1500w Inverter Won't Start Dremel Tool

[svstrider]

I bought a new Dremel 400 series 240 V tool 400 Series Digital Rotary Tool / Model: 400 Series Digital but my Xantrex 1500 watt Dr 1512 inverter won't run it. I thought that I must have a dud (Why me, Lord) and went back to the retailer, Bunnings to complain.

I was nice and polite as I did not want to rant about my wasted time only to find that there is some other on / off switch I had not seen and look like a complete idiot (has been known to happen )

The lady at the service desk pleasantly smiled when it ran like a beauty. I then took it to a mate's boat and of course it ran off his inverter. I was figuring that it must not draw enough power to start my inverter but my mobile phone charger runs off OK & I figure it draws a lot less power than the Dremel.

It also would not run even if the inverter was powered up running some other 240V appliance. I am working overseas but checked the manual for the Xantrex on line. It does indeed have a potentiometer to adjust the start up sensitivity between 5 to over 100Watts. I cannot check the setting on my inverter but as this tool draws 140 W at 230 V, I don't understand why it won't work. It will run off the generator but not the inverter.

As the Admiral was pissed off that I went to the hardware store for paint and returned with a Dremel tool as well and now it won't work without hauling out the generator, I am DESPERATE for a fix.

ANY IDEAS

[Aussiesuede]

Just to eliminate the obvious, your inverter is the 230V version and not the 120V version?

[svstrider]

Originally Posted by Aussiesuede

Just to eliminate the obvious, your inverter is the 230V version and not the 120V version?

Yep - 230Volt.

[atoll]

cheaper square wave inverters dont like nicad chargers or vice versa.
need a sine wave inverter to charge up the dremel

[svstrider]

Originally Posted by atoll

cheaper square wave inverters dont like nicad chargers or vice versa.
need a sine wave inverter to charge up the dremel

I don't think you understand - I am not charging it. The Dremel runs off 240V. The charger is not square wave but modified sine wave but I guess it might be upset by "modified". Good thought.

Any one else run their Dremels off modified sine wave inverters??

[S/V Alchemy]

I would have thought that the Dremel would prefer it. AC-DC chargers, like running a laptop from a square wave inverter, don't seem to like them much, and their displays show it.

Is the Dremel completely dead, or does it "hum" or turn very slowly? Do other appliances or tools work out of the inverter? Do you have sufficient battery bank voltage? All questions I would ask, now that you've proved it isn't the Dremel.

[atoll]

yes possably both,my dremel has the built in battery,recharger.

may be not getting the correct shunt to start it from the capacitor from mod sine inverter

[svstrider]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

I would have thought that the Dremel would prefer it. AC-DC chargers, like running a laptop from a square wave inverter, don't seem to like them much, and their displays show it.

Is the Dremel completely dead, or does it "hum" or turn very slowly? Do other appliances or tools work out of the inverter? Do you have sufficient battery bank voltage? All questions I would ask, now that you've proved it isn't the Dremel.

When you plug the dremel in, NOTHING happens. No noise. Nothing even appears on its LED screen where you can adjust the rpm's.

No battery bank is fine, two years old - 900 amp/hrs AGM's had full charge. The inverter runs two laptops, phone chargers, jig saw, circular saw, large 240V drill, Admiral's depillator, various sex toys (best not go there) etc etc.
All without a problem.

Everything runs OK. Don't have a TV, the admiral won't let me

[capn_billl]

Most motor driven tools don't like modified sine wave. A modified sine wave is basically a filtered square wave. I found numerous devices that would either not work at all or work only poorly with modified sine wave. Eventually I tossed it and bought a pure sine wave. Now everything works except a few large motor driven appliances with large starting currents.

[capn_billl]

OOH OOH I know. I just relised after reading the above post about the led RPM adjust. This dremal has a variable RPM doesn't it. Variable AC motors use a "dimmer" style RPM adjust. It works by turning on a SCR at an adjustable voltage up the side of a singe phase of the incoming sine wave. Ergo on a square wave there is no sloped side only on or off. The edge of the square wave is too short of a period of time to run the motor. It may turn on on max speed only, but never on a mid range.

[atoll]

my thoughts as well but very well put capn bill .
think you may have hit the button on the head thanks for in put

[svstrider]

Originally Posted by capn_billl

OOH OOH I know. I just relised after reading the above post about the led RPM adjust. This dremal has a variable RPM doesn't it. Variable AC motors use a "dimmer" style RPM adjust. It works by turning on a SCR at an adjustable voltage up the side of a singe phase of the incoming sine wave. Ergo on a square wave there is no sloped side only on or off. The edge of the square wave is too short of a period of time to run the motor. It may turn on on max speed only, but never on a mid range.

WOT HE SAID Now why didn't I think of that. Thanks Brains' Trust for shining light on the problem. I will try and turn it on at max revs setting, in the interests of science. However, have to get it turned on. Pull out the generator AGAIN.

Now all I have to do is go out to buy some milk and return with a pure sine wave inverter
The Admiral WILL BE SO PLEASED.

[capn_billl]

"I'm going out to buy some milk". YES, I'll have to try that one. I think there is a West Marine next to the milk store.

[atoll]

comment from owner of yacht i delivered recently,
" going shopping with you is worse than going shopping with my wife"

[Krakato]

Speaking as someone who has built variable frequency inverters in the past, I vote for the sine wave issue. Read the fine print on any inverters and check their output waveform, pay the extra money for a good sine wave output. Most everything that plugs into AC expects to see a sine wave. Some are more tolerant than others with respect to what the wave looks like, some are not (especially variable speed motors).

You should see some of the "sine" waves that came out of my inverters, especially my early attempts, not to mention the "sounds" that came out of the motors I plugged into them!

Cheers,
Mike