VFD seems too good to be true

[martik777]

Okay, thanks everyone. Seems like it's pretty much what I expected. I do have the ability to get 220, but it's going to mean spending $5K or so-- no electrician is willing to touch our panel; it's old and failing and wasn't wired well in the first place, so it needs to be replaced. Then wiring will need to be run to the part of the garage that I'm putting the machines in. So we're going to do that, but obviously that's a chunk of money that could have gone towards machinery, had this VFD turned out to be a magic box.

I appreciate everyone's help, and the time people spent explaining this to me.

I use my dryer outlet (in parallel) which is close to my shop. A 1HP motor only needs 3A at 220v

 

[mksj]

OK, very helpful to know what you are planning. I had a pm-1340GT, have probably done 50 or 60 VFD installs on that lathe, and numerous others on other machines. My recommendation is to go with the 3 phase motor and the VFD. You only need a 2 Hp VFD, I recommend the Hitachi WJ200-015SF sold through QMT or online vendors, because everything is already worked out for this model. This particular lathe greatly benefits from the use of a VFD. You get soft start, very fast braking on the order of 1-2 seconds, variable speed, and a lot of other VFD features. That particular VFD will run off of a 230VAC 20A breaker, although the manual recommends 30A. Everything is spelled out in this previous thread, the most current wiring and programming parameters are listed on the last page. By flipping the motor pulley you can convert it to a single belt speed lathe, but you still need to use the gearbox to some degree. The VFD range is around 20-100 Hz. If you have some questions when you get into it, I can give you some assistance, just PM me.

Pm1340gt Lathe Basic Vfd Control Conversion Using The Stock Control Board And Switches

Many individuals buy the PM1340GT lathe as a 3 phase machine with the intent to convert it over to a VFD system, the usual VFD that is used is the Hitachi WJ200-015SF. Unfortunately the conversion often requires a somewhat complex and costly conversion process to optimize many of the VFD...

www.hobby-machinist.com

As far as what you can do on the lathe, David Best completely tricked out his 1340GT, he works a lot in SS and take some monstrous cuts and pushes his machines hard. It hasn't let him down. Sure you can get a bigger and heavier lathe, but it will cost you 2-3X as much and accuracy wise there will be no difference. I have had both, so can verify that they both do great work. It is all to a price point, but if you want a very nicely built lathe, I recommend the 1340GT. I sold mine to a full time gunsmith when I moved, he had a bigger lathe but ended up using the 1340GT for most of his work.

PM1340 - the Best & Jacobs Full Custom Edition

It’s been several months since I took delivery of, and posted about my PM1340 lathe. It's time for an update since I’m nearing completion of what started as a straight forward VFD conversion project, and then took on a life of it’s own and led to a substantial customization of the stock PM1340...

www.hobby-machinist.com

On the mill, depending on the model and Hp, you should be fine on a 20A 240VAC circuit. A 3 Hp motor may or may not be ok on a 20A circuit, there are different factors that come into play. One advantage of a VFD (variable speed models)is the soft start is less likely to trip a breaker.

 

[metric_taper]

Okay, thanks everyone. Seems like it's pretty much what I expected. I do have the ability to get 220, but it's going to mean spending $5K or so-- no electrician is willing to touch our panel; it's old and failing and wasn't wired well in the first place, so it needs to be replaced. Then wiring will need to be run to the part of the garage that I'm putting the machines in. So we're going to do that, but obviously that's a chunk of money that could have gone towards machinery, had this VFD turned out to be a magic box.

I appreciate everyone's help, and the time people spent explaining this to me.

The start of your post did not explain why you were looking at a 110v to 240V VFD. And the title is misleading.
So your problem is not having 240VAC electrical outlets in the place where you will put the machines.
It is not rocket science. And pretty sure some youtube videos will point you in a direction to do this yourself.
You can run a 240Volt extension cord. If a more permanent solution is wanted then drilling holes in the wall studs, or running conduit is a learnable building technique. $5K is way more then an electrician should charge. Appears they want to change out the whole panel. It was safe when it was orginally installed (the panel and wiring). Assuming no hacks messed with it, and produced fire hazards (e.g. too small wire with too large fuse), you should be able to add a new 240 volt circuit to an outlet box. Unless this is pre 1950s, why change it, unless it is under sized. And even that can be done by you with a little research.