Reliable 3000W 12V Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter Review - Cheap But Is It Any Good?

[@barnybrewman1571]

I have used this 3000 watt inverter to power my off grid house for over 2 years now. It runs 24/7, and has performed flawlessly so far. My biggest load is a 2000 watt deep fryer and it will run that while the refrigerator, TV, small freezer, and a few lights are on. It's probably not built for continuous use, but it hasn't let me down yet. I recently bought a second one for a back-up.

[@LDSreliance]

Nice! Glad to hear it works well as a main source of power.

[@rafaelmt1000]

Does this work well for a 3/4 HP pool pump? you have to remember that they have a starting surge.

[@barnybrewman1571]

@@rafaelmt1000 should run it easily. I have a 1 hp deep well pump that's pumping water up 75 feet into my pressure tank, runs it nicely, only problem is if I have another load of 1,000 watts or more going at the same time, when the pump kicks on, then it trips the overload breaker. I put a switch on my well pump, and only turn it on when I have no other big load on my inverter.

[@TheWickerShireProject]

WARNING!!! PLEASE READ!!! Reliable is a decent Inverter with fairly clean Pure sine wave. These Inverters are best when bought as a 24 or 48 volt set up. 24 volt uses 1/2 the Amps and 48 volt uses 1/4 Amps. This means you can now source proper Breakers like... Blue Sea, T Tocas or Bussmann Brand and NOT cheap KNock offs.

[@LDSreliance]

I appreciate the comment. Just a few clarifications... There are very valid reasons for choosing 12V DC as opposed to 24V DC or 48V DC. Your points are valid on using less Amps, which means thinner cables and lower temps and that saves money and improves longevity. However, you can find "proper" breakers in 12V DC, too. Blue Sea Systems makes them (their 285 series, which is what I typically use, can handle anything below 48V) and the entire car audio industry has been using 12V DC at very high Amps safely for decades. Super cheap components on Amazon should definitely be treated with suspicion. Preach on, brother! But for anyone reading this, please don't blindly go 24V or 48V without knowing all the pros and cons. I always preach oversizing your cables, too. But where did you get the 6 feet and 3 feet comment? Especially at 48V DC, which it seems you prefer, the length of the cable is much, much less of an issue and certainly does not need to be 6 feet or less. The length of the cable (cable is the appropriate term, not wire) is dictated by the current, the conductor material, and the gauge/thickness. If you were running your 48V 4000W inverter at half load then you are using less than 50A. You could use #6 AWG cable and it would be oversized and perfectly safe for 20 feet with less than 3% voltage drop. Even at full load you could go 20-40 feet with relatively modest gauge wire. I appreciate your effort to put out additional information above and beyond what my videos do. Heaven knows the average person needs a lot more education on this subject (that was me 15 years ago), but lets not put out information that is ambiguous or that requires a lot of context to be accurate. That just confuses people or, even worse, makes them think they are now knowledgeable when they have no fundamental understanding of what they are parroting.

[@TheWickerShireProject]

@@LDSreliance I'll Edit the Post a touch. Thanks for the response! I do like these inverters!

[@PatricksDIY]

0:17 The terminal cover is in the bag with the fuses that you show at this time, it pops on and states in the manual to put it on when in use. You must have overlooked it.

[@LDSreliance]

Yes I did. I realized that after the video. I don't know what I was expecting it to look like but a tiny piece of clear plastic was not what I was expecting. I guess it works though.

[@wandahelmer1038]

I own 2, 12 volt models, they start 1horse motors and my fridges and freezer I also run the reliable 24 volt model in 4000 watts, I find that the 4000 watt one does not run as well as the 12 volt 3000 watt models. I have pulled 2500 watts at 200 plus amps they (3000 watt model) did the pull with no hiccup. Yes I would recommend them. I have now run all three for over 3years, stand by power is less than a amp, I run them up to 6 to 8 hours a day in winter and 24hrs during summer. Off a 4600 watt solar grid.

[@LDSreliance]

Good to hear! I am getting reports that these inverters do not have any short circuit protection. Any experience with that?

[@wandahelmer1038]

@@LDSreliance I ground them properly and only run them in a off grid manner, I don't run them to their fullest power thats why I have 3 of them, I also have 2 600 watt and one 800 watt reliable pure sine wave, all of them have their own duty, and none of them are run to full power, I have a 500 watt pure sine wave reliable that is a little funky but works, it is also over 3yrs old, I never have short circuited them, don't plan on either, if I can help it. Like I said they do their job nicely, my electronics (stereos tvs radios chargers run ok) for the price I'm happy.

