A few weeks ago I had the inverter on my woodlathe die, again. This is the second time one died. The first time I found an exact replacement on E-Ba y for $400. It lasted two years. I did not want to wind up spending $200 a year, so went looking for a suitable replacement.
I found a Hitachi inverter (WJ200) at Surplus Center for $229 and bought it . When it arrived, I quickly realized I needed help in understanding how t o set the parameters, so I sent an e-mail to Hitachi Customer Service and w ound up talking to them on the phone, on their dime.
Of all the Customer Service folks I have talked to over the years, these gu ys (talked to one primarily, but had a brief conversation with another) are , without a doubt, the most outstanding I have ever run into. They were no t in a rush. They were extremely interested in my getting the unit up and running. When the conversation was over (on the first call) they told me t o call back if I needed any help.
I did, both need help and call, and the response was exactly the same. My last issue was a harmonic squeal at about half speed. Derek gave me a coup le of suggestions, told me the squeal would not hurt the motor and told me to call him back If I needed anything else.
The unit is up and running. The suggestion cured the squeal. I have my l athe back, with a modern inverter that should last for years.
All in all a very good experience.
Deb