A centrifuge is the one piece of used lab equipment where the safety checks genuinely matter. Everything else on this site either works or does not. A centrifuge with a fatigued rotor is a different category of problem — they hold a lot of energy, and rotors have a finite life.
None of that is a reason to avoid buying used. It is a reason to buy from someone who tells you what you are getting.
The three types you will be choosing between
Benchtop general purpose
Moderate speed, room temperature, swing-out or fixed-angle rotor. Blood tubes, urine, general separation. The default for a clinic or teaching lab.
Refrigerated
Same job but with active cooling, for temperature-sensitive samples — proteins, enzymes, anything that degrades warm. Costs more used because the refrigeration circuit is another thing that can fail.
In stock: SANYO MSE Harrier 18/80 refrigerated benchtop centrifuge — £400.
High-capacity floor or large benchtop
Bigger loads, bigger rotors, more throughput.
In stock: MPW-251 laboratory centrifuge — £850.
The rotor matters more than the machine
This is the part most first-time buyers miss. The rotor is a consumable with a service life, not a permanent part of the machine. When buying used:
- Confirm which rotor is included. A centrifuge without its rotor is close to worthless, and rotors are expensive to buy separately.
- Check the rotor for corrosion and pitting, particularly around the tube wells. Aluminium rotors corrode where samples have leaked and not been cleaned.
- Look for a rotor log if the lab kept one. Rare on decommissioned kit, but gold dust when it exists.
- Match your tubes to the rotor, not to the machine. Buckets and adapters are rotor-specific.
Other checks worth doing
- Lid interlock. The lid must not open while spinning and the machine must not start with the lid up. This is non-negotiable. Test it.
- Imbalance detection. Run it deliberately slightly unbalanced and confirm it cuts out rather than walking across the bench.
- Run-up and run-down noise. Rumble or vibration through the range suggests bearing wear.
- Brake function. Deceleration should be controlled, not a coast to a stop, if the machine claims a brake.
Related sample prep in stock
- Grant OLS 200 heated shaking water bath — £395
- Clifton unstirred thermostatic water bath — £165
- VWR USC-T ultrasonic cleaner — £450
- Tecan Columbus Plus M8/2R microplate washer — £450
What you should expect to pay
- Microcentrifuge: £100–£250
- Benchtop general purpose: £200–£500
- Refrigerated benchtop: £400–£1,200
- Large capacity floor standing: £800–£2,500
Honest note on condition
We describe what we have tested and what we have not. If a centrifuge has been powered up and run but not balance-tested with a full load, the listing will say exactly that. For regulated work, budget for a service and a rotor inspection once it arrives — that is normal practice for used equipment and worth doing regardless of who you buy from.