SpectraMax® Microplate Readers

I am reviewing the SpectraMax ABS Plus. After 2-3 years of use, unit gave an out of spec result during its calibration verification procedure. When I tried to service the unit myself, it started giving a 401 filter wheel error indicating the instrument's optical alignment needs to be corrected. We have another Mol Dev instrument that is ~15-20 years old - The SpectraMax M2. It still works great. I can service the instrument myself without disrupting the optic bench. It still passes annual calibration certification with Mol Dev's ABS1 and FL validation plates. And if it doesn't, it just requires a bit of cleaning in the carriage and it will pass afterward. Molecular Devices would not provide any resources for servicing their equipment except offer to repair it (I'm still waiting on the quote which I know will be thousands of $). You have very little control over the instrument for servicing. For example, I could realign the optic bench of this unit if I knew how to manually control the lamp. They would not provide any resources/procedures for optically aligning the instrument and in fact stated 'Molecular Devices does not support customer servicing of instruments' in an email to me. I know a lot of companies have adopted these kinds of repair prevention tactics, but Mol Dev is definitely one of the worst offenders in this regard. They will not sell you spare parts either. For this reasons I recommend you skip on this company's products if you can. Or at least be aware that you will be unable to avoid a service contract or perform in-house repair with their instruments.

Review Date: 23 Mar 2024 | Molecular Devices®

Horrible device. Software is flaky, the machine has issues establishing a stable connection with the attached computer. Typically takes a few hours to get it up & running. MolDev Tech support have not been able to solve the issue and then never followed up on it. Will be replacing this one asap.

Review Date: 29 Mar 2023 | Molecular Devices®

The instrument is super easy to use having both direct and computer-added control. It has a range of options and they are very straightforward to define and apply. The problem is after sale service is very costly. My instrument started giving problems within the first year of purchase and eventually died within 2 years which is not something expected from such investments. The repair cost is around 10-15k which does not guarantee a solution to the problem. After-sales service is just horrible

Review Date: 26 Feb 2023 | Molecular Devices®

This instrument is the best that you can get as a plate reader. It can read absorbance, fluorescence, and luminescence in the same instruments with infinite possibilities of combinations between static and dynamic readings. It fits all kinds of applications and it comes (optional) with an extra plate that you can use for multiple RNA, DNA, and protein quantification (same as Nanodrop). Super recommended if you can afford an instrument that is in the middle/high price range.

Review Date: 28 Jun 2022 | Molecular Devices®

I never thought I would be one to fall for the "NFC personalization" but now I question where it has been all my scientific life! Not only does it protect my protocols (Bless my lab team members, but there has been more than one occasion where my protocol has been manipulated), but the walk up functionality means I can quite literally "tap" and run my experiment quickly. I use the touch screen to run my simple absorbance reads and then for my more complex reads use Softmax pro on the attached computer for acquisition and analysis. Constantly reproducible results and we receive brilliant response on application queries, annual preventative maintenance with the distributor down here in Australia. Price point was slightly high, but when working with the local product manager we got a very respectable price, which includes installation and training.

Review Date: 17 Sept 2021 | Molecular Devices®

It's good for analysis as it combines absorbance fluorescence and luminesnce all in one and it's esasy.

Review Date: 23 Jul 2021 | Molecular Devices®

SpectraMax plate reader is very easy to use, with detection of absorbance, fluorescence, luminescence, etc.. For prep samples treated with the ELISA kit reagents, it is fast and user friendly. The equipment has integrated software that's also very easy to use, flexible settings and the ability to create protocols and templates for specific assay parameters.

Review Date: 21 Jul 2021 | Molecular Devices®

The plate reader has enhanced our lab capabilities quite a bit. It is very easy to use and even when we are starting a new application, the tutorial videos are easy enough to follow. The data generated is helpful in our immunology studies. We use it primarily for ELISA testing and it is extremely sensitive. I highly recommend this piece of equipment as a staple in any immunology lab. I wish we could purchase another one!

Review Date: 19 Jan 2021 | Molecular Devices®

Great machine with many capabilites! The iD5 is a simple to use machine with a lot of potential we still need to discover. We especially like the scan feature that the iD5 has to offer to detect how well we measure over the whole area in one well. Also, we did some comparison and it is very reproducible and it is also comparable to another machine we have, which is the M2e. Being comparable makes our life for our day to day work in the lab easier. One little negative point we have is that we cannot use the same template for both machines. The plate layout is somehow not compatible even if it has the same settings (it must be rechosen). Nonetheless we are very happy and would buy this instrument again!

Review Date: 30 Nov 2020 | Molecular Devices®

The ideal reader for assay development. It has high sensitivity and flexibility. Setting up protocols for screening is user friendly and easy. It seems robust (no instrument failures so far) and the plate holder is made of metal so no risks with students. Customer support was very reactive and I got an application note helpful for setting up my experiment in less than one day.

Review Date: 10 Aug 2020 | Molecular Devices®