Watch this before you buy an off grid inverter

In this video I discuss different types of off-grid inverters. Brands such as: Outback, Schneider Electric, Cotek and Magnum Energy

[@solarbrianyvonne]

Great video! Our magnasine 4024 was unintentionally torture tested 8 years ago. Mounted in the basement under the place where the bathroom is located, about a year later the toilet tank broke, by the time we got home, water was cascading down the wall over top the magnasine and to my surprise, still working to supply power to the water well pump and the septic pump to keep the basement from flooding. Turned it off, took it apart and blew air on it for 2 days, cleaned up the mess, fixed the toilet, relocated the magnasine to the main floor, turned it back on and it worked perfectly. Today 8 years later its still working supplying power to our off grid farm. In my humble opinion most inverters would be completely destroyed under those circumstances. Magnasine Built like a tank!

[@catskillwoodgas]

Glad to hear it. They actually sell a hood for these. I also hope they don't screw with the design anytime soon because it works!

[@johnfitbyfaithnet]

Impressive

[@notyoung]

Comparing transformer size in low and high frequency inverters is apples versus oranges. I was around in the days of vibrator-powered inverters whose output was a square wave AC waveform from a big, heavy transformer and I still have a CDE 140 watt unit whose case is big enough for the 12 volt car battery that was popular in 1957 (Group 22?) and it includes a charge/discharge amp meter and a built in charger. High tech in 1957 ;-) With current technology, I could fit an equivalent or better LiFePo4 battery, a 1000 watt pure sine wave inverter and a smart charger in that same case. I have two 2000 watt Reliable Electric high frequency pure sine wave (PSW) inverters (12 volts to 120 volts) and they work fine. I never load an inverter more than 80% of its rating (same for the EPEver charge controllers) and they just keep working. Obviously, it's all a matter of system expectations. My solar power is a backup system that provides "Wait until daylight" power (8 to 24 hours depending on season) so I'm not outside in a thunderstorm or digging my way through 7 inches of snow to get a generator out of the shed (did the snow thing once but not again). With a continuous 440 watt (measured) load, these inverters might run the cooling fan for a couple of minutes every 15 minutes or so. I agree on the limited start surge capability. A very efficient counter height fridge runs at 55 watts and maybe 5-6 hours a day in a 78F environment. The maximum estimated start power of 10 times the run power should be within the range of a 500 watt continuous PSW inverter. However, a 500 watt Reliable Electric PSW inverter can't start that fridge. The 2000 watt inverter has no problem starting the 28 cu ft fridge/freezer or the 15 cu ft upright freezer. You need to know the average and peak power required by every device you want to power. FYI, the output waveform on the Reliable Electric inverters is a better (cleaner) sine wave than what the local electric co-op delivers (checked with a 'scope and I have pictures). I have a spreadsheet with pages for the typical loads plus a page with maximum versus average loads (fridge/freezer averages 59 watts/hour in winter but max is 560 watts when both defrosters are on) and peak versus average loads (garage door opener runs at 430 watts but startup is 1290 watts). I can selectively transfer circuits to inverter power to limit how much power can be drawn - the "1100 watt" microwave oven is simply unplugged as it needs more than my chosen 80% loading of the inverters. The microwave actually draws 15.77 amps at 120 volts so the measured power is 1892 watts. Even for short runs, the microwave would need its own 2000 watt inverter. The convenience of the microwave isn't worth the battery cost (a 175 amp drain from the 420AH battery bank is excessive) and I'd have to get out a bigger gen to power it - not worth the extra gas. If solar power were primary, the system would be more robust but it's fine for our typical outages (longest in 15 years at this location is 16 hours),. Other areas of the county have seen multiple days without power so the backup to the solar system is a 1600 watt inverter generator. The inverter gen can also charge the solar battery bank so we get another night of silent power if there isn't enough sun. 4 to 6 hours of gen time for 24 hours of combined power at the lowest level (no internet, no TV, upright freezer only powered when the gen is running) isn't a bad tradeoff if we have central heat in winter. There's a 5000 watt Generac as the final backup but primarily to be able to run power tools and lots of lights if the house needs repair after a storm. It'll run every tool I have but it's a large, loud and thirsty beast ;-)

[@lorenzahendy4824]

i have a SW-2524 for about 4 years working flawlessly thanks for the nice feedback

[@dialecticalmonist3405]

Finally, someone contrasted the differences between the two. Thank you.

[@terryivan2153]

Excellent info...happy I tripped over your channel..keep up the good work. ! Thank You!

