Chromatography Forum

Hi

We need a stable GCMS for various small batch size work. The budget is tight so we are looking at used equipment, and preferably a 6890 + 5973 system as we have an old HP 6890 already in the lab.

As there are many different versions of 6890 and 5973 I would like to hear which one to go for. Connection by ethernet cable and not GPIB is a must as we would like the system to be a little future proof. We will install a combipal autosampler on the GC.

I have had a look at these two systems.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GC-MS-Agilent-6 ... SweWVXdR~l

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Complete-and-Fu ... 2179293283

What are the things too look for when buying a used 6890 + 5973 system?

Of those two options the second one looks better. It at least gives more details such as having the Performance Turbo pump which is good and it is the Inert source which is a newer option.

The first one looks to have the CI gas setup, which if needed would be good, but it also has the older autosampler which I believe requires the GPIB connectors. The second one has the autosampler controller built into the GC I believe, with that version of tower and tray pictured.

Look for the Inert option and electronics that have the faster scan option if possible.

Both of those will most likely come with the E2.M1.5 rough pump, which is the small one that tucks up under the MS, but they are not as durable as the larger E2M2 that came with the 5971,5972 instruments. Just make sure you keep the oil changed often, and if it does go out, it is easy to upgrade.

If you run dirty samples and need to clean the source often then the turbo pump will be the better option for high vacuum, but if you can go longer between cleanings and can wait an extra day for the system to stabilize after cleaning then the diffusion pump would be a good rugged system, and they are often less expensive.

Thanks for the reply James.

I have a spare Edwards RV3 pump which should work nicely for one of these systems.

From the Agilent Chemstation combability chart here: http://www.agilent.com/cs/agilent/en-us ... stationrev

I understand I need at least version D.03.00 SP1 of Chemstation for the system to work with my CTC CombiPAL. According to the chart this excludes the MSD's named 5973, but includes 5973 Inert, 5973N and 5973A. I assume 5973 is the older models with the HP name on them, and 5973A to be the Agilent branded model. So if I avoid the old HP 5973's I'm fine.

I would recommend to invest some more money and get a network MSD. The HPIP is causing all kinds of issues and won't allow later revs of Chemstation.