[@LDSreliance]

Sounds good. Thanks for the info.

[@marscruz]

Resistive loads like heaters are the easiest kind of load to put out. Inductive loads, like motors that are used in refrigerators and AC units, are the real test of an inverter like this. I would like to see the ability of the inverter to take a 2.5 or 3kW inductive load without tripping and I would like to see what its power factor looks like near full load. Also would like to see what the output voltage wave form (sine wave) looks like. You gave this inverter the easiest type of work to do. I realize you are not an electrician or engineer. I hope people will realize that just because you can run a heater off this inverter that it may not be suitable for inductive types of loads. Thanks.

[@LDSreliance]

That is true. But as I stated in the video, I don't have the battery power to test that kind of surge.

[@nvlvdave]

I'd like to see tests on items with high inrush current like a small welder or a motor. Nice job and great info!

[@LDSreliance]

Unforunately, I don't have anything like that and it can easily handle the air conditioners that I have tried it with. Thanks for watching!

[@nvlvdave]

@@LDSreliance An A/C unit is a perfect example of a high startup current load. So it did well? Still using the inverter?

[@LDSreliance]

Yes, it did fine with a 10,000 BTU window unit. I still use it in my shed but I don't tax it very hard. I have some ac outlets hard wired to the ac output in addition to the built in ones on the front. I mostly use it for charging my lawn equipment batteries and smaller stuff.

[@joelvillanueva784]

I have a 2000 watt 24 volt one. It works 💪perfectly 🥰💞👌😌🙌👏🥰

[@LDSreliance]

Awesome. They seem like they are great. I'm a bit worried that they don't seem to have short circuit protection, though.

[@RandomZ88]

New Comment on an older vid. How is it running a year later? Follow up vid or comment? Good looking systems can have crap components, yet still test good for unboxing. Great vid and good info!

[@LDSreliance]

Still running well. The only issue that I have heard of and have not found myself or dared to duplicate for obvious reasons is that the terminal block may not be fused or protected. Again, that is only a rumor and I can't confirm or deny it. And I have no plans to test that. But it may be wise to take extra precaution around that. I am going to feature this inverter in some 12V lithium battery testing videos soon so if you are interested in that make sure you subscribe and keep an eye out. This inverter has the potential to push my Jericho batteries to their limit and I want to see what they can do.

[@GabrielSBarbaraS]

Hi LDSreliance , I have a cheap 3000 watt inverter and most always use it for 1500 watts only, ( 12.5 amps ) ; seems to work well with that type of use. Thanks for the video.

[@LDSreliance]

That would definitely work well. You are welcome!

[@bingosunnoon9341]

Did you look at the sine wave with an oscilloscpe? That's what interests me the most.

[@LDSreliance]

No, I do not have an o-scope. I wish I did!

[@bingosunnoon9341]

@@LDSreliance Maybe you could get one of those pocket sized scopes on ebay. They are OK for showing wave forms like this. They are only 25 dollars. That will make your channel stand out.

[@LDSreliance]

I'll look into it. Thanks!

[@rafaelmt1000]

Does this work well for a 3/4 HP pool pump? you have to remember that they have a starting surge.

[@LDSreliance]

Maybe. 3/4 is possible. 1hp I would probably say no. It will also depend on the battery you have connected to it.

[@Espinal_424]

I do mobile detailing. Would this run a small vacuum and pressure washer plugged at the same time?

[@LDSreliance]

Those are both pretty serious loads. There are too many variables to say for certain, not the least of which are the power requirements of the two devices, but I would say one at a time you will be good but both at the same time is iffy and possibly dangerous.

[@mannyfragoza9652]

i got the same Inverter i did the MOSFET upgrade (not sure what the benefits are since it still cant run my 6000 BTU old school AC) It runs my 5000 BTU AC with ease

[@mannyfragoza9652]

Now watching your video after a few mins now i know why i couldn't run my 6000 BTU AC. The reg. AC plugs cant supply enough of surge power. Ill have to hookup a junction box like you did to run the full power of the Inverter. Thanks LDS for this video it was very helpful

[@LDSreliance]

You are welcome! Yeah the AC outlets cannot output the full power of the inverter. Hard wiring will do it for you. If you don't have a cable, you can use any 3 prong extension cable and cut off the male end and use those 3 leads to connect to the inverter and then the female end can be used to connect your AC.

