6 Great Benefits of Buying Used Laboratory Equipment

Healthcare workers often need access to laboratory equipment as part of their work in clinics, laboratories, and hospitals. One problem they may encounter is when the laboratory equipment they need is too expensive to buy firsthand. However, one budget-friendly solution that could be acceptable for them is buying used laboratory equipment.

Buying used lab equipment can be a minefield though, especially when the equipment is a delicate piece of machinery. To ensure you’re still getting a high-quality purchase, you need to look for a reputable seller of used lab equipment.

Here are some benefits that healthcare workers can expect when they buy used lab equipment.

Save Money By Paying Discounted Prices

It’s important to stress this point because this is often the main reason that a healthcare facility is motivated to acquire used lab equipment.

If you’ve ever tried to acquire any equipment firsthand, you would be well aware that the discount for secondhand items is quite significant. Still, you should be careful that you’re not paying for a pile of junk with your valuable funds. Thus, the need to choose a reliable seller.

Allocate Funds Towards More Than One Purchase

Facilities that have limited funds may find that they can stretch their budget to cover the purchase of more than one machine. If the same budget would have covered the purchase of just one machine, you can see that this makes economic sense and may result in a laboratory that has adequate equipment for healthcare purposes.

Yes, there will still be sustained demand for brand-new lab equipment, but the secondhand market still has the potential for healthcare workers to purchase what they need at a much lower price.

Afford To Be Picky When Selecting A Machine

One aspect of shopping for a working and quality piece of lab equipment is that you may encounter a wide array of secondhand machines from different competing resellers. This means you can afford to slow down, examine each candidate carefully, and even ask the reseller what was originally wrong with that piece of equipment. This will help you distinguish the better machines from the not-so-good ones.

You should also learn how to compare a machine of one brand with the machine offered through another brand. Usually, both machines can be used for the same laboratory process though one may have an advantage over the other.

You have to be picky because laboratory equipment is often very delicate and costs a lot. So, you want to make sure that you’re buying something that’ll function well in your laboratory for years to come.

Acquire Quality Working Equipment That Meets Laboratory Standards

Unless the laboratory that your secondhand lab equipment came from was a martial arts gym where the machines were misused regularly, it’s still possible to purchase quality lab equipment on a secondhand basis. This means knowing how to discern any possible damage done to a machine before it was put up for sale secondhand.

The healthcare worker in charge of purchasing equipment should have a keen eye for detail and an excellent understanding of how each of the machines normally work. Since they are secondhand, pricing for such machines should also be reasonable. Some resellers decide to do a quality check on each machine that they’re offering secondhand so that when you go shopping for a particular machine, you have the assurance that the machine won’t conk out the moment it’s delivered to your facility.

Buy Lab Equipment Under Warranty

Competition is good in most industries, and this applies to the secondhand laboratory equipment industry as well. You don’t have to buy the first machine that catches your eye in a secondhand laboratory equipment warehouse. You can actually pick a machine that has a corresponding warranty from the reseller.

This is very important because sometimes, despite having the best analytical eyes and mind, the healthcare worker in charge of purchasing equipment may purchase a machine that’s somehow defective. Thankfully, the warranty gives some reassurance to the laboratory personnel that they can return the lab equipment to the reseller and demand a refund or ask for a better replacement.

Minimize Environmental Impact

The “environmental impact” of a clinic, laboratory, or hospital can be quite significant because there are so many machines at work there, some of which even function on a 24/7 basis. If the facility is conscious of this, it may opt to purchase secondhand lab equipment instead since this would mean recycling a machine that would’ve gone to the junk shop, or worse, straight into the landfill.

As long as the machine you get is fully functional, comes with a warranty, and is generally fine with regards to many other details, then that piece of equipment can definitely meet the demands of the healthcare facility. When in doubt, you can contact the original manufacturer to inquire about the machine they put up for sale.

If the paperwork on the machine in question is valid and truthful, you can even cite the actual serial number of the machine so that the original manufacturer can look up their records to see what the original complaint about the machine was, prior to being acquired by the reseller.

Final Takeaway

Healthcare facilities are always busy places, especially clinics, laboratories, and hospitals. So, it stands to reason that the equipment used in these workplaces should be fully functional for a relatively long period of time since the lives of many people depend on it. But, regardless of such concerns, machines can give up the ghost when the personnel least expect it. It really is worth your while to acquire quality used laboratory equipment, not just to save money but also to survive in a cut-throat environment.

The good news though is that there are many resellers who are offering used lab equipment to healthcare facilities. Since the price of the equipment is much lower than the prices for brand new equipment, the equipment can be readily acquired so that the clinic, laboratory, or hospital will be able to stay within their budget and continue to function for the sake of the people who need their services all the time.