Buying a new GC.

[el argentino]

Hi, everybody!

I have to buy a new Gas Chromatograph and my two options are GC Clarus 500 (Perkin Elmer) or HP6890N (Agilent). The Clarus 500 is cheaper than HP6890, but I believe that the technical service of Agilent in my country is better.
So, I´m looking for opinions from users of both GC (advantages / disavantadges of them, advantages / disavantadges of the softwares ChemStation and TotalChrom).

Could you help me?

Thanks!!

apologize for the grammatical errors, the English language is not my native language.

[jtreacy]

We have Perkin Elmer and Agilent GCs. Both are excellent instruments. I prefer the Agilent though because the data handling software is much 'friendlier' and easier to use. From a hardware perspective one is as good as the other though.

regards

John

[avrc]

We have both 6890 and PE Clarus 500.

Clarus 500 instrument is a good one (It is easier than Agilent to change septums). It is easier to do calibration. But the software "Totalchrom" is very complicated, as John says; It is much too tedious for using it for your routine analysis.

Agilent is also an equally good instrument. The software is very much user-friendly.

So, unless your are planning to do some serious research work, I will recommend Agilent for you.

By the way, you did not make any errors in grammar (as far as I know)! So dont worry.

Ravi.

[Rick]

I have ten Agilent 6890.Agilent is a reference in GC.
The Chemstation is easy to use, instrument is good and the replacement part is available in some company other than Agilent with low price.
Some instrumentation company like LECO for example,sale their instrumentation with GC 6890....why??
Sorry for my english..i'm french

[el argentino]

Thanks!!

[WK]

Hi
I have all PE Autosystem XLs and Totalchrom software and I find it excellent for QC work.
New operators find it very easy to work with especially when template sequences have been set up.
I have no experience with Agilent.
I have not seen many posts in Data Systems on Totalchrom - is this good?!
WK

[jtreacy]

We dislike TotalChrom so much that we use a vacant channel on an Aglient system to process data from a Perkin Elmer GC. Our colleagues in the manufacturing division do the oposite i.e. run Aglient systems using TotalChrom data handling.
Its a case of personal preferences I think. Some people love to eat Marmite (for people outside the UK that is a spread that people eat that tastes worse than anything I've ever eaten)

[misty]

I do not have experience with anything except for TotalChrom, but I can tell you that I've lost a great deal of time and data to know bugs that haven't been fixed. I've found TC very easy to use once I've learned to avoid the bugs and set up templates. I printed part of the bugs list once-- some 84 pages.

[jtreacy]

Chemstation ironed out the bugs several versions ago. There are no run-threatening bugs in it as far as I can see at the moment. We use it for all our HPLC's and GCs. You can add to a sequence during a run - effortlessly and without any fear of it crashing.

John

[arie2044]

Hi
i'm using different models from Agilent for more than 25 years ( from 5757 through 5840, 5890 to 6890) , and at that period i used some GCs from other companies, don't waste your time. the Agilent GCs are very stable, easy to maintain, easy to calibrate, easy to change tha applications, and the not-experient people learn to operate them, including the Chemstation that is very logical and friendly.

Good Luck