[@mannyfragoza9652]

@@LDSreliance thats a great idea i might have an extension here i can use .

[@bodiddley82]

I need help. I have 2500w. Wired into service truck. Turned it on an red light lit an alarm buzzes.

[@SsDiBoi]

U might wanna find another connection

[@SsDiBoi]

A cops tool 4 problem solving huh

[@SsDiBoi]

Dont 4get the hellcat puncher chic cop

[@yoshiyukisekiguchi8957]

Hi...I am still trying to figure out which size of inverter do I need for 1200 watt air blower for my car cleaning purpose ...I got dryer but not yet decide which lithium battery and also inverter ... Do you thing this example work? 12v 100 amp per hour battery and pure sine 1500watt inverter combination ...simple math I thought was 12.8 x100watt....= 1280 watt can cover this dryer??? However what I doubted was continue use as more than 5 minutes or more... What I am not so familiar was peak out put wattage kinds staff. Will you give me some advise. It will be greatly appreciated...I am sort of very tight budget on this. But if I can use longer time I think I can make some investment.

[@LDSreliance]

The battery will be the limiting factor for your scenario. If you go with a 12V battery you would have to make sure the battery could handle the constant current output for a 1200W load. Your basic math is correct... 1200W / 12V = 100A. So the battery would have to be able to provide 100A constantly to run that load. However, that is the limit for most 100Ah lithium batteries on the market right now. And I would not run one at its limits. I would find one with a 150A constant output to make sure it can go over 100A, which the air blower may end up doing after you factor in other variables.

[@yoshiyukisekiguchi8957]

@@LDSreliance thanks a lot...that was exactly I though ...I will look for battery that has more than 100ah...125 140 150 ah...it was great help. Thx again.

[@LDSreliance]

Good luck! Wish I still had some of my Jericho batteries in stock. They would easily do the trick.

[@yoshiyukisekiguchi8957]

@@LDSreliance thx again, I just order battery charger first because some limited deal from amazon ..20 A universal charger ...this is for me very slow project no rush...when money is available...I buy one by one.

[@LDSreliance]

I am the same way. I don't buy things on credit so usually that means I have to take things slowly as I have spare cash.

[@willwillis2381]

I got this unit and installed it in my 5th wheel trailer. Seems to work fine, ran my 1200w microwave for 30 seconds, did fine but noticed some squeeling. Seems ok but is that normal?

[@LDSreliance]

Squealing? That doesn't sound normal. What about other appliances or devices? Do they behave normally?

[@LDSreliance]

@Peter Hicks After thinking about it some more he may be referring to the warning sound when the inverter is getting low voltage. So you are probably right.

[@mr.niceguy8960]

Good afternoon sir, does it work if I used a 3000w inverter in 12v dv battery?? Thanks for your response😇

[@LDSreliance]

I'm not sure what you are asking. Yes, you can use a 3000W inverter with a 12V battery.

[@smoke_stackz3168]

U need high ah rating battery not just 12v voltage

[@dwightgumbs5073]

You can run a much bigger one than that too. What is at question however is how long it'll run for. A 3000W inverter only burns ~3KW when it is outputting over 3KA at the outlet terminals. @90% efficiency a 3KW inverter will require a DC input of 3.3KW. At a constant 12V input, (this will vary), an input of 278A and that will require large cables and a VERY large battery if you want any reasonable time out of it.

[@mega-hb4re]

I had one and it work great for 3 years till I upgraded the newer version with better performance

[@LDSreliance]

Thats good to hear. I have used it on a few installs and in one of my own setups for years and it has worked well. I heard there was a ground issue with the AC output bar or something but never could confirm that.

[@mega-hb4re]

Apparently some have ground issues but with the new model specially the 5000 watts is the same size as the 3000 and I’m able to use my 15k btu roof top air and a small 5000 btu in the back of my 30 footer with no issues. Is worth the buy , just sell the old one You won’t regret it

[@LDSreliance]

Nice, glad to hear.

[@rafaelmt1000]

Does this work well for a 3/4 HP pool pump? you have to remember that they have a starting surge.

[@mega-hb4re]

@@rafaelmt1000 if you get the new version which is black and 5000 watts with a surge of 10,000 shouldn't be a problem. Just remember to use the high output lines to connect heavy stuff, do not use the regular outlet . I use a 10 g wire extension cord cut the end and put it in the high output lines

[@bigbigrichie]

They work great I have two 3000 watt running my house

[@LDSreliance]

Nice. How long have you been using them?

