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  1. #1
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    Default Opinions on the current cheap VFDs on eBay?

    Now that Huanyang VFDs aren't being sold on ebay, has anyone tried the current cheap Variable Frequency Drive that is being sold by a number of ebay vendors here and overseas? An example:

    ebay store Amazing Item 1.5kW 220V VFD for AU$123

    These units have no manufacturer's name on them (though the ebay postings brand them as 'Vevor'). The case is very similar to the Huanyang VFDs as sold on Amazon (Huanyang VFDs on Amazon), although the keypad is light grey with a slightly different design.

    So can anyone tell me more about these? Are they a Huanyang copy? Is the programming instruction set identical to the Huanyang VFDs? Is there any significant downside to these cheap units? Should I be concerned they may have the horrible build quality warned about for Huanyang VFDs on old 'Practical Machinist' forum posts? For me its just to get an old Myford S7 hobby lathe running nicely again.

  2. #2
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    I don't think they are identical and I would also be interested to know more about their instruction set.

    They claim to go to 2500Hz which seems a bit high, I think they might be 250Hz.

    1.5kW Huanyangs are still available on AliExpress for ~$160 delivered
    see https://www.aliexpress.com/w/wholesa...W+huanyang+vfd

    I see the new Huanyang SL models which supposedly have senseless vector control are available.
    The 1.5kW versions are around $200 which makes them an interesting buy.

  3. #3
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    Bob, that Aliexpress link is useful - thanks. That might be better than going with the ebay unknown -- unless anyone knows more?

    I've got another question for you -- I recall you mentioning in another VFD thread that some motors will only work at half their rated power on a VFD - I wasn't clear why. So would this cheap Chinese 3-phase ebay motor work at its full 550W on a 1-to-3 ph VFD? 0.55kw 0.75HP 1400rpm shaft 19mm Electric motor Three-phase 415v

    Back in 2009 I hooked up a Weg 3-phase 0.55kW motor to an ABB 0.75kW VFD, on my properly set-up lathe, and it has worked ever since (the VFD/motor I'm asking about now is for a lathe I want get working and sell on). I recall I had to change the motor terminals from star to delta for the 230V VFD output. Not sure if that covers the issue of getting full power from the motor?

    - Ian -

  4. #4
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gunnaduit View Post
    Bob, that Aliexpress link is useful - thanks. That might be better than going with the ebay unknown -- unless anyone knows more?

    I've got another question for you -- I recall you mentioning in another VFD thread that some motors will only work at half their rated power on a VFD - I wasn't clear why.
    3P motors come in 2 connection "∆" and "Y" and two V's

    Some 3P motors are 415V Y, or 415V ∆ only and cannot be easily converted without internal surgery.
    If these are connected up to 240V 3P they develop half power.



    So would this cheap Chinese 3-phase ebay motor work at its full 550W on a 1-to-3 ph VFD? 0.55kw 0.75HP 1400rpm shaft 19mm Electric motor Three-phase 415v
    Yes it will provided it is connected as a 240V ∆ motor (look on the name plate)

  5. #5
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    Thanks Bob for clarifying that supplementary point about motor voltage, power and winding connections. Come to think of it, I think your advice on the other thread was in relation to an old motor that possibly did not have a terminal box that allowed changing the terminal links easily from star to delta.

    So now its just down to what VFD to go for.

  6. #6
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    Default

    For what it's worth I recently bought a 2.2kw / 3hp variant from Conon Motor
    http://stores.ebay.com.au/CONON-MOTO...ub=20490530018

    They are made by Folinn Electric, user manual can be found here
    http://srunique.com/wp-content/uploa...anual-17MB.pdf
    The manual is pretty well written and I was able to wire it up pretty easily, have used it to spin the motor without load and all good.
    I pulled it apart to look at the internals and all looked pretty decent, had a mate that is an electronics engineer look at it while it was apart also and commented that it appeared reasonably well made.

    They are more expensive then some of the others on the market but I specifically wanted a dial control on the included keypad and figured if it's better quality buying one better quality unit was still cheaper then 2 cheaper units when the first failed.....

    If you decide to go with a VFD and Motor from Conon motor send him an email if he will normally do a package deal and knock a little bit off the price for you.

