How to choose an MRI machine

Buying an MRI scanner is a siting and service decision as much as an imaging one. The magnet you choose sets the room you need, the shielding and cryogen plan, the exams you can bill for and the service contract you will carry for the next decade. The sections below follow the order most facilities decide in: condition first, then field strength and magnet type, then brand and model, then footprint, installation, service and how to pay for it. If you already know what you need, the model grid lists every MRI system we sell with its field strength and condition, and our MRI machine cost and price guide covers budgets in detail.

New, refurbished or used MRI machine?

New MRI systems. We sell Fujifilm and Esaote scanners new, as an authorized dealer. New makes sense when you want the latest sequences and workflow software, a full manufacturer warranty, the lowest running costs (the Fujifilm ECHELON Smart ZeroHelium never needs a helium refill) and a system that will still be supported in fifteen years.

Refurbished MRI systems (MO Select). Our engineers strip, rebuild and test pre-owned GE and Siemens magnets against the manufacturer specification, then install them with our own rigging team and cover them with a written warranty. A refurbished 1.5T from a proven platform such as the Siemens MAGNETOM Aera or GE Optima MR450w gives a hospital-grade scanner at a fraction of the new price, with parts availability backed by our own stock. See refurbished medical imaging equipment for what MO Select includes, and refurbished vs OEM-certified equipment for how the two compare.

Used MRI machines. A used system is sold tested and working but without a full rebuild. It is the lowest entry price and suits facilities with in-house biomedical support, a short planned service life, or a project where the magnet is being moved as part of a de-installation. Ask us about used units that are not yet listed; inventory changes weekly. GE, Siemens and Philips scanners are available refurbished or used only; we do not sell those brands new.

Field strength: open and low-field, 1.5T and 3T

Open and extremity MRI (0.25T to 0.4T). Permanent-magnet systems such as the Esaote G-scan, O-scan and S-scan and the Fujifilm AIRIS Vento (0.3T) and APERTO Lucent (0.4T) need no cryogens, fit in a single room and are the most comfortable option for claustrophobic, pediatric and bariatric patients. Orthopedic, sports-medicine and chiropractic practices choose them for joint and spine imaging; the G-scan adds weight-bearing (tilting) exams that a conventional scanner cannot do. Read open MRI vs closed MRI for the trade-offs.

High-field open (1.2T). The Fujifilm OASIS Velocity is a vertical-field open magnet with image quality close to a 1.5T tunnel system, so an imaging center can serve anxious and larger patients without giving up general-purpose exams.

1.5T. The workhorse field strength for hospitals and outpatient imaging centers: neuro, spine, body, musculoskeletal and contrast studies with the widest choice of coils and the broadest service base. New options are the Fujifilm ECHELON Smart family and the ECHELON Synergy; refurbished options include the Siemens MAGNETOM Aera and Espree (70 cm open bore), the GE Optima MR450w wide-bore and the GE Signa HDxt. Our wide-bore MRI systems article explains when the 70 cm bore is worth it.

3T. Twice the signal of 1.5T, which buys resolution and speed for neuro, prostate, small-joint and research protocols. 3T magnets are heavier, need more shielding and more power, and the coils cost more. Refurbished Siemens MAGNETOM Skyra and GE Discovery MR750w systems are the practical way into 3T for most centers.

Not sure whether you need MRI at all, or CT would answer the clinical question? Our MRI vs CT scan guide compares the two, and T1 vs T2 MRI explains the basic contrasts every system produces.

MRI brands we sell

• Fujifilm (formerly Hitachi Medical): sold new. ECHELON Smart 1.5T, ECHELON Smart with SynergyDrive, ECHELON Smart ZeroHelium, ECHELON Synergy, OASIS Velocity 1.2T open, APERTO Lucent 0.4T open and AIRIS Vento 0.3T open. Certified pre-owned Fujifilm units such as the OASIS Velocity CPO are also available.
• Esaote: sold new. G-scan weight-bearing open MRI, O-scan compact extremity MRI and S-scan dedicated musculoskeletal MRI.
• GE Healthcare: refurbished and used through MO Select. Discovery MR750w 3T, Optima MR450w 1.5T and Signa HDxt 1.5T.
• Siemens Healthineers: refurbished and used through MO Select. MAGNETOM Skyra 3T, MAGNETOM Aera 1.5T and MAGNETOM Espree 1.5T.
• Philips: refurbished and used systems sourced on request.
• SwiftMR: deep-learning reconstruction software that shortens scan times by up to 50 percent on any of the scanners above.

MRI model grid

Every listing above opens a full product page with specifications, a video where available and a quote form. Refurbished inventory changes as systems are rebuilt, so ask if the model you want is not listed.

Footprint, siting and RF shielding

The room is the first cost most buyers underestimate. A permanent-magnet extremity system such as the Esaote S-scan installs in about 20 square meters with a compact RF cabin and no cryogens, which is why it works in an orthopedic office. A 1.5T or 3T superconducting magnet needs a shielded suite with an RF-shielded room, a quench pipe to vent helium, a chiller, three-phase power, a floor rated for a multi-ton magnet and a delivery path that the magnet can physically travel. Helium-free designs such as the ECHELON Smart ZeroHelium remove the quench-pipe and refill requirements, which matters on upper floors and in the Caribbean, where helium supply is expensive.

We survey the site before we quote, produce the room layout and coordinate RF shielding, magnetic shielding and construction with our construction partner, so the quote you receive covers the whole project and not only the scanner. Our article on what an MRI quench is explains why the vent pipe is not optional, and the MRI installation in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean guide covers island logistics, power and climate.

Delivery, installation and de-installation

Our own rigging and installation crews handle site inspection, permits, rigging, magnet placement, ramp-up, calibration and performance testing. We also de-install, ramp down, package and rig out MRI systems when a facility upgrades, and we buy or trade in used systems as part of a replacement project. Deliveries in Florida are scheduled with our Miami crew; the rest of the United States is covered by the same team on scheduled trips, and Puerto Rico and the Caribbean by container shipping from Miami with installation by our engineers. See MRI, CT and X-ray machines for sale in Florida for local delivery details.

Service, parts and warranty

Service contracts, repairs, preventive maintenance and MRI cryogen services are available for GE, Siemens, Philips, Fujifilm, Hitachi and Esaote systems, whether or not the scanner was purchased from us. The engineers who rebuild an MO Select magnet are the engineers who service it, backed by more than 20,000 parts in stock. Refurbished systems come with a written warranty, new systems carry the manufacturer warranty, and we offer coverage plans that keep response times and parts commitments in writing. Visit our service and repair page for cryogenic services, delivery and logistics, and mobile imaging support.

Financing and leasing

Most MRI systems can be bought outright or leased. Tell us your target monthly payment and the term you have in mind and we will quote both routes, including installation and the first year of service, so the numbers you present to your board or partners are complete.

MRI machine prices

The price of an MRI machine depends on field strength, magnet type, condition, coil package, software options and the siting work the room needs. Open and extremity systems sit at the low end, refurbished 1.5T scanners in the middle, and new 1.5T and 3T systems at the top, with shielding, cryogens and installation added on top of the scanner itself. For ranges by system type, new versus refurbished, and the running costs to plan for, read our MRI machine cost and price guide.

Other names for an MRI machine

Buyers search for the same equipment under several names: MRI scanner, MRI unit, magnetic resonance imaging machine, open MRI machine, mobile MRI, extremity MRI and MSK MRI. Whether you are looking for a used MRI machine for sale, a refurbished MRI scanner for an imaging center, or a new 1.5T system for a hospital, the listings on this page are the same systems under any of those names.