I recently asked Paul, a 25 year veteran of our ISO pipette calibration laboratory this question: If you were stuck on a desert island with only one pipette to measure with, which would you choose? After calling me crazy, we had a conversation about his favorite: The Eppendorf Reference.
For years now, the Eppendorf Reference pipette has impressed us here at TTE Laboratories. We see over 60,000 pipettes of every make and model. We know how they all perform and what common problems they have. Testing pipettes after 3, 6 or 12 months of intensive use in the lab gives us a clear picture of what pipettes perform well over long periods of time. Eppendorf pipettes, and German engineered pipettes in particular, are an excellent investment for your lab. You don’t need to look any further!!
The new Eppendorf Reference 2, though an expensive pipette to purchase, is certainly a worthy investment. A sometimes pesky micrometer mechanism was improved, leading to fewer repair headaches that can result in lab delays brought on by repair, and the plunger forces have been greatly reduced, leading to confortable and safe pipetting. The spring-loaded tipcone technology standardizes tip-loading---a key component that affects the pipette measurement (Did you know that?)
The unique feature of this pipette is the one button design for both pipetting and ejection. While this feature allows the user to eject tips immediately after dispense, leading to a lower contamination risk, users find it leads to accidental ejection in the midst of a crucial pipetting process---an annoying result at best. There is good news. Eppendorf has drastically changed the pipetting forces and ejecting forces on the singular button, making it more difficult to accidentally eject tips. The pipetting forces are lighter, while the force needed to eject was increased.
Eppendorf’s new RFID technology is included in the pipette, and the pipette is well constructed with a ceramic piston, leading to long lasting performance.
In summary, you may find the Eppendorf Reference 2 as one of the most expensive pipettes on the market, but since the true expense of liquid handling is the residual costs brought on by residual pipette errors, the Reference 2 would be perfect for a lab with a critical process. Its worth every penny!
Check out Pipettes.com’s special discount offers on Eppendorf Reference 2 pipettes here, and call us to get our pipette suggestions for your own personal application and budget needs.