# Grinder / Inverter woes



## kateandersonjack (Jan 22, 2014)

Hi,

I'm looking for some recommendations of a capable inverter, spec + manufacturer, or to hear from anybody having similar issues.

My mobile-set up is in a Piaggio ape 50: Astoria Lever machine runs off LPG, then we have an 105Ah Enduroline calcium leisure battery to power 12V DC water pump and some led strip lighting when its dark. All these work fine. Problem is with my grinder: Mazzer Super Jolly is run via an inverter- have had recurring problems with it (been operating about 9 months) either refusing to start or giving up halfway through a morning's trade. Currently pre-grinding at home before each days trade.

Our first inverter was a 500w made by Ring which we upgraded after 6 months to a 1000w inverter made by Bestek. Changed the fuses in that one recently after they blew, but just today have had something blow internally.

These inverters were pretty cheap I admit - I was going on consumer reviews, and probably underestimating what we'd be putting them through on a daily basis. My inexpert suspicion now that what is causing these cut-outs is that the grinder's initial power draw when starting up is much greater, and I suspect those inverters had cheap parts and just weren't up to the job.

Is there something else I should be looking for when buying our third inverter?

Pure or modified Sine wave?

Thanks in advance everyone!


----------



## grumpydaddy (Oct 20, 2014)

http://www.advanceyacht.co.uk/products/power-management/inverters/studer-aj-1000-12-inverter.html

http://www.solarshop-europe.net/product_info.php?products_id=1798

Same Unit different sources. Pure sine wave, capable of double your load continuous and a start current of 5 times as I have been unable to find good info on the Mazzer start current.

Given a power rating of 350w for the super jolly and assuming a typical efficiency of 80% you have a running load of some 440volt/amps I would say this one would last.

but I bet you weren't thinking of a price like this........ Have you considered a small generator ?? (Similar rules apply)


----------



## Glenn (Jun 14, 2008)

If going down the DIY route and can possibly afford to lose money a few more times then as a minimum contact some of the caravan/camping auto electricians who can advise on what works for their members who have coffee machines, grinders, blenders etc that produce load

My recommended route would be speaking with a company that specialises in carts (like Towability) who can advise and supply the right kit that is proven to work in an Ape


----------



## wilse (Nov 14, 2013)

It's a very complex subject when dealing with inverters.

A generator may help but are also issues with these, especially when an item initially starts-up.

Generally though, items that convert power to heat are problematic. I wouldn't have thought a 300w grinder to be an issue, wouldn't assume there would be an massive initial start-up.

I've seen some people run high power items with cheap inverters by running the engine is this feasible for you?

A lot of motorhome/boat folks like these:http://sterling-power.com/collections/inverters

They are not cheap!

Also remember Peukert's_law, where batteries run flat long before their stated capacity.

105Amp should give 105 hours of use at 1amp.... it won't... it will be more like 85 hours.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peukert's_law

I suspect cheap inverter and/or cabling perhaps not being thick enough, can you double the battery bank?

I have a honda eu10i generator, it's great, and you can run from LPG.

Let's know more about your set-up.

w


----------



## kateandersonjack (Jan 22, 2014)

Thanks, all 3 responses are useful and give me something to think about / try!

So pure sine wave is appropriate for this application, right? My first one, the Ring was modified sine, and I can't find out about this current one, the Bestek, but going on price I'd bet it is modified too.

I feel like I'm too late for the generator route as the whole operation is built on using battery power - we have weight and space limitations due to Piaggio's small size and engine. If I'd known about the quiet generators you can get these days I might have opted for one, (council market departments can have a thing about the noise) but to change over now would feel like going a long way back down the road to that particular junction!

Going to keep pre-grinding for now and try and get to the bottom of what went wrong before, see if something can be replaced in the Bestek inverter or decide which higher quality new inverter to go for









Here's a pic of the Bestek with cables, ill let you know what I find inside...


----------



## grumpydaddy (Oct 20, 2014)

Modified sine wave: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BESTEK-1000W-Car-Battery-Power-Inverter-Auto-DC-12V-AC-230V-Adapter-Voltage-Watt-/221176440960

@ £66 a pop it could be an idea just to have a spare or two. The price kind of tells the story about the quality here I think.

If the grinder seems to have survived running on these consider moving up to the larger model until the permanent solution is found http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000W-Car-Battery-POWER-INVERTER-SOFT-START-Auto-DC-12V-AC-230V-Adapter-Voltage-/321138797029?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item4ac55d29e5


----------



## kateandersonjack (Jan 22, 2014)

Heres what had happened inside the inverter - circuitry perished (melted?) between fuses. Definitely time for an upgrade.









Had a friend tell me the start up power can be as much as six time regular draw, which for the Mazzer would calculate as 350W x 6 = 2100W

That is the max peak power of the Bestek - so if I want some peace of mind I need to go bigger still









Going to speak to some dealers and get some prices before I make my mind up.


----------



## grumpydaddy (Oct 20, 2014)

Now to throw a spanner into the works......

How about converting a grinder to run on 12v ?


----------

