Recommendations for New LC System

[schlenkline]

Hey All,

I work in an academic chemistry lab and we are currently shopping around for a new analytical HPLC system. Our setup is pretty standard, we plan on using the system for quantitative analysis of small molecules and for chiral chromatography. I've only used Agilent systems in the past, and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations, praise, or horror stories about alternative companies.

Mostly I am looking for:
Reliability: So I don't have to spend all my afternoons fixing the thing.
Ease of Maintenance: Easy to fix when it does break. (I can fix mostly anything on our old 1100 series)
Software that isn't terrible: I'm using an ancient version of Chemstation B right now, and it is garbage. Something that doesn't look like it can be outperformed by a geocities website would be preferred (and site licenses for data analysis would be nice).

So far we have gotten quotes on:
(a) Agilent 1260 Series
(b) Shimadzu Prominence
(c) Jasco LC-2000
(waiting on Waters rep to get back to us)

Just looking for any general recommendations or warnings. We use almost exclusively reverse phase and use Diode Array for Detection (may buy an MS later down the line).

Thanks!

Schlenkline

[lmh]

If you're looking at Agilent 1260, had you considered whether you need Shimadzu Nexera rather than Prominence? The flexibility of a pump that can do UPLC pressures up to 5mL/min (without killing itself) is a lovely luxury.

On support: loads depends on where you are in the world. Do check up though. Check prices of service contracts even if you don't intend to have one, because if you are reduced to getting repairs, the contract is a reasonable measure of repair-costs, and if the supplier can only offer a very expensive contract, it probably means they expect regular break-downs or the maintenance is hard to do and needs costly parts.

On software and site-wide licences: don't believe anything that's not written down. I'll spare the manufacturers' embarrassment (this time...) because this is a public message board, but I have one expensive bit of kit in the lab for which we have a single license and it's driving everyone up the wall. The rep who sold it promised that he would make sure we got sufficient access to whatever we needed to make sure we could process our data - until we'd paid, when he evaporated like hexane and now we've got everyone queuing to handle data and run instrument on a single PC, and a £5K bill for another copy of software. Meanwhile we've got another manufacturer whose software uses a dongle (so site-wide wasn't an option), but they dealt with it by bundling a large number of dongles into the original purchase at a very generous price - so the message is, negotiate, and don't believe what's not written.

[AIM]

I have a like new Agilent 1260 system that I am looking to sell. It is in immaculate condition. I listed the details below.

Agilent Technologies - Model 1260 Infinity Quaternary Pump (G1311B) with Integrated Degasser
• Agilent Technologies - Model 1260 Infinity (G1316A) Thermostatted Column Compartment
• Agilent Technologies - Model 1260 Infinity Multiple Wavelength Detector (G1365C)
• Agilent Technologies - Model 1260 Infinity Autosampler (G1329B)
• Computer Data System with Agilent G2170BA (Rev. B.04.03) LC Chemstation Software on Windows7

The system will be completely refurbished, tested and include a 6 month warranty for $30,000

[James_Ball]

We are currently using both A and B versions of Agilent Chemstation and honestly it is better than many other software packages I have looked at in the past from other vendors. If you have any Agilent GC/MS instruments running E version MSDChemstation you can also process the chromatograms using that software if you like it better.

As for ease of maintenance, hard to beat Agilent 1100/1200 series, almost everything you ever need to replace is right on the outside.