Draeger
Hazard to Others
Posts: 185
Registered: 31-1-2020
Location: North-Rhine Westfalia, Germany
Member Is Offline
Mood: Slowly getting ready for new projects
|
|
Is it cheaper to buy or make hot plate magnetic stirrers?
I was searching for hot plate magnetic stirrers for a long time already, and for professional stirrers, the price range for used (and debatingly
slightly broken) ones was around 110€, while new stirrers were around 200-900€. The only cheaper options were sketchy looking offers that had no
ratings and no CE marking, yet still cost 40€.
So, I don't really know if I just don't know where to look or if that's just generally what to expect. So, I was wondering if it would be cheaper to
buy or make a hot plate stirrer? And, if still relevant after the answer for that question, where do I find cheaper hot plate stirrers?
[Edited on 10-2-2020 by Draeger]
Collected elements:
Al, Cu, Ga, C (coal), S, Zn, Na
Collected compounds:
Inorganic:
NaOH; NaHCO3; MnCl2; MnCO3; CuSO4; FeSO4; aq. 30-33% HCl; aq. NaClO; aq. 9,5% ammonia; aq. 94-96% H2SO4; aq. 3% H2O2
Organic:
citric acid, sodium acetate, sodium citrate, petroleum, mineral oil
|
|
|
monolithic
Hazard to Others
Posts: 436
Registered: 5-3-2018
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
The cheap Chinese/Indian ones are mostly garbage that can barely boil water. You can build one yourself but I really doubt it could be done for
cheaper than the cost of a used hot plate.
|
|
|
Twospoons
International Hazard
Posts: 1326
Registered: 26-7-2004
Location: Middle Earth
Member Is Offline
Mood: A trace of hope...
|
|
Building your own has got to be more fun though.
Helicopter: "helico" -> spiral, "pter" -> with wings
|
|
|
dome13
Harmless
Posts: 30
Registered: 29-6-2019
Location: Hungary
Member Is Offline
|
|
About 4 years ago i bought a cheap magnetic stirrer with hot plate from ebay. Now I found it again, same price. I really recommend you this, because I
never have any problem.
Here is the link:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/SH-2-Magnetic-Stirrer-With-Hot-Plat...
|
|
|
Dr.Bob
International Hazard
Posts: 2748
Registered: 26-1-2011
Location: USA - NC
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I would strongly recommend buying a used quality hotplate/stirrer, not sure about Europe, but in the US, you can buy a used one for $100 or so, which
is likely less than the cost of building one, and almost certainly better than buying a cheap piece of crap that will break in a week or not work
well. I have used ones that are over 20 years old at work, which still work better than the cheap ones when new.
If you buy a good brand, Corning, Heildolph (in Europe), IKA (if you like fancy expensive ones), or even the Thermodyne ones, they should work for
years. I have found that the simpler analog ones will outlast digital ones by 5 or 10 times the lifetime, but some people like the digital ones.
Just buying the right parts would be hard to get for under $100, but used ones are readily available on Ebay, just make sure it works (ask the buyer
for details on how it was tested) before making a bid, and test it well after receipt. Some people sell them for parts or repair, if you can buy
several broken ones, you can often combine the parts into one working one, but sometimes, they all have the same flaw. That is a real gamble, since
broken ones often cost almost as much as working ones with shipping.
|
|
|
rockyit98
Hazard to Others
Posts: 283
Registered: 12-4-2019
Location: The Known Universe
Member Is Offline
Mood: no mood is a good mood
|
|
this link got me LOL only 180W .don,t
worry i been thinking of posting my hotplate build.
"A mind is a terrible thing to lose"-Meisner
|
|
|
Sulaiman
International Hazard
Posts: 3721
Registered: 8-2-2015
Location: 3rd rock from the sun
Member Is Offline
|
|
Is it cheaper to buy or make hot plate magnetic stirrers?
Yes
___________________________________________________________________
You can buy hotplate stirrers of various brands, new, used, abused or scrap value.
You can build a hotplate stirrer from exotic custom made materials or from existing scrap items.
Generic domestic electric hotplates are cheap when new, even cheaper used.
For better heating control use an electronic 'dimmer' module.
Overhead stirring was very cheap for me because the motor was free - from a broken hand blender,
I had clamps, stands, power supplies etc.
(a laptop charger plus pwm module would work)
so I only needed to purchase the shaft coupler, shaftwith ptfe stirrer and stopper/bearing.
Not ideal but it works https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziRxiFSaZsA
(a second clamp for the stopper helps when stirring in beakers).
Similarly, a diy heating mantle can be made quite cheaply,
e.g. my cake-tin 500ml heating mantle, almost complete, being tested.
(I enclosed the pwm controller and spray painted the tin grey sometime later.)
DIY or Buy, which is best ? ... depends .......
CAUTION : Hobby Chemist, not Professional or even Amateur
|
|
|
draculic acid69
International Hazard
Posts: 1371
Registered: 2-8-2018
Member Is Offline
|
|
I recommend buying one if your not extremely confident that you can make a robust,sturdy and reliable item.making one is quite easy and very possible
for cheap.
Adding a stirrer is a little bit harder but still very doable.if u need it quick and you don't have time, effort or money for repairs upgrades and
troubleshooting the problems you'll almost certainly encounter just buy one.youll want at least 350-450w anything less for a 1litre and it'll struggle
to boil water.
