ABR-sidewinder 600watt inverters

Anybody else out their have troubles with there 600 watt inverters with the capacitor blowing, on to third inverter first two were replaced but now will not replace.
They usually last about 3-4 months and then start to play up no good when you are on the road and not near power.
Be interested know if other people have had problems.
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Reply By: Bigfish - Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 08:10

Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 08:10
They are only $200 each. Probably made in China for $15. Why wont they replace the third one? I take it that a warranty applies. Maybe buy another one from a reputable dealer which has a better product. If I was on my third one by now I,d be classing them as rubbish...not up to the job.
AnswerID: 556803

Reply By: Member - John and Val - Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 08:42

Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 08:42
Rob,

ABR Sidewinder have a very good reputation on this site. We only know part of the story so I for one certainly wouldn't judge ABR or their product on the available info.

Your repeated failures may be due to you asking for more than a 600W inverter can provide. Also, check the specs - is that 600W peak or 600W continuous? What are you running with it - a 1200W jug, 800W toaster, or just a 50W laptop or tiny phone or ipod charger? While you may have a legitimate gripe, I'd check that you aren't overtaxing the inverter.

Cheers

John
J and V
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
- Albert Einstein

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AnswerID: 556804

Follow Up By: garrycol - Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 14:38

Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 14:38
If a quality product it will cutout if overloaded - certainly my $70 ebay inverter does.
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FollowupID: 843079

Reply By: Rob M5 - Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 11:20

Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 11:20
Hi John
I am not that stupid to run a jug or toaster on 600 watt we have only charged laptop phones and iphone so should be able to handle with ease.

Rob
AnswerID: 556808

Follow Up By: Member - John and Val - Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 12:18

Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 12:18
No offense intended Rob. As I'm sure you're well aware, there are many out there who don't understand watts amps and volts. It does appear that your loading and the inverter's ability to supply it are not matched. My point was that while it could be an inadequate inverter, it could also be excessive load.

We are not alone on this forum and others can gain from our discussion. Let's keep it friendly!

Cheers

John
J and V
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."
- Albert Einstein

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Follow Up By: MJ H - Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 19:31

Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 19:31
For what it's worth, I have no idea why you would want to use an inverted to charge your iPhone or laptop. You can get 12v chargers for laptops for less than $50. Why convert to from DC to AC and then back to DC?
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FollowupID: 843089

Follow Up By: garrycol - Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 20:00

Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 20:00
Because the 12v laptop chargers are really good for one thing and that is charging the laptops - do you know many other appliances that use 18-20v.

A small pure sine wave inverter has many more functions - and is often cheaper. I recently bought a pure sine wave inverter 300w/600w for less than $70 where the required 120w 12v laptop charger was about $80.

Flexibility in use is the reason.
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FollowupID: 843091

Follow Up By: MJ H - Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 20:08

Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 20:08
I'm all about flexibility, but you don't buy a inverter if all you want to use it for is iPhones and laptops.
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FollowupID: 843094

Follow Up By: garrycol - Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 22:28

Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 22:28
If it is cheaper than the dedicated item you do :-)
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FollowupID: 843102

Reply By: Member - Tony H (touring oz) - Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 15:20

Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 15:20
A little bit OT...... but worth the read, when selecting an inverter

In order to calculate your power requirement, add up the wattage's of the tools, appliances, and items you want to use with your inverter. Keep in mind there are items that have resistive, or constant loads and those that have reactive loads. For constant load items, simply add up the Amps and multiply by 240 to find out the Watts you need.
Reactive load items require additional power when they start up. The product's nameplate should list both the operating amps and the maximum amps. When you do not have access to the nameplate for reactive load products, then as a guide, use the rated Amps or Watts multiplied by 7 to arrive at the total required at start up.
For example - a 200W power tool will need a 1400W inverter, a 60W fridge will need a 420W inverter and so on. It is also recommended to get an inverter with at least 30% more than your needs.Australian Standard AS4509.2 states a surge factor of 7x the continuous power should be used for electric motors, water pumps, fridges, air conditioner, and washing machines. A surge factor of 3x should be used for kitchen appliances, halogen and LED lights and other electronics equipment. Australian Standard Power Inverter ! We are registered with the ACMA as an importer/manufacturer of equipment and all our Power Inverters come with the required C-Tick labelling to indicate compliance with Australian regulations. Our ACMA supplier code, as listed beside the C-Tick logo on our products, is N17856. Only products that bear a C-Tick label, and have been tested against the applicable standards can be sold in AU.
AnswerID: 556814

Follow Up By: Bigfish - Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 17:17

Thursday, Jul 09, 2015 at 17:17
If you go to the abr site it gives a very comprehensive list of what gadgets consume power wise in relation to the inverter. The 600watt has a surge of 1200 watts.
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FollowupID: 843085

Reply By: Allkar - Friday, Jul 10, 2015 at 20:57

Friday, Jul 10, 2015 at 20:57
Hi Rob,
While I agree with all that has been said. Both my son and I had the same unit and used it as yourself has and both are now in the bin.
AnswerID: 556862

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