Deciding whether to own the mass spectrometer or to buy the answer: what mass spectrometry labs offering a service should quote against and what they need from you before the first sample, why lcms systems, lc ms instruments, lc-ms instruments, lc ms instrumentation, mass spectrometry instruments, mass spectrometry instrumentation and lc ms ms instrumentation are quoted as configurations rather than as products, where a triple quad mass spec earns its place against a high resolution mass spectrometer, what an icp mass spectrometer, a mercury analyzer and an xrf elemental analyzer measure that organic mass spectrometry cannot and what the icp aes vs oes question is really about, how oligonucleotide mass spectrometry differs in ion pairing and in data interpretation, what a benchtop mass spectrometer gives up, and what a mass spectrometer for sale, a used mass spectrometer, a used mass spectrometer for sale advertisement or a used gcms listing should be inspected for

Own or buy

1. Count the samples and the methods. A steady flow of one or two established methods justifies owning. Occasional, varied and difficult work is usually better bought, because the expertise rather than the instrument is what you are short of.
2. Name the matrix in every conversation. Ion suppression, source contamination and carryover are matrix problems. A laboratory or a vendor with experience of your matrix is worth more than a better specification without it.
3. Choose the analyser from the question. Targeted quantitation of known compounds points to a triple quadrupole. Identification, screening and retrospective analysis point to high resolution. Elemental work is a different instrument class entirely.
4. Budget the running cost honestly. Gases, vacuum pump service, source cleaning, a service contract and the operator. On these instruments the recurring cost is a large fraction of ownership and it is rarely in the business case.
5. Inspect a used instrument on the parts that wear. Vacuum system condition and hours, source state, detector age and whether the control software runs on a supported operating system. The last one ends more used purchases than the hardware does.
6. Check accredited scope when buying a service. Accreditation covers named methods. Confirm yours appears on the published schedule, and ask what is subcontracted.

The operator is the instrument

These platforms reward expertise more than any other class of laboratory equipment. A modest instrument run by someone who understands the chemistry produces better data than an excellent one run occasionally.

If no such person exists and none is being hired, buying the answer is not a compromise, it is the correct decision.

Sample preparation is most of the method

Extraction, clean up and dilution determine ion suppression, source contamination and achievable limits. Two laboratories with identical instruments will differ mainly in their preparation.

When comparing services, ask about their preparation for your matrix rather than about their instrument list.

Common questions

Triple quadrupole or high resolution?

Targeted quantitation of known analytes at volume points to the first; identification, unknown screening and the ability to reinterrogate data point to the second. Many laboratories eventually need both.

What is the real running cost?

Gas, vacuum servicing, source cleaning, consumables and a service contract, plus the operator's time. It is substantial and it is the part most often omitted from a purchase justification.

Is a used instrument sensible?

It can be, from a serviced fleet with records. The risks are vacuum system condition, detector age and unsupported control software, and all three are checkable before purchase.

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