[@JasonAndrade427]

Good info, I recently started working for Schneider and will share this info internally. I’ve also been a fan of the vfx’s serviceability

[@showmequick2245]

Jason Andrade that’s cool place to work. Hook me up with your discount 😬👌🏽

[@loganv0410]

Excellent vid: Good technical content. Opinions backed by experience and technical info.

[@anthonykrusel349]

Absolutely spot on. Started out with Cotek (Meanwell) inverter and Midnight Solar MPPT charge controller and quickly realized I had fallen for internet hype--run fast from both these, IMHO. After a few more trials and mistakes, I've been very happy with my TS-MPPT-60s and my single MS4448PAE for the last 6 years. Additionally, the high frequency inverter was not only anemic with inductive loads/startup current, the equipment it powered produced more heat as well. Welcome back, Casey.

[@petermorris9592]

The extra heat generated was probably due to it being a modified square wave output, versus a pure sine wave output. It's nothing to do with the step-up frequency.

[@anthonykrusel349]

@@petermorris9592 Don't know what to attribute the inefficiency (heat) since both inverters were pure sine. As expected, low frequency (Magnasine) was MUCH better at starting inductive loads such as my Rolair 5715K17 than the Meanwell. From my experience, the only benefit of high-frequency inverters is the less expensive initial cost and lighter weight, if that were an issue.

[@petermorris9592]

@@anthonykrusel349 the main advantage of a high frequency conversion is efficiency. If both inverters are producing a pure sine wave with identical output voltages and frequencies, there is no reason that the consumer should produce more heat.

[@anthonykrusel349]

@Joshua Kiser The midnites would not begin charging until there was about an 11 volt difference between the PV panels and the batts. Morningstar began charging at 0.7 volt difference. When I contacted MNS support and explained/inquired about this, they said this "delta was normal and is not a problem". This means more hours per day without charging--so coupled with the parasitic losses incurred (possibly due to high ambient temps and the use of active cooling fan on the MNS, my daybreak battery voltage would begin over two full volts less on my 464aH 48v system. My peak day input into the bank was also less; but, because I didn't run both concurrently, I can't tell you how much. Also, the fets were cracked on arrival with a printed sticker inside explaining this was also normal and would not affect function. The lugs were too small to accommodate even the AWG copper the controller was rated at. I did prefer the interface of the MNS over the Morningstar, as the Morningstar is less intuitive and difficult to navigate. The Midnites never broke down as I only used them about 6 months before taking back out of service and installing the Morningstars--but I am certainly glad to hear your Midnites are working well for you at 5 years! Keep on truckin', brother.

[@musicinspire1745]

The military ensured against premature failures by way of controls for what components were used. Now that the military is using more COTS (commercial off the shelf) components, they are experiencing many of the same failure problems with reliability, longevity and robustness.

[@ientu242]

my stuff also love large and heavy transformer.they do heavy-duty kickoff induction motor.look they traditional,durable. with 24h/day and all year long.thanks for share,from Vietnam with love.

[@johnsmith-bo2cz]

I have a kisae 24 volt 2000watt pure sine wave and am really impress it is holding up. I have over 2500kwh on my victron and still going fine.

[@pyronmasters]

I really wish I saw this before buying a “Reliable” WZRELB 48v “3,000w” inverter. Family member sold me 2 relion 51v 100ah batteries for really cheap (she upgraded to a 20kw battery) since I blew my budget, I got this piece of crap, shuts off at 2am with a 5,000btu AC, didn’t know about HF vs LF. Saving up for a LF inverter now. Very informative video.

[@DHClapp]

Just checking in to say thanks and let you know I'm hoping you follow through and make some more videos.

[@catskillwoodgas]

Agreed

[@kickgas7171]

High frequency, tranformerless inverters like Xijia brand that is mentioned in the comments below are fine for powering resistive loads like incandescent light bulbs, heaters or laptop computers, but they're not designed for powering inductive loads like refrigerators, power tools, microwaves, AC units or compressors. You may be able to start and run some of these loads when your Xijia high frequency inverter is new but you're damaging your MOSFETs every time your load turns on. After enough high surge startups and you'll cook your FETS, guaranteed. I've spent the last 23 years running an inverter repair shop and can tell you from experience that no high frequency inverter exists on the market that can reliably start and run inductive loads over the long haul.

[@practicalguy973]

Great comparison! LF obviously its a better choice for its robust nature but there are some HF designs like the Xijia brand that has a large start capacitor now. It causes a soft start and that helps a lot with surge current. On the flip side soft start has some disadvantages with some sensitive devices. But they are cheap so you could have a couple of them dedicated to one task. In my case I'm prepping for power outages without an entire house solar system and so I have 3 inverters one of them being an Xijia and all it will be doing is running the fridge. But purchasing an Outback could be the start of something that is much better in the long run. Even if I'm using it as a heavy portable setup to use at home for now.

