Strong fundamentals, poor details
I bought this centrifuge for educational use, so I didn't have overly specific needs in terms of functionality.  I think it will fulfill that role reasonably well.  The motor is well-powered (although it is a brushed motor, rather than brush-less, so it probably will wear out faster), reasonably quiet, and the operation simple.  There are three details which are less than ideal, however: the speed indicator is unreliable, the lid latch isn't well-engineered, and the centrifuge tubes which fit in this machine are not common.<br /><br />Focusing on the criticism, the analog speed indicator seems to be simply a measure of the resistance of the speed adjustment potentiometer. This would need to be calibrated pretty carefully to be meaningful, but I see no evidence it was.  The speed indicator does not even immediately return to zero when the unit is turned off.  While it is not important for my use, if I were using this in a clinical or lab setting, I might need to know the speed is constant. This might pose a problem for those uses.<br /><br />The safety latch is a important feature, but in my centrifuge specifically, it seems to be slightly off of alignment.  This makes the lid difficult to open, and a little bit of jiggling is needed.<br /><br />The most important criticism of this unit for my use is that the centrifuge tubes needed are non-standard.  The common 120mm conical tubes are too large for the unit. I think the best fit for the unit are 100mm by 17mm diameter round bottom tubes, which do exist, but in my experience are less common than the longer conical tubes.<br /><br />On the other hand, for the price, you can hardly go wrong.  The motor and balance of the unit are good and it is basically functional.
Rating: 4 stars