[@bigbigrichie]

@@LDSreliance 2 years now..I'm gonna make a new video soon maybe sunday or monday

[@LDSreliance]

Good to know. I plan to put mine into service soon.

[@bigbigrichie]

@@LDSreliance yea they have a soft start function to them so they won't start a compressor but everything else fine

[@LDSreliance]

I was tempted to test my compressor. I guess they dodged a bullet because that would have been bad.

[@jackpatteeuw9244]

From other reviews ... The standard outlets SHARE the same internal power wires, so COMBINED you should not exceed 1800W !!

[@LDSreliance]

Yes, more accurately it is 15A combined for the 2 outlets. You cannot get the full 25A output unless you use the terminal block and hard wire in your circuit.

[@starchyoil]

FYI, the coupon code doesn't seem to work.

[@LDSreliance]

Try with the link: www.amazon.com/gp/mpc/ATQUDNCQ6JXGS and then the coupon code

[@starchyoil]

@@LDSreliance There's a notice on that link that says "Please return to this page to redeem discount after promotion starts on 05/11/2020 at 06:00AM PDT."

[@LDSreliance]

Interesting. Sorry about that! I didn't create the code, the manufacturer did.

[@jhonnyjoeel-bedewi2196]

Nice man, you are cool and frank :) yet good vid ha. Here it goes....2thumbs up for you ;) Stay safe bro.

[@LDSreliance]

Thanks! I really appreciate that.

[@SsDiBoi]

Luv the connection hack cause the price of connectors r out of effin control

[@errolcain4071]

Hi good afternoon, Cai l get a 2000wt 12v to 220ac, please let me know

[@jackpatteeuw9244]

Contact the company. It is a very minor change to get 220VAC output.

[@errolcain4071]

@@jackpatteeuw9244 thanks very much for your reply

[@larryjanson4011]

whats with the cheap "add on" wire block?. is that factory? if it is, that alone is a deal killer as it looks cheap. and might have "problems" including safety issues.

[@theikhatua6599]

Can an inverter power a home 24/7without going off

[@LDSreliance]

Yes if you have enough battery capacity to keep up with demand.

[@theikhatua6599]

ok thanks very much

[@gundog5]

I have 5 of these Reliable inverters, a 2,000W (1 year old), two 2,500W (2 years old), and two 3,000W (1 year old) all 24V, though. All are still working as expected. The 3,000W inverters are used at an off-grid recreational camp each on 2 separate solar power systems, plus a 2,500W inverter spare for redundancy. They power most everything at camp, including varying lights, small water pumps (a shower & a kitchen sink), power tool batteries, laptops, cellphones, two TV's, a coffee maker, fans, a cellphone booster, a small 500W window-shaker air-conditioner, a shop vacuum, and a microwave. Only things the 3,000W inverters don't like are the bigger things like the shop air compressor, pressure washer, and a 1,500W camper ceiling air-conditioner. Apparently, the surge is too much. Have to run the generator for these things. Agree the cables that come with the inverter are not sufficient long-term or for high loads, but can work for initial setup with lighter loads. I'm using 2/0 cables for my setup. All of my inverters came with a clear plastic cover that goes over the power block terminals. Check in the bag the fuses came in. It's probably in there. Overall, I've been very happy with all of them. They are a good value for what they are and have been working well for this type of application. The other 2 inverters I have are at home for backup power and various testing/ hobby projects.

[@LDSreliance]

Great feedback, thanks! I will look for that plastic guard. I thought the bag was just fuses but maybe I am blind.

[@paulmagee823]

Work great I’m running same inverter 👍👍👍

[@LDSreliance]

How long have you been using it?

[@paulmagee823]

LDSreliance over a year now no problems at all with it great inverter 👍👍👍

[@LDSreliance]

Nice! Glad to hear it.

[@paulmagee823]

LDSreliance do you do 24 volt version and how much in pounds please thinking ov upgrade???

[@LDSreliance]

Yes they do have a 24v version. Not sure what that is in pounds. Here is a link to it on Amazon: amzn.to/2TbQhJk

[@Gebruikersstation]

is kevin spacy doing electricity classes now?

[@LDSreliance]

Why's that?

[@harrrytoool1391]

Not recommended. Other you tube reviews show zero short circuit protection. Risk of fire or damage to unit is possible and therefore expense.

[@LDSreliance]

That is definitely not a good thing, but also not a surprise. I know David Poz really likes these. Even if I know an inverter has good protection I am still going to use a breaker or fuse on its input to protect from fire. It may still destroy the inverter but I'm not super worried about a fire.

