KB Electronics, 9520, KBAC-27D (Gray), 1.5;2HP, 1-Phase, 110-120V;200-240V (Input), Nema 4X Enclosure, Variable Frequency Drives

This is the defacto standard VFD for small horsepower three phase motors used in harsh locations as no extra packaging, cooling or enclosure is required. Simply, wire and go. For my 9" disc grinder I am powering a 1.5 hp motor and supplying the VFD with a single phase 120 Volt 20 Ampere circuit. No problems. Easy to operate and sealed up tight against water and dust. The base unit comes without a main power switch and without a FWD/REV switch. These can be purchased additionally and installed if required for your application. To get your power in and out, you will need some cable glands (strain reliefs) to let the cords through and still keep the unit sealed. The size of the glands will depend on the diameter of the cord you are using. Check the outer diameter of your cords before buying glands. The bottom of the VFD has has two 1/2" knockouts and one 3/4" knockout. (1/2" and 3/4" being conduit sizes not actual diameters of the knockouts.) Two rubber plugs are provided as well. There are a few adjustments that can be made inside the VFD, jumpers and trim pots on the board. KB provides a neat little trim pot screwdriver in case you need to tweak things like acceleration or deceleration time. Jumpers are installed for changing the supply voltage, motor horsepower etc. If you want to run a 2 hp motor, you will need to supply the VFD with 240 V single phase, otherwise it is rated for 1.5 hp at 120 V.

The KBAC-27D is a really nice unit. It arrived in 2 days with prime shipping. Packaged really well with an expanding foam insert to hold it in place while in transit, which is good because it is much larger, and heavier than expected. The pictures don’t do it justice. The housing is a really well built aluminum casing that is well sealed, but still easy to open for making connections inside. 80% of the rear or the box has molded-in cooling fins. I purchased this to run an older Bridgeport series 1, step pulley, with a 1hp motor. I was able to get things hooked up in about in hour, using waterproof service cord connections in the 1/2” knockouts in the bottom of the box. It’s a really nice layout that makes for a super clean install. Once everything was connected, I plugged it into 220v single phase power, and let it sit for an hour to charge the capacitors as recommended by the manufacturer. Then crossed fingers, set the potentiometer to 50%, power and fired the machine up. Victory! My 63 year old Fairbanks/Morse motor whirred to life. This unit is awesome. Easy to wire, Intuitive to use, and looks like it’s built to last. I’m so glad I paid a little more for this well built, analog VFD, rather than all electronic import that has tons of menus, and controls. A week later, I also installed the accessory reversing switch. It installs super easy, and works flawlessly. Overall, I’m super happy with the KBAC-27D!

Very easy VFD to wire up to my motor. Worked great for my grinder. Just need to come with all the toggle switches. I wired mine with Power on/off and forward/reverse toggle. Should come with.

Works as expected

The sellers customer service is top notch. Industrial Sensors and Controls was a big help during the process. The drive itself is a great product. Solid build, easy to install and use. For drive installation I would definitely recommend using Stranded THHN wire. You will get a much neater and cleaner install with it. It comes from the factory with jumpers set for a 230v install and dial settings so be sure to use the easily followed instructions to change them if you are using 115V. I went with a 2hp 3phase Baldor motor at 3500 rpm. Id recommend getting a 1700rpm as the drive can be adjusted to go higher RPM internally. All in all its a great product and id recommend it over the cheaper drives without a Rheostat for speed adjustment. Its well sealed and cooled for dusty environments.

This VFD has worked great for my 2x72 belt grinders. Smooth controlling once everything is set up, and many options to tweak the settings. I also appreciate that this thing is sealed up so no dust gets inside. It is a little more expensive than some on Amazon, however, it is worth it if you are using it in a harsh environment. I am running a 2hp, 3 phase motor on a 120V 20amp circuit. It can push the limit of the circuit but I have yet to stall out the machine and pop a breaker. I would recommend putting it on a 200-240 single phase if overloading is a concern. I knew this going in but for those that might have questions, it will not take a 3 phase input.

Used this to retro-fit a burr king belt sander that was previously a single speed single phase motor. I used the KB to drive a 2HP Lesson 3 phase motor. This unit is sealed and designed to live in an environment with grit and dust. I know it's expensive, but it's the only one I could find rated for that kind of application. I had a problem the first order I made arrived DOA. I ordered another and it was also DOA. I sent the first back to the vendor and started to doubt I had any motor knowledge at all. Anyway long story short the company manufacturing these in our friendly China must have had a new employee because they did not put one of the jumpers on the main board on BOTH of the units I tried. The Amazon vendor for this item is great and figured out the problem. The main board must have each option jumpered or it will not run. Anyway since I had the exact same problem on two units I hope this will help someone out. Otherwise it works perfect.

This is a great product for anyone need variable speed on a motor. I use this on a 1.5 HP Iron horse motor attached to my home built 2X72 grinder. It has made a world of difference in how I grind. No problems with it what so ever. I would recommend ensuring that the holes for the leads be plugged against dust. It comes with a dust cover for the holes and you can cut a small opening in those covers for your leads. If this were to fail tomorrow for some reason (which I doubt) I would immediately get another one. It's that important to my production. Excellent product.