Used laboratory equipment for sale: buying and selling

What a buyer of a used HPLC has to establish

1. Where it came from and what was in it. An instrument from a laboratory that handled biological, radioactive or highly toxic material needs a decontamination declaration before anyone opens it. Reputable dealers provide one as a matter of course; a private sale frequently cannot, and that is a reason to decline rather than to negotiate.
2. Whether it is still supported. Parts availability, service support and, for anything computer-controlled, whether the software runs on a supported operating system decide the instrument's remaining life. An unsupported instrument can still be a bargain and it is a different purchase, and it should be priced as one.
3. Seen working, on your own material where possible. A demonstration on the seller's bench with a real sample is worth more than any description. Where that is impossible, as at auction, price the risk: assume a service, assume a consumable set and assume a qualification before first use.
4. Moving it, and what that costs. Decommissioning, rigging, transport, installation and recommissioning are real costs that frequently exceed the hammer price on large equipment. Ask who is responsible for removal and by when, because auction terms usually make that the buyer's problem on a short deadline.
5. Statutory items need their paperwork. Pressure vessels, lifting equipment and anything with a statutory examination scheme need their records to transfer with them. Without the history, a new scheme and an initial examination are required before use, which is a cost and a delay rather than a formality.

Where the value actually is

Simple, mechanically robust equipment with long service lives is where second-hand buying wins: centrifuges, incubators, cabinets, water baths, glassware washers and benches. Their failure modes are understood, parts exist and a service restores them.

The market is worst for anything whose value is in software and electronics, because those age on a technology cycle rather than a mechanical one. A modern-looking instrument with a discontinued control system is the classic trap in this market.

Selling at a lab auction or a lab equipment auction, and getting more than scrap

Equipment sells for far more when it is clean, documented and demonstrably working. A decontamination certificate, the manuals, the accessories, a recent service record and a photograph of it running are what separate a sale from a disposal.

The routes are a dealer who buys outright at a discount, a consignment arrangement that pays more and later, an auction that clears everything on a deadline, and a direct sale to another laboratory that pays best and takes longest. Which fits depends on how much time the space can wait.

Furniture, used chillers, services and whole laboratories

Benching, fume enclosures and cold rooms come onto the market when a building is refitted, and they can be excellent value. Fume enclosures in particular are only as good as the extract they will be connected to, so budget a containment test as installed whatever the seller says.

A containerised or vehicle-mounted laboratory is a different proposition again: it is a building with services, and the questions are about the services, the certification and the regulatory position of work done in it rather than about the equipment inside.

used pharmaceutical equipment and the qualification that follows

used pharmaceutical equipment is cheap to buy and expensive to qualify, because installation and operational qualification have to be done again and the documentation trail from the previous owner rarely transfers. Change parts, the control system's support status and whether the maker will still service it are the three checks that decide whether the saving is real.

A used analytical balance and what to check

A used analytical balance is worth buying only if it can still be calibrated and serviced, so the checks are the internal calibration function, the draught shield and the availability of a service contract for that model. A balance that fails linearity across its range cannot be repaired cheaply, and a calibration certificate from the seller is not a substitute for one after installation.

where to sell used lab equipment, and what has to travel with it

Deciding where to sell used lab equipment is the easy half: dealers, auctions and internal surplus all work. The harder half is what travels with the instrument, a decontamination certificate, the calibration and service history and any software licence, because an instrument without them is worth much less and may not be legally transferable at all.

Common questions

What should I insist on before buying?

A decontamination declaration, evidence of support and parts availability, and where possible seeing it work. At auction, assume a service, a consumable set and a qualification before first use, and price that in.

What sells well when selling used lab equipment?

Mechanically robust equipment with long lives and available parts: centrifuges, incubators, cabinets, baths and benching. Anything whose value is in software ages on a technology cycle and sells poorly.

How do I sell my lab equipment for a good price?

Clean it, gather the manuals and accessories, get a recent service record and a decontamination certificate, and show it running. Then choose the route by how quickly the space is needed: dealer, consignment, auction or direct sale.

Browse by service class

• Compare Gene synthesis on advertised prices