why is some lab equipment so expensive?

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I was just looking at magnetic stirrers and the size that I'd like is nearly $2,500!! ! That's messed up!

Because the manufacturers can't sell enough of them, or there is less demand for them, they will be sold to very few places that want to buy them. This is usually true for many things

might explain why so many Rx drugs are so expensive. The manufacturer passes on the cost of their lab supplies to the consumer.

Although I doubt that it would justify a $2.5k pricetag, another possibility would be the quality and accuracy of the electronic componentry used in making piece of equipment. Other things that could contribute the the cost would be high precision machining of other components.

Supply and demand is some of it, also the fact that it's lab-grade equipment. No corners are cut in it's construction.

It takes very refined machinery to create a piece of equipment accurate enough to be used in lab work. Also, there is not a mass market for lab equipment, so it's not like these machines can be set up once and start churning out the stuff.

Just a matter of production volume. Sounds like you want a large stirrer that, because of the low volume of sales, is mostly hand-made.

I have a stir plate that handles 2L flasks and it was only $80.

yeah..I spent 11 years at one of those Pharma companies...the tolerances have to be pretty exact, or accurate measurements in experimentation isn't possible. They used to recycle the glass (even that had a special box to go into)

I do know that a lot of this stuff goes out to be re-used by others. Salvaged lab equipment might be more reasonable.

A 1GHz service monitor :$20K.

A 3GHz signal gen: $30K.

A 3GHz spectrum analyzer: $50K!

Holy hell they are just boxes filled with electronics circuits, with a screen and some buttons on the front, and jacks in the back, and costs as much as a Mercedes????

They are low volume items so we pay for their R&D costs. And also we pay dearly for their certification and calibration. This equipment must not be out of spec.