[@williamsantiago320]

Why do you use 4 batteries?

[@LDSreliance]

Because none of them are strong enough by themselves to provide 3000W.

[@ilingwang1168]

@@LDSreliance Thanks for your video. Glad u updated the cables. The cables provided with the inverter are inadequate. I have the same inverter and ran mine with 2 x 1/0 cables on EACH terminal (equivalent to 4/0 per terminal) and I’m using 240ah lifepo4 batteries. I don’t have as much voltage sag with my lithium battery banks. I tested it without the terminal block and was able to pull 3000w with a hair dryer and a heat gun on the highest settings with no problem. I tested it with a clamp meter. I run most of my kitchen 24/7 with this system. Lesson, always OVERSIZE cables, especially for 12v. Your inverter will run more efficient, stay cooler and last longer. I personally, wouldn’t go any higher than a 3000w inverter on a 12v system. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@Rampart.X]

I would have liked a test of the sine wave. Otherwise, cheers.

[@LDSreliance]

I don't have an oscilloscope but I may add that to future videos if I can pick one up.

[@Rampart.X]

@@LDSreliance - thanks. It's just that we wonder if some of these inverters REALLY produce pure sine waves.

[@LDSreliance]

I agree 100%. I just haven't had hundreds of dollars laying around for a decent o-scope. These review videos don't make much ad revenue so it hasn't really been an option.

[@lennylhchen]

Smoke come out after 5 months of norma use. Turns out the connection wire were too thin and burnt. No good.

[@HD4DNLD]

ยี้ห้อนี้ทนมาก ผมใช้สูบน้ำมาหลายปี

[@ramonbs6075]

"reliable"... are they?

[@LDSreliance]

Only time will tell!

[@LDSreliance]

@JoeAceJR I don't delete comments.

[@christoperun4380]

390 is affordable?

[@LDSreliance]

Absolutely. Have you seen the price of many other 3000W models?

[@garrywhere7511]

I wish if the government is going to stick their nose into our life. They would make sure that a product is as it says.

[@johnussss]

Had one of these, the wave was bazaar and it didn't last with occasional use powering a 500w rated blender which only ever got up to 330wats usage at most ... POS!

[@LDSreliance]

You tested it with an oscilloscope?

[@johnussss]

@@LDSreliance Electrician who does work on some of the buildings I was the maintenance manager of did, there's a bunch of reviewers who have shown the same outcome.

[@LDSreliance]

I believe it. I am always skeptical of cheap Chinese electronics that claim stuff like that. MPPT, pure sine wave, max surge capacity, etc. I just don't have good enough test equipment to be able to verify those things.

[@johnussss]

@@LDSreliance You want cheap and bullet proof? ... did a lot of looking after being ripped off by this POS kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmGveYl-d9Otgq8

[@LDSreliance]

I'll check it out. Thanks!

[@wallacegrommet9343]

Real output terminals

[@aunttriciaattic]

Thanks

[@LDSreliance]

You are welcome. Thanks for watching!

[@davidjones1393]

THKS

[@LDSreliance]

Thanks for watching, as always, David!

[@renezepedarepreza7576]

corolla 13 can run 3000 watt inverter? r

[@GroundPoundersPlace]

nice not letting us see whether or not it handled the load

[@LDSreliance]

Huh? I did show it handling the load.

[@spike178]

$400 sounds a lot, what expensive $1000.

[@LDSreliance]

For a pure sine wave inverter that is pretty affordable.

[@behemothinferno]

No output waveform testing? FAIL!

[@LDSreliance]

Not everyone has an oscilloscope laying around. You can tell if it is modified sine wave from the buzzing of sensitive electronics, though.

[@JohnSmith-ug5ci]

Buy American

[@LDSreliance]

Please point me to any American company that manufacturers inverters in the United States.

[@JohnSmith-ug5ci]

@@LDSreliancewww.toboaenergy.com/exeltech-inverters/ energy.sourceguides.com/businesses/byGeo/US/byP/invert/byB/manufacturers/byN/byName.shtml

[@LDSreliance]

John, I would love to be able to support those companies. But I am not wealthy. $863 for a 12V 1100W Pure Sine Wave inverter?? Good grief.

[@JohnSmith-ug5ci]

@@LDSreliance Two things, one is you get what you pay for, china junk or American strong, and we have to decide if we want to sell out our country to commies or not.