Investing in lab equipment is a tough decision to make. A laboratory cannot operate properly unless they have the right equipment to ensure accuracy at all times, from experiments and testing to manufacturing, and so on.
To make your investment work to your advantage, read the factors to consider before you purchase lab equipment:
Availability
Waiting is not an option when buying laboratory equipment. Make sure that the equipment is available to be delivered immediately, may it be from overseas or locally. If it is not available, the supplier must at least provide you of a clear timeline as to when it will be delivered.
It is best if the leeway they provided can give you enough time to compare prices of one supplier to another, just to get the best deals and prices.
Reliable after-sales support
Make sure that the supplier has a reliable after-sales support to be contacted if you need help with the proper usage of the equipment. They must support you even after-sales.
Tip: When considering this option, make sure that they have enough operators to pick up your call the soonest time possible or reply to your email fast. Also, ask for their after-sales support team operating hours, if they offer 24/7 service, better, if not, long window hours is good enough.
Warranty
Warranty is another important factor to consider when buying lab equipment and it varies big time depending on the manufacturer or the supplier. To help you get the most out of the warranty, below are good questions to ask:
- The warranty duration: make sure that the warranty duration is long enough for you to be able to use it. A month or two, unfortunately, is not good enough
- What are the possible reasons why your warranty will get voided: do not focus just on the inclusions but what can make you disqualified from claiming it
- Who do you need to contact when there is a need to claim the warranty
- How long is the process when claiming for a warranty
- If you want to extend the warranty, how much do you need to pay
Price
Price is one of the factors you should not skip when buying lab equipment. You are not buying the cheapest, but the equipment that can make your money worth spending. The price matters a lot especially if you want to get your ROI fast, but that should not sacrifice the equipment’s performance.
When considering the price, check the following:
- The warranty
- The brand of the lab equipment
- Durability
- Functionalities
Customer satisfaction rating
Make sure that you consider previous or current users experience. Their ratings can help you a lot in deciding whether the equipment can be trusted or not at all. But, you must not just focus on the rating but all the write-ups. Why does the customer rate the equipment five stars or one star? Some people rate lab equipment 1 star not because of the equipment’s performance but the length of delivery time.
Investing in lab equipment should be taken seriously, and spending time to complete your homework is nothing but necessary. Take in all the considerations above and make sure that you are buying to your advantage, getting the equipment needed.