suppose considering the condition of the side pannel o-ring that could have caused a catestrophic vacuum break that caused the backstreaming but it would take $5000 in parts and a weeks work to even be able to hook it up and activate it just so I can make further diagnostics. Judging by the way the instrument looks I'd almost certainly find more serious problems when I did so. All in all I'd say it is totalled and a money pit to fix.

The whole situation is beyond rediculous.

Do you think that somebody tried to repair it and did more damage than good?

I doubt it. If someone were to try to repair it the first thing that would have to be done is to replace the side pannel O-ring. It is only $170. The fact they kept the EI source indicated they knew it was bad and started taking what they could easily use and salvage.