Hi Guys
Just got back from talking to one of the VFD salesguys. To purchase one of these VFD's call the main switchboard at 713 466 0277 and ask for the Drives Marketing Department. They will only accept credit card orders (I don't think that you want to set up an account) and can arrange the shipping by FEDEX or UPS. The actual shipping charges would be added on. I believe they get a better rate than a private individual would though. There would not be any warranties on the discontinued and refurbished units. They are selling for about 1/3 or 1/4 the original price. Many products are discontinued because some major part is no longer available. These VFD's are meant to be used in industrial environments and would normally be run all day long, every day so they should last a long time for you. Only the item indicated as being refurbished is so. All the others are unused. They should all come with a manual.
The S7 series VFD's are a discontinued product line. I have never actually seen one running since they were discontinued before I started working here. They have a three digit digital display that indicates motor speed amongst other things. The basic operation of all VFD's is to allow the motor to put out full rated torque from near zero rpm. There are other fancier control schemes that various drives incorporate into their software but most of you will probably not need such features. The S7s have a potentiometer on the control panel that may be programmed to control the motor speed. They also have terminals for connecting an external potentiometer. The manual shows how to make those connections and how to program the VFD.
I can e-mail a copy of the manual to those who are really serious about checking it out further. Be aware that the file is 4.1MB (61 pages). Just send me an e-mail at
phil_ws_so@yahoo.com.
Toshiba does sell the dynamic braking resistors for these VFD's. I am not sure if they have the appropriate ones in stock. They buy them in and then mark them up quite significantly. I suspect that it would be less expensive to purchase a resistor from someone like Dealers. Dealers sell one for a 2hp VFD for $24. The manual has a table showing what kind of resistor one would need.
Mark
I had listed "VFS7 3hp, 3-phase 200-240V input (4 available) $143". These are new old stock but going for the same price as a refurbished 2hp unit. There are actually 30 pieces available. That is a great price. I think that they are just about recovering the raw component costs. When I was designing VFD's at my last job, the price for the appropriate transistor module was in the range of $30-$40, in quantities of 5000-10000.
Again, I should stress that I get no commissions or other financial incentives from doing this I don't even work in the VFD department here. It's just my way of helping out in return for all the stuff that i have learned from this forum. Besides, it's kind of fun and it shure is more pleasant and rewarding than babysitting some of the people here.