    Things to keep in mind that I found while researching
    - A VFD should be spec'd to the motor based on AMP draw not on HP / KW rating, if you have a horribly inefficient motor or a VFD that is overspec'd on the HP/ KW rating you can under size your VFD. Pg 8 of the linked manual shows input and output current. The motor you linked is 240v 2.5amps / 415v 1.4amps
    - With VFD you can over and under speed your motor, you need to keep in mind that varying the speed will play with the torque and Hp outputs, best to do some reading on that
    - "metric" motors are defined by frame sizes, you can have multiple different power ratings in the same frame size, shaft diameter is normally a quick and easy way to work out what size frame the motor is, if your planning to use the VFD to vary your speed it may be worthwhile going a little more powerful motor to account for power loss

  7. #7
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    Yes its an interesting point that, about how low you can go in rated power (or amps) of the VFD compared to the motor.

    Getting a Huanyang, of which the smallest in the range is 1.5kW, seems like overkill (I guess there's no actual performance problem in such an over-rated VFD?). Conon, the ebay seller of the 0.55kW motor, recommends their 0.75kW VFD - but then, they don't have anything smaller anyway.

    On the other hand, if I could get away with a 0.55kW VFD, I could currently get a high-quality but used VFD quite cheap. But apart from risk of used industrial electronics - a risk that I would accept - and the possibility of lower low-speed torque (but it's just going on an old Myford, no need for great torque) - the real issue for me in the case of the used 0.55kW VFD, is that I don't know if there is enough headroom in the specs between the rated motor current of 2.4A and the rated VFD output current of 3.3A. Any opinions on that?

  8. #8
    Join Date
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    Australia
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    Default

    Why not grab a delta brand VFD, 1.5KW for under $200 delivered, sure it's a discontinued model but they're still new and work great.

    1 PCS Delta Inverter VFD M Type VFD015M21A 1 5KW 220V NEW IN BOX | eBay

    Delta VFD015M21A | Delta AC Drives - Delta VFD

  9. #9
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    The parameter set for the 'new' Huanyang copies is much smaller! They also only have 3 multifunction terminals with fixed purposes (cant recall which). So no trickery with combinations of multiple fixed speeds or jogging options are available.
    Other than that, they seem to be the same build quality as Huanyang. The scaremongering about which is quite a few years old and refers to a much earlier version than any we have in this forum group.

    Just for interest sake: my oldest VFD (analog and no parameters at all) is now more than 25 years old and still working as well as back then.
    Cheers, Joe
    retired - less energy, more time to contemplate projects and more shed time....

  10. #10
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    Please nobody buy these ones: VFD Frequency Inverter Hengtai 220V 1 5KW 7A HT1000B Used Frequency Converter | eBay
    They have not proven reliable and the parameter set is incorrect in the manual and only suitable for low inertia purposes.
    Cheers, Joe
    retired - less energy, more time to contemplate projects and more shed time....

  11. #11
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Gunnaduit View Post
    Now that Huanyang VFDs aren't being sold on ebay, has anyone tried the current cheap Variable Frequency Drive that is being sold by a number of ebay vendors here and overseas? An example:

    ebay store Amazing Item 1.5kW 220V VFD for AU$123

    These units have no manufacturer's name on them (though the ebay postings brand them as 'Vevor'). The case is very similar to the Huanyang VFDs as sold on Amazon (Huanyang VFDs on Amazon), although the keypad is light grey with a slightly different design.

    So can anyone tell me more about these? Are they a Huanyang copy? Is the programming instruction set identical to the Huanyang VFDs? Is there any significant downside to these cheap units? Should I be concerned they may have the horrible build quality warned about for Huanyang VFDs on old 'Practical Machinist' forum posts? For me its just to get an old Myford S7 hobby lathe running nicely again.
    I do have one of these cheaper ebay drives on my RF30 mill drill, i have had no expereience with any Huanyang VFDs,but i can say i am succesfully using one of these cheap vfds, its a single phase in 2.2kw unit, ive set it with a spindle range of about 80rpm up to about 2000rpm all through a external pot, has no problem tapping 3/8unc threads at the lower rpm and still enough rpm to run carbide cutters.

    It took some work with the parameters to get a 2.2kw motor to run as the factory setting lacked any torque, but if anyone wants the settings i used in the parameters im more then happy to pass it on.

    Cheers

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