[Edited on 11-2-2020 by draculic acid69]
|
|
|
G-Coupled
Hazard to Others
Posts: 287
Registered: 9-3-2017
Member Is Offline
Mood: Slightly triturated
|
|
Unless you're like McGuyver (or Sulaiman there  ), buying a used industrial
model is the way to go IMO.
|
|
|
B.D.E
Hazard to Self
Posts: 97
Registered: 5-8-2019
Member Is Offline
Mood: Oscillating
|
|
My advice is to buy a used ceramic hotplate-stirrer from ebay. I checked ebay everyday untill I found the deal of my life on a branded 220/250V
ceramic plate. It is a high tech 7*7" ceramic plate with digital temperature and RPM control, that reaches 540C and works perfectly well. cost me
280USD with express shipping + taxes(the hotplate itself was 120USD), but it definitely worth it.
|
|
|
Heptylene
Hazard to Others
Posts: 319
Registered: 22-10-2016
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
It's not worth the time and money to build one from scratch. If you have the knowledge to do so, you'd be better off getting broken hotplates on ebay
and repairing them. Almost all of them have either the motor OR the stirrer working. So buy two and combine the parts.
Even redo the electronics completely. A brand new PCB with 5V power supply, microcontroller, 7-segment display, internal + external temperature probe,
heater + motor power control, etc. should cost a few tens of dollars to make.
My IKA hotplate has less than $50 worth of electronics inside. The microcontroller itself costs only $5 (PIC16F874A) with a handful of components,
optocouplers, triacs, etc.
|
|
|
SWIM
National Hazard
Posts: 970
Registered: 3-9-2017
Member Is Offline
|
|
The cheap way to a hotplate stirrer.
Buy a thermostatically controlled electric frying pan. One that is aluminum.
It can be used as a hot plate or oil bath and the stirring function can be achieved by putting a magnetic stirrer underneath.
Before I owned any lab heating equipment I used a thermostatic hotplate with a stirrer under it made from a hand mixer motor (many speeds in the
appropriate range).
I bought these two things used at some garage sale or charity store. I forget where, but they were mighty cheap.
This setup won't give you temperatures over about 200C, but below that it works pretty well.
|
|
|
mekanochemical
Harmless
Posts: 22
Registered: 15-11-2019
Location: South of heaven
Member Is Offline
Mood: always under 7
|
|
i was on this doubt until last week, but i bought one... cost me around US$120
the magnet for stirrer should be heat proof (the Neodimium magnets can be damaged), need some machined parts, thermostat, motor control, power source
for the motor, etc
i prefered bought to save some work
Hue Hue Hue
|
|
|
G-Coupled
Hazard to Others
Posts: 287
Registered: 9-3-2017
Member Is Offline
Mood: Slightly triturated
|
|
Quote: Originally posted by mekanochemical  | i was on this doubt until last week, but i bought one... cost me around US$120
the magnet for stirrer should be heat proof (the Neodimium magnets can be damaged), need some machined parts, thermostat, motor control, power source
for the motor, etc
i prefered bought to save some work
|
Sounds like a good deal - what model did you get?
|
|
|
Vosoryx
Hazard to Others
Posts: 282
Registered: 18-6-2017
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Member Is Offline
Mood: Serial Apple Enjoyer
|
|
I built one, it sucked, I wasted immense amounts of money on it and it broke within days. But I also learned a ton and had fun doing it. So. I'd say
buy one, and don't cheap out. The good ones are good, the bad ones are awful.
"Open your mind son, before someone opens it for you." - Dr. Walter Bishop
|
|
|
vibbzlab
Hazard to Others
Posts: 241
Registered: 6-11-2019
Member Is Offline
Mood: Always curious
|
|
I've made one with the help of my uncle. It was fun building one rather than buying. But as everyone say if you have good use to it and have the cash
but. Otherwise just stick to making one. Or just use the conventional butane burner or spirit lamp
Amateur chemist. Doctor by profession
Have a small cute home chemistry lab.
Please do check out my lab in YouTube link below
This is my YouTube channel |
|
|
morganbw
National Hazard
Posts: 561
Registered: 23-11-2014
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by Vosoryx | | I built one, it sucked, I wasted immense amounts of money on it and it broke within days. But I also learned a ton and had fun doing it. So. I'd say
buy one, and don't cheap out. The good ones are good, the bad ones are awful. |
This is pretty much the most informative post in this thread.
nods to your honesty sir.
|
|
|
mekanochemical
Harmless
Posts: 22
Registered: 15-11-2019
Location: South of heaven
Member Is Offline
Mood: always under 7
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by G-Coupled | | Quote: Originally posted by mekanochemical | i was on this doubt until last week, but i bought one... cost me around US$120
the magnet for stirrer should be heat proof (the Neodimium magnets can be damaged), need some machined parts, thermostat, motor control, power source
for the motor, etc
i prefered bought to save some work
|
Sounds like a good deal - what model did you get? |
bought in this site, in my country
https://www.cienlab.com.br/agitador-magnetico-com-aqueciment...
i dont know if they export
Hue Hue Hue
|
|
|
OrganicGuy
Harmless
Posts: 29
Registered: 23-2-2020
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by Draeger | I was searching for hot plate magnetic stirrers for a long time already, and for professional stirrers, the price range for used (and debatingly
slightly broken) ones was around 110€, while new stirrers were around 200-900€. The only cheaper options were sketchy looking offers that had no
ratings and no CE marking, yet still cost 40€.
So, I don't really know if I just don't know where to look or if that's just generally what to expect. So, I was wondering if it would be cheaper to
buy or make a hot plate stirrer? And, if still relevant after the answer for that question, where do I find cheaper hot plate stirrers?
[Edited on 10-2-2020 by Draeger] |
I bought mine from China, very high quality for the resonable price (75 to 200 USD depending on size and manufa ture). I can help with email if you
need something, they are good people, ship day after you Paypal the money
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xpblue/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
