Shimadzu's Spectrofluorometer is a Piece of Junk
....if you need reliable equipment which performs as depicted above, don't buy Shimadzu!
We received the following email on 8 February 1999:
To: shimadzu-sux@bigfoot.com
From: identity withheld
Subject: Shimadzu's spectrofluorometer
On Friday, February 5th, my Shimadzu spectrofluorophotometers's LCD display bleached
out and became illegible after [only] 14 hours of use. That same day, I called the
Shimadzu tech [support] line in Maryland for help. I was told I needed a new display for
$480 dollars. The very next day I received an email from a Terry Adams describing problems
with Shimadzu Scientific. How is this possible? Firstly, I never gave out my email, and
secondly, I only spoke with Shimadzu representatives. Besides my curiosity how I received
this email one day after contacting Shimadzu, I am now very interested to know if my
[Shimadzu] spectrofluorometer is a piece of junk.
n.b. The inquiring researcher took the words right out of our
mouths when he wondered if the Shimadzu spectrofluorometer (RF-1501) is a piece of junk.
Anything that lasts all of 14 hours and then requires service work to the tune of $480
(and this probably doesn't include labor nor travel to the customer's site billed at ~$160
per hour.... OUCH!) is most definitely a PIECE OF JUNK!
n.b. This is not the first time that we have heard about problems with Shimadzu's LCDs
(and it probably will not be the last either). Prospective customers should know that
Shimadzu also uses these LCD screens on the UV-1201/UV-1601 spectrophotometers, the VP
series HPLC system and the TOC-4000/TOC-5000 analyzers.
n.b. Shimadzu's RF-1501 (fluorescence spectrophotometer) sells for $12,500 dollars
(Biomedical Products, February 1999). Divide this sales price by 14 hours of use (as
reported by one respected scientific researcher) and that equals a per hour cost of nearly
$900.00 before this inferior product offering is ready for the junk heap! Can you afford
to spend this exorbitant amount while performing your important analytical measurements?
Can you add the uncertainty of new instrument acquisitions and ridiculous repair costs to
your laboratory budget?
n.b. Regarding the uncanny nature of this researcher's call to the Shimadzu tech support
line and an email from Terry Adams the following day, the only logical explanation that we
can offer is that Shimadzu has a mole (or two or three) on the inside. Question: Has Mr.
Adams now resorted to stabbing the Shimadzu organization in the back while also thrusting
his dagger in the backs of fellow employees?
n.b. Shimadzu proclaims "One Good Tag Deserves Another," ....your only concern
should be can you rely upon Shimadzu equipment to measure the fluorescence tag used in
your sensitive assay --- Don't count on it (literally or figuratively)! We could tell you
unsettling stories about the Shimadzu RF-1501 and aberrant readings recorded thereon but
there's no need for this when other lab researchers come forward with horrifying stories
like this.
BTW: Shimadzu claims to be able to measure fluorescence at the cellular level with sample
volumes as small as 3 microliters. Before you buy, request an on-site demo and have
exactly 3 ul of sample ready for the Shimadzu rep when he/she arrives. If Shimadzu arrives
unprepared and/or unable to back up this boisterous claim, don't accept any
apologies/excuses and show the Shimadzu sales rep the exit.... and don't invite them back!
Free Shimadzu Tech Support.... you'll get what
you pay for
(and probably not even that!)
For more information about Shimadzu, call 1-800-LIARS
This page was last 
12/31/00