I've had experience with LECO and Carlo-Erba, and preferred the LECO. We have had a LECO TruSpec for seven years, and performance and reproducibility of results have been excellent (comparable to CE). It has operated without hiccup, maintenance is super easy, and the engineers at LECO can help you troubleshoot over the phone, so we've never had a service contract or an on-site visit. Our installation engineer was with us for a week for training, but you can also go to workshops at the LECO headquarters.
LECO is also student-friendly and student-proof, the latter being of immense value if you plan using the equipment for teaching labs. You can prep samples in tin foils (solids) or capsules (liquids), and analyze larger samples, which is great for those with limited manual dexterity. I noticed the note about the start-up issues with N analysis. Starting/ stopping the unit is not recommended by LECO- ours stays on 24/7 in gas conservation mode, and it's ready to go in 10min. Stop/starting also increases the probability of cracking the combustion tube. Louise Egerton-Warburton Soil & Microbial Ecologist Chicago Botanic Garden | 1000 Lake Cook Rd | Glencoe IL 60022 From: "Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news" <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> on behalf of Richard Boyce <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Reply-To: Richard Boyce <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Date: Thursday, December 15, 2016 at 6:58 AM To: "[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>" <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> Subject: Re: [ECOLOG-L] CHN analyzer I now have a Thermo EA1112 (really a Carlo-Erba) CHN analyzer, and I had a LECO before I came to my present position. I highly recommend the Carlo-Erba. I've had it for about 7 years, and it is the most solid piece of equipment I have in my lab. My use is intermittent, yet it is ready to go when I am, and it is incredibly stable. Maintenance has been minor. The occasional trouble-shooting has been straightforward. Support, which is done through a company called CE Elantech, has been outstanding. I do not recommend the LECO unless you are running it continuously. It takes a very long time to stabilize after it's been sitting cold, especially for N. The Carlo-Erba takes much smaller samples, so sample homogenization is critical. If you go that route, make sure you have a ball mill to process your samples. Rick Boyce We will be purchasing a CHN analyzer soon. I am looking for advice on product performance and service. Please let me know if you are satisfied with your model/service or if you have experienced issues with them. I am currently considering a Leco and Perkin Elmer model but am open to other suggestions as well. Thanks! Amy Anne Erickson, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences Harman and Renae Chandler Professorship for the Masters in Biological Sciences School of Mathematics and Sciences Scholarship Committee Chair Louisiana State University Shreveport One University Place Shreveport, LA 71115 Phone: 318 797 5105 Fax: 318 797 5222 Email: [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> ================================ Richard L. Boyce, Ph.D. Professor and Faculty Regent Department of Biological Sciences, SC 150 Northern Kentucky University Nunn Drive Highland Heights, KY 41099 USA 859-572-1407 (tel.) 859-572-5639 (fax) [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> http://www.nku.edu/~boycer/ ================================= "One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries." - A.A. Milne
