VFD question

[Andrew Frandsen]

Greetings all!

I am installing a VFD on my manual variable speed General 260 - i.e. the one with a Reeves drive. Can I just wire the VFD into the motor and leave the Reeves drive as is or should I eliminate it and have the motor belted directly onto the spindle? If the answer to the second part of the question is 'yes' then what pulley ratio should I be looking for?

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge with me.

[Dan Hintz]

It gives you the best of both worlds... in average operation, set the belt to give you a 1:1 transfer ratio.

[Brad Adams]

Does the General already have a three-phase motor on it? If not the vfd isn't going to do you any good.

[Andrew Frandsen]

Yes sir it does - 3hp 3ph 208v.

[Brad Adams]

I would leave the reeves drive if it already works. You wont have to lower the frequency as much to get a low speed giving you extra torque. The motor on my lathe loses a lot of torque if I really turn it down.

[Harry Robinette]

Andrew
We put a VFD on my buddys gen.260 and left the reeves drive in it .It works great lower the reeves and bring up the rpm on the VFD and you'll have more toque then you'll ever need.
I have a Gen.160 with the new castings that makes it an 18" lathe ,we put a DC drive on mine with a controler . I also left the reeves drive in mine it works the same way.

[Andrew Frandsen]

Thanks for all the responses, they've been very helpful as usual. By this time tomorrow, God willing, I will be I'll be going 0 to 60 in 5 seconds or less and having the best time ever on the 260.

Cheers, Andrew

[Kyle Iwamoto]

If you are going through all that trouble for a VFD, my $0.02 would be to ditch the Reeves and put in a 2 step pulley, for low/high speeds like the PM and Jets do. A Reeves sucks up a lot of power due to friction losses... A single poly drive belt sould free up some power. And one less part to maintain.