What is the best UPLC (water - agilent - scix )

[alye]

my lab will new buy UPLC - ms/ms for ( Sudan dyes - sweetener additives ,dyes , mono sodium glutamate )
(Sudan dyes need ms/ms detector) diffecult in DAD OR PDA

and am little confused about choosing the best one , the technical support and training

Agilent 6470 or 6460
Water xevo TQD (or s micro )
shimadzu 8050
sciex 5500 or 4500

[Multidimensional]

Not "UPLC". Wrong term as that is a trademark belonging to Waters Corp. You mean UHPLC or HPLC (UHPLC is HPLC). If you call it HPLC, you will always be using the correct terminology. UHPLC was just created as a marketing name. Here is a link on the web which will explain it to you (https://hplctips.blogspot.com/2015/08/t ... lc-or.html )

Most of the big brands are good, but you should put together some test samples (3-5 know samples with methods that you are familiar with, not unknowns) and arrange to have demos of the different systems at the vendors application lab location to try them out. Be sure and study the software (In some ways the selection of software is as or even more important than the hardware) and certainly bring 1 or 2 other people with you who have many years of professional experience using and troubleshooting HPLC systems (any brands).

Asking people on a group like this for advice on which system you should buy is not the best approach. These people are not you. They do not run your samples. They do not have the same training as you or have the same needs as you. Groups can offer advice regarding their personal experience with service contracts or long term problems, but not on what is best for you.

[alye]

Not "UPLC". Wrong term as that is a trademark belonging to Waters Corp. You mean UHPLC or HPLC (UHPLC is HPLC). If you call it HPLC, you will always be using the correct terminology. UHPLC was just created as a marketing name. Here is a link on the web which will explain it to you (https://hplctips.blogspot.com/2015/08/t ... lc-or.html )

Most of the big brands are good, but you should put together some test samples (3-5 know samples with methods that you are familiar with, not unknowns) and arrange to have demos of the different systems at the vendors application lab location to try them out. Be sure and study the software (In some ways the selection of software is as or even more important than the hardware) and certainly bring 1 or 2 other people with you who have many years of professional experience using and troubleshooting HPLC systems (any brands).

Asking people on a group like this for advice on which system you should buy is not the best approach. These people are not you. They do not run your samples. They do not have the same training as you or have the same needs as you. Groups can offer advice regarding their personal experience with service contracts or long term problems, but not on what is best for you.

thx for your advice and u are 100% right but all application is not difficult to analyzed with all those brands and there are a lot of applicant note for them in those brands so i ask about software ,hardware ,stability and troubleshooting

[HPLC chemist]

In any case it seems like using a 'shotgun' to kill a fly. I would split the most challenging sample matrix you have and give it to them to analyze. Those that come back to you with an appropriate result and a value added price gets the contract!

[EmpowersBane]

@ Multidimensional- you get very upset about people calling UPLC a UPLC- that's what it is! If Waters has patented the term and they sell "UPLCs" then of course you are going to call it UPLC. We have 30 UPLCs on site and nobody ever calls it UHPLC.

OP- make sure you get a UPLC with the i2 check valves on it as the earlier models of check valves are absolutely useless and stick every 2nd or 3rd run. Good luck.

[mattmullaney]

Hello Alye,

I have used the instruments of two of these three vendors you list, Waters, and Agilent, although those LC/MS systems I've used were both single quads, not QQQs.

I found the training sessions of both of these vendors to be excellent, probably I'd give Agilent a slight edge.

Where I am in the U.S., both of these vendor's support is excellent--can't say what it is like where you are located. Training and troubleshooting are also very good for both Waters and Agilent.

In my opinion, it is easier to perform your own service on Agilent's LCs, at least at first until I gained experience with Waters Acquity systems. For the ESI work, Agilent's OpenLab was easier for me to learn than MassLynx as OpenLab was similar to ChemStation.

In my opinion, both the Waters and the Agilent LCs worked well enough (Acquity-I and 1290)...with 2.1 mm ID columns...and both LCs have their idiosyncrasies.

[alye]

Hello Alye,

I have used the instruments of two of these three vendors you list, Waters, and Agilent, although those LC/MS systems I've used were both single quads, not QQQs.

I found the training sessions of both of these vendors to be excellent, probably I'd give Agilent a slight edge.

Where I am in the U.S., both of these vendor's support is excellent--can't say what it is like where you are located. Training and troubleshooting are also very good for both Waters and Agilent.

In my opinion, it is easier to perform your own service on Agilent's LCs, at least at first until I gained experience with Waters Acquity systems. For the ESI work, Agilent's OpenLab was easier for me to learn than MassLynx as OpenLab was similar to ChemStation.

In my opinion, both the Waters and the Agilent LCs worked well enough (Acquity-I and 1290)...with 2.1 mm ID columns...and both LCs have their idiosyncrasies.

thx a lot u really help me

[Multidimensional]

EmpowersBane, we scientists think terminology is important. If you have a Waters brand HPLC system which uses their specific "UPLC" marketed name, then you have a "UPLC". However, the instrument technology and device name is still known as an HPLC. There are no Agilent UPLC's. There are no Sciex "UPLC"s either. The OP said they were interested in UPLC's from those vendors too, but neither of them sells Waters UPLC systems, only HPLC's (Or UHPLC's, if you want to use a marketing term).

If we are going to have a conversation about HPLC systems from different vendors, then we should learn to use the proper names, based on the technique applied. HPLC includes all of them (all vendors and all types, including UHPLC) so that would be a good choice. I hope that you would agree that clarity benefits users at all levels.

[mattmullaney]

Hi, Again Alye,

I have to say I'm curious about Sciex' ExionLC AD--do you happen to have any literature from Sciex about that LC front end? At first glance, it seems to me to be Sciex' direct competition toward the Acquity/1290 LCs of Waters and Agilent.

Do you know how it would be to work on the ExionLC AD or what the service for the Sciex is in your geographical area?

Sciex' software looks fairly easy to learn--I didn't see any info regarding audit trail capabilities, though. Will you need an audit trail in your work?

[danw9]

When the company I worked for were looking for a 660bar system. I had dialogue with both waters and shimadzu. Both the arc and the nexera are great systems but we went with shimadzu in the end. Its highly recommended you visit each supplier and see whats best for your company

[lchinchilla]

Remember that difference in some parts of your UHPLC could lead in great differences in your final chromatogram:

Dwell volume
Cell path lenght
High or low pressure pump

[lmh]

the good news is that nowadays you can't really go wrong. All the main manufacturers have good products. Agilent have always made rock-solid LC equipment and continue to do so. Shimadzu have appeared from the shadows with a very good product in their Nexera. Waters have been up there with the best from the start.

The things you need to look at (apart from price) are
(1) the cost and quality of after-sales service (not all service contracts are equivalent: check what's covered. Check response times. Ask for references if you want).
(2) Software: do you want software with which staff are already familiar? Do you like the software anyway? Does its regulatory compliancy work for you, if appropriate? Do you prefer a database-orientated system (check how backups work) or do you prefer a file-based system?
(3) Hardware: make sure you get the right options! Most manufacturers will offer better or worse PDAs: what sensitivity etc. do you need? What capacity of autosampler do you need?

Best thing is to talk to lots of reps, visit demo labs if you can, and get some trial data.

[mattmullaney]

All excellent points Imh! Thank you!

[richiekichi]

The Sciex Exion LC is a Shimadzu Nexera X2. Just rebranded.