What Portable X-Ray machine is right for my practice?

This is a question often asked by Veterinarians when looking to make a new purchase and it’s a fairly easy question to answer. You just need to ask a few simple questions…

 

1.       What type of practice do I have?

2.       What is the quality of the Portable X-Ray unit?

3.       What type of warranty does it have?

4.       What is the service after the sale?

5.       What type of company am I buying from?

6.       What is the cost?

1.       What type of practice do I have?
This is an easy question for you to answer, but it is the first question that needs to be asked.  The type of practice you have will determine the size of the Portable X-Ray unit you need. If you are a small animal practice or a mixed-animal practice, you should have a 100kV or 120kV unit. If you are a large animal/equine practice, an 80kV or even better a 90kV unit is ideal. It may sound backwards, but large animal practices need a portable that is lightweight to be taken in the field. Also, most x-rays on large animals are taken on the limbs at 70kV stifles at 80 or 90kv and so don’t require the higher kVp unit. For small animal practices, you need a high kV for examining the largest of dogs, and you don’t generally have to worry about the weight of the unit because you are in-office. However, mixed animal practices need the best of both worlds (high kV and light weight). That’s why the Diagnostic Imaging Systems’ ULTRA high frequency 120kV/40mA unit only weights 25lbs.

2.       What is the quality of the Portable X-Ray unit?

Buying a new piece of equipment is an investment and you don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on something that may only last a couple of years. So, ask around. Find out who else has bought the type of portable you are interested in and ask them how it has stood up to the wear and tear of being used every day in a Veterinary practice.  If you don’t know anyone, ask the company that is trying to sell it to you for references.

3.       What type of warranty does it have?

No matter what type of equipment it is, no matter how much it cost, sometimes things break and you need to know what the warranty covers and for how long. Most portables on the market come with a 2-year warranty. There are a few that come with a 3-year and one company that used to boast a 5-year warranty (although, at the time this article was being written, I can no longer find any information on a 5-year warranty from that particular company).  Diagnostic Imaging Systems’ line of ULTRA Hf portables all come standard with a 3-year Hot Swap Warranty- if your machine needs to be fixed we drop-ship a loaner or new unit to you so you are never down-and are upgradeable to a 5-year Hot Swap Warranty at a minimal cost.

4.       What is the service after the sale?

It’s easy to sell someone a product, but it’s what is done after the money has been received that really tells a lot about a company.  You want to know that even after money has exchanged hands you won’t be forgotten and if you need someone, they will be there. That’s why DIS offers Free lifetime toll-free support.  No matter what the problem is, even if your warranty has run out, just give DIS a call and the in-house service department will be happy to help for the entire life of the product (10-15 years).

5.       What type of company am I buying from? ( After the sale accountability)

It’s important to know what type of company is trying to earn your business. How long have they been in business? Do they have a service department? There are a lot of companies out there that are just distributors. They have been in business for a couple of years, selling a lot of products from a lot of different companies, and they have no expertise in what they are selling. All they are doing is middle-manning the buying process. DIS prides itself in its expertise in Radiology including digital x-ray equipment. The company was founded in 1983 by President Joe Hecker. DIS is the exclusive North American Distributer of the ULTRA Hf line of Ultra-light Ultra-powerful portables and Versa-View line of radiology accessory equipment and Mr. Hecker owns the patent on the dual-laser pointers that are on the portable x-ray units so many people are now using.

6.       What is the cost? (under $10,000)

You’ve been waiting for it and here it is. You’ve learned what type of portable x-ray unit you want/need and about the company you are looking to buy it from. Now, the big question…how much does it cost?  Well  when it comes down to it, you can find the best company in the world, with the absolute best portable ever made, with a lifetime warranty, but if it costs you an arms and a leg, who cares if you can’t afford to buy it!  Now, like I talked about earlier you need a quality machine at an affordable price. Don’t think I mean for you to throw all of that out and buy the cheapest unit out there, you do get what you pay for, but over paying is not necessary because there are companies out there selling their products at reasonable price and you don’t need to over pay for the Name.  DIS portables aren’t the least expensive, but they certainly are one of the best values out there.  They are very reasonably priced and considering the warranty and service after the sale, you can’t beat it.