Using an inverter with 3 phase pillar drill

[selectcase]

HI I am looking for a decent british single phase pillar drill without much success.. I understand you can run 3 phase machines through an inverter but know nothing about this so any advice would be welcome..i an looking for the usual meddings, fobco, elliott,startrite type drills up to around £200 to give an idea of what i am looking for and was wandering if it was worth going for a 3 phase to increase my options then get an inverter?

 

[Hopefuldave]

Inverters are pretty good if you're only going to run one machine from 'em, I put one in my lathe (well, two, a tiddler for the suds pump) but had to perform a hack to get 415v from 240 with it, check the drill motor can be rewired from 415v star to 240 delta (there'll be 6 terminals in the motor's junction box, three wired together for 415v if so).
Alternatively (and opens up the world of 3-phase) a rotary convertor isn't that hard or expensive to build and can run anything you plug in, no need to mod switchgear like a VFD inverter but you're stuck with the original speed range. I've built one that runs a Substantial milling machine and should find out soon how well it runs a 3-phase TIG inverter... The mill has three motors (spindle, feeds, suds pump) AND electric clutches and brakes, so a VFD/inverter conversion would get a bit complicated for me...

Dave H. (the other one)

 

[Dcal]

I run a 3 phase drill off an inverter and the extra speed control the interverter gives you is well worth the effort and cost
Really simple to wire up and configure.
As Date says most (but by no means all) 3 phase motors are dual voltage.

 

[selectcase]

Many thanks for the advice

 

[piman]

Hello Selectcase,

I think that the older three phase motors often will not run on 240v three phase. If the motor is wired in delta for 415 volts it cannot use a single 240 to three 240 inverter, so check before you buy. 415 v inverters are available but are more expensive. You also have the option of replacing the motor with a single phase motor.

Alec

 

[daleyd]

For a drill, even if the motor is 440v only you can probably get away with a 240v single phase inverter.

There’s a bit of setting to do within the inverter but basically you can run full torque up to about 29 hz, then above this speed you lose a little torque when compared to a “proper” 440v supply, but for a drill it’s not usually noticeable, particularly if the motor is already oversized.