Kitting out a laboratory is a costly exercise given the sheer amount of specialised equipment which you will need. From nitrogen glove boxes, fume hoods, pass-throughs, clean rooms and glassware, the costs of putting together a laboratory can quickly spiral. With this in mind then it makes sense that you do all that you can to ensure not only that you get the best possible equipment which your lab needs, but also that you can find it at the lowest prices. If you are on the lookout for lab equipment, here is where you should be looking.
Online Stores
The world has become a far smaller place since the internet has come along which is great news for businesses or educational facilities who are looking at buying lab equipment. In the last we were forced to either buy domestically or try to make foreign contacts but in today’s world we can buy directly from the likes of Asia, in the click of a button. Very often you can use these websites to buy directly from factories and suppliers which means that you will often get the goods at a very low cost compared with local sellers. The downside of buying online is that you won’t be able to see and feel the product before buying, but there are always return policies which you can take advantage of with the product.
Second Hand
High tech science laboratories are required to have cutting edge technology within their labs and that means that they very often update their equipment. The consequence of this for you is that they will very often sell off their used equipment at a fraction of the price. If you begin to cold call some of these high tech labs then you could get yourself some amazing and highly specific equipment, which is in impeccable condition, better still, you can get them for a fantastic price compared with buying new. You could also head over to eBay where you will find a large range of lab equipment which is being sold at low prices, and usually in great condition too.
Manufacturers
If you are looking for custom-made equipment for your lab such as glassware with certain specifics, you can contact a local manufacturer directly. Equally if you are looking at making a bulk purchase, you may also be able to do a deal with a local manufacturer which will see you get all of the equipment that you need, at a fraction of the high street price. In order to do this you need to phone around different manufacturers to see what their policy is on selling to individuals as many of them will only sell to stores. When you have found a manufacturer who sells all of the popular items, which will sell to you, you can start to negotiate a great price with them for your equipment.
