Chromatography Forum

We are in the process of purchasing a new GC with the choices being Agilent 7890B with Openlab Chemstation, Shimadzu GC-2010 Plus with LabSolutions v5, and ThermoScientific Trace 1300 with Chromeleon 7.2. I would like any feedback on these systems/software from users. Comments like "System X is a piece of junk" are not useful. Comments about reliability, user friendliness, instrument/software quirks are appreciated. Thanks in advance.

The Thermo TRACE 1310 is the next generation of GC platforms, I seriously suggest that you get a live demo of them to see how they work and how they can revolutionize what you can do with the hardware. I can flop between FID/TCD/ECD and more in a matter of minutes. They use industry-compatible consumables so the aftermarket is there, and Chromeleon 7.2 is so nice that I don't have to fight through the software or rip data out and dump it into Excel for processing. Trust me, I have 5 different software installed on my PC and Chromeleon is the one I go to every time. As a demo chemist my job is to tailor the application for each individual who comes into my lab, and the 1310 has completely changed how I do my work.

-Mark

We are in the process of purchasing a new GC with the choices being Agilent 7890B with Openlab Chemstation, Shimadzu GC-2010 Plus with LabSolutions v5, and ThermoScientific Trace 1300 with Chromeleon 7.2.

In general I like Agilent GCs and would go with the 7890... that said I think Water's Empower is much better than Chemstation (I have not used openLab) and I have used that with 7890s (as well as 6890 and 5890s back in the day). I'm pretty sure you can run as 7890 with Chromeleon too (and have heard good things about it),but I have no experience with it.

If you are using either Empower or Chromeleon in your lab laready, you may want to consider using those with a 7890.

I'm Chromeleon fan and I choice it if I have the opportunity. (I have no experience of the Thermo GC hardware.)

Currently we have all three of the GC platforms at our facility being built for customers. It really all depends on what you prefer and what bells and whistles you want on your GC. Concerning the Thermo 1310, this newly developed and released GC has what is referred to as quick connect modules for all the detectors, injectors, and even the motherboard. A couple of screws and you can remove or add a new module. We currently have six of these units in house and four of them are in testing or waiting to be tested before shipment to the customer. We have done some pretty serious modifications to these units. If you lived close you could come by our facility and check these systems out.




Jed Sullenger

We have several Agilent 7890 GC systems available for sale. They will be completely refurbished systems that can be custom configured to meet your specifications. You could save a lot of money going with this option. Let me know if you would like to see a quote for a specific configuration.

Out of your list I only have experience of the 7890 with Openlab. The hardware is great (now with very quick oven cool down), but Agilent seem to be jacking up the price of spares. We asked for a custom configuraiton, but really it wasn't that complex, the sort of mods you would do yourself on an older instrument, and the Chinese factory made a hash of it, the field engineer had to unpick it. Openlab is much better than Chemstation but is essentially still the same unfriendly beast. Reporting has been dragged into the 20th century and is highly configurable, at last. Support for standalone workstations is patchy - the informatics group say client-server is their only lookout, so punt it back to the local support people, who have limited knowledge because they're all instrument people. So it depends a bit on how well set up you are with expertise. I would definitely want to see Chromeleon if we had the money, but Openlab is usable and an easy transition from Chemstation once running, so it has the odd plus point.

Hi,

I own a new Thermo 1300, and I can say I am impressed with it's manipulation simplicity. The touch screen is VERY helpful in getting things done easily.

- If you have any doubt in servicing something, you can watch the video right on the display. Also gives you hints about column cut based on detectors and injectors used.
- You can change the injectors and detectors in 5 minutes, because of it's modular design.
- Cleaning the injector was never easier, in 5 minutes is done.
- Septa replacing is very easy, the injector top is not hot, you can replace it right away with your bare hand.
- Liner is very easy to replace, just push cool down on touch screen, then unscrew BY HAND the top of the injector, replace liner, screw, DONE. No tools involved.
- With SitTite nuts, you will never have leak problems again, and you can tight them by hand.
- With Swap-it, you can replace column without venting the system (MS).
- The touch screen helps you re-evaluate column after you cut it, or find leaks in matter of minutes.
- You can connect it to a switch and control it from another room, if you like.
- Chromeleon is probably the BEST software around. Expensive thou.
- ALL the consumables are identical with Agilent ones (they were smart). Septa, liners, base seal, etc.
- Looks like a spaceship (as it should) not like an 80s microwave oven (sorry Agilent, but is true)

Cheers,
Vlad

have you guys ever had technical issues with Trace 1310? we have 6 GCs, combined to MS, MS/MS or IRMS, and we had to change the power modules in the GC internal computer in two systems, CPU board in third system due to intermittent communication losses of GC with PC, and on the fourth system AUX module (transfer line heating) became faulty sending reset signal to the GC making it unusable as well.

the other thing is the repeatability of retention times which is - from time to time and on some of the systems! - not acceptable, and normally we have to compensate for this by formally increasing or decreasing the column length in the GC settings. in extreme cases the restart of GC electronics helps, but I do not want to power cycle the GC at all. the RT of ISTD may deviate 0.1 min from day to day which never happened in Agilent 6890 or Trace GC Ultra.

For GC, I would go with Agilent, for software, if not in GLP environment, I would think a bit more. the Open Lab Chemstation is quite heavy for operating system, so in my opinion the computer should be dedicated. I had quite a bit problems when using free M$ Antivirus SW with Openlab. It completely crippled PC.
But it all comes to service support near you, as it could happen, like to colleague, who has had to wait 2 months for foreign service engineer to came to fix some simple repair on LC .