whats the most affordable speed control for a 1.5 hp three phase motor

mikereineman

Active Member
Hey Guys, just wondering if any one knows whats the most affordable speed control for a 1.5 hp three phase motor, and has any one had any luck with kbac models on ebay, thanks
 
To use with a belt grinder or disk grinder, because of the metal dust you will want a TEFC (Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled) motor and a VFD with a NEMA4x enclosure.

The VFD with the NEMA 4X enclosure is pricey but will last much longer. You can build an enclosure for a non sealed VFD or put the VFD in another room but,,,,
By the time you build a box (and it need to be big enough to allow cooling or add a fan and filters) you will have spent the savings or
If you put the VFD in another room you have lost the convenience for turning it on and changing the speed or
You can have a remote control but again, added expense.

I sell the KBAC 27D for $448.00 including shipping within the lower 48 states.

We have found this the best VFD for our purposes.

I also have a 1.5 hp motor for this purpose for $247.50.

Let me know if I can help you.
 
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For a 1.5 hp motor you can set it up for 115v or 230v single phase in. For a 2 hp motor you must have 230v single phase in. Out of the VFD to the motor is 230v 3 phase. Amazin little boxes.
 
Wayne is spot on. Set your standard before you ask for prices. There are people who are well respected on this forum - like Wayne - and they have earned that respect. By all means, check others for the same product, but beware the unknown deal.

Rob!
 
No, No. I wasn't suggesting any disrespect at all. Just suggesting that the cheapest is rarely the best and seller / product reputation should figure strongly into your decision. I get it about being on a budget - I really do - and those budgets have sometimes led me to regrettable decisions that could have been avoided if I'd just been a little more patient.
 
My advice is to follow Wayne's advice! I discourage folks from going with the Teco controllers.....they are just a pain to deal with/use, and generally won't last very long.
 
The KBAC drives aren't readily available over here, which tends to limit the options. There are dustproof VFDs available, but they tend to cost around twice as much as a "normal" VFD of similar capacity.

I've done the thing with mounting IP20 (NEMA 1) drives in IP66 (NEMA 4) enclosures. It works, it saves me money and it gives me a lot of versatility.

It's a bit of a pain to do. The enclosure is big, because it's got to shed the heat from the outside surfaces of the enclosure by convection (being in the UK makes it easy for me; I can safely assume a maximum ambient temperature of 70 degF)

You need the enclosure itself, but you also need the controls to be accessible, which rules out using the keypad on the drive itself and adds expense.

I've fitted a 3-phase sealed socket to the VFD enclosure and built a remote control box on a trailing lead. This setup lets me plug in different machines and move the control box to whichever machine I am using.

DSCF0048.jpg


This one is a 2HP drive in a 12" x 12" x 8" enclosure. The enclosure, switches, potentiometer and drive were free and came from plant I decommissioned. The drive wasn't originally in the enclosure, but it fits and the window in the enclosure door lets the user see the display, though it probably reduces the cooling. The whole setup stands me in perhaps £20 (around $30) which covers the enclosure for the remote controls and the 3-phase socket, with a matching plug for the motor.

DSCF0016.jpg


This one is a 3HP drive in a 16" x 12" x 8" enclosure. I bought the enclosure for this one, as well as the plug and socket, but the drive and switches were again free. I have probably £60-80 in this one ($100-120?).

I really wouldn't recommend doing it this way to anyone who needs to buy in all the parts, unless it really is impractical to use a sealed drive. Most of the guys I know with VFDs on grinders have sealed drives. All of the guys who asked my opinion first, have sealed drives.
 
hi,
found some answers while looking for answers for a different question. check the precision electric inc. site or their store on ebay. they make their equipment for industrial use and most comes standard in a NEMA 1 or 4 enclosures. the sweetest thing IMHO is that the LENZE line of products is made in USA.
 
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