Chromatography Forum

Im planning on purchasing a used HPLC system for food analysis and have narrowed down our options to a HP 1050 or Waters 600 or 2795 (each w/DAD or VWD).

Would anyone here recommend one over the other in terms of (1) ease of use/user interface (2) replacement parts (from what I gather the 1050 is quite antiquated and difficult to get parts)

Any feedback would be great.

Hi lespaul

I would recommend not a HP1050 but a HP1100 model because I have been working with one during almost 20 years! Spare parts are the same as in new models (Agilent1200, etc).
For software I use the Chemstation and I found it very easy to use.
I don't doubt Waters products are excellent but I have no recent experience with them.

Best luck

Fernando

Disclaimer: Any opinion are my own and not of my employer. I have no commercial relation with HP or Agilent. I'm only a very satisfied user of their products.

Hi Fernando,

Thanks for the feedback, I would love a 1100 but they seem much more expensive than the 1050. But since you mentioned the cost of parts are equivalent to that of newer models (not to mention, difficult to find), it may make more sense to go with the 1100.

The Waters seems okay, but the software looks really old, but from what I gather its a 'newer' system than the 1050.

I'll see what else I can find, I recently came across a Perkin Elmer unit LC200.

Thanks again,

I've worked with the 1100 and the newer 1200 series. I enjoy them both, mainly the modular fashion that HP/Agilent uses. I have done some work on Waters equipment and I have found them to be robust as well. It's really going to be a matter of preference. One thing that I do enjoy, that may be a point for the Agilent, is that since it is more modular you could upgrade the equipment piecemeal, whereas the Waters would be more difficult.

I would also push for the DAD over the VWD, there is just so much more that can be done development-wise with the DAD.

I am also just a satisfied customer.

Based upon performing maintenance of a Waters 600 and HP 1050 I found the HP design much easier to service. It has been around ten years or so since I last had to do either one though. The 600's pump oil seals are interesting in that when one starts to leak you can insert a second one in front of the leaky one without removing it. I never really liked to work on the wisp 712/717 autosampler, I found them prone to leaks. As for the 1050 the thing I hated the most was that you have to have some kind of air source hooked up to pressurize the autosampler so it will move the vials! Plan to have either a tank of air or an in-house line of air if you go with the 1050. I believe both designs are over 30 years old. Their predecessors, the Waters 2690/2695 Alliance and the HP/Agilent 1100 designs are both a little over 20 years old now. I think PM parts for all of these systems are still readily available. However, replacing electrical parts on the oldest designs may be a little tougher. I had a couple CRT's on the 600 pump blow. It was tough to find a decent one ten years ago that wasn't screen etched/burned. It is still very easy to get electronic parts for the Alliance and 1100's so keep that in mind if you still want to purchase the older design HPLC. You will probably have an electronics failure sooner than later.