[@Sanwizard1]

My two MPP LV6548's are all in one, each with 8000W of PV input via two built in MPPT units, and 6.5KW output, for 13KW total, for $2400 for both. It runs my two 2.5 Ton trane units, along with my 1hp Grinders, chop saws, compressor, and all the lights and refrigerators. They each charge 120amps to my DIY Lifepo4 batteries at the same time.

[@psychopitt1982]

Mine kick ass as well zero issues and my digital clocks stay true un like my first 15 year on LF. I could keep a true clock

[@cyberstick2]

I watched video 4IlgVPiDScQ the other day and looked you both up. You live about two miles from each other - I wonder if you've run into John Wells. I've wondered how the couple from upstate New York adapted to life in no man's land - glad to see a new video and glad to see your business is thriving. John is also from upstate New York according to the video description. Hi from North TX.

[@catskillwoodgas]

Yes we run into John, its hard not to run into people, in a town of a few hundred...

[@danielg.1707]

I've had a trace 3624 inverter running nonstop since 2000 , it powers 2 fridges all my work tools, washing machine and just about anything else

[@whitelfner4582]

So much... I've got a ProSine 1800 watt inverter and it's been running my cabin then my home for 12 years, including air-conditioning each summer, as well as fridge and other odd and ends of life. So not all high frequency inverters are junk. I did replace it with a Magnum 4024 a couple years ago, but it's still wired in and is 2 switches away from running my home. Also it lives outside in my Power center, in the heat... Those old Trace inverters that keep on going have something in common with the Outback inverter. Robin and boB Gudgel, Robin was with Trace/Xantrex (Chief engineer?) before opening Outback and later Midnite Solar. And I guess you know that Trace became Xantrex and later Schneider...

[@saluterre]

Hi, thanks for comparing different inverters, very instructive. Do you think the Magnums (Magnasine) are still as reliable as before ? I have seen a lot of people on youtube having problems with the temperature sensors and the fets. Also, the fets on the ms4448-pae seems to be soldered directly on the main board and hard to service.

[@DiegoGonzalez-il6rd]

nice and neat

[@kenputer56]

I have an older Trace Heart inverter charger and it takes 2 people to lift it. Rated at 2500 watts with 7500 surge and build like a tank.

[@jimpowell9205]

Can you do a recommend on 48v inverters?

[@cutweldngrind]

What would be a decent inverter in 2020 for a small cabin running off 2.5kw in solar. Biggest load may be a window unit (8000btu) think under 700 running watts.

[@dovetailup8916]

7 out of 12--- that would have sent Schneider bankrupt at that rate. Maybe customer forgot to buy SCP for proper setup of unit... ...or, if they did, didn't setup correctly ... ???

[@cutweldngrind]

I really need an inverter for testing. I am just looking for a deal to pop out.

[@richhagenchicago]

I think my Trace SW4048 is at least 20 years old and it is in daily use.

[@83kaszas]

I would like to hear Your opinion on Victron inverters please,specifically i have the wictron RS 48/6000/80 smart solar offgrid inverter,about 5 kilowatts pure power,with a 450Vmax 80amp solar charge controler,it runs even heavy loads and high start up motors too...but i would like to hear if You have an honest opinion about them...thanks,nice video too.

[@cartoon-fx4eh]

Great video, do you have any defective Schneider xw 4048 similar to the one in your video..I need the MOSFET board ..to indentify some components damage by lightning .. Do you have any selling for parts.

[@brucemerrett5462]

Is there any way a\the Outback 'heavy' transformer can be taken out & changed? It appears as if the unit is epoxied into the case. Long story but in a storm mine got soaked & now won't turn on. Pretty sure the windings got shorted out.

[@Mikeyfix]

Is the voltage from the generator 120ac or 120/220ac and how big of generator would you recomend

[@lisavincenti4688]

Hi helpful video thank you - and wondering if you have opinions about Victron systems?

[@catskillwoodgas]

Victron is good equipment

[@MikeKapotsy]

What about hybrid inverters? I have a grid-tied solar system. Now I want to install another small array with hybrid inverter to add some battery backup. Looking at all options, what do you recommend?

[@earthenergyhex]

Schneider Conext SW 4kW 120/240VAC 24VDC Inverter/Charger RNW8654024

[@GroundPoundersPlace]

looks like larger magnet wire on that transformer of the outback. Where I work we also are having issues with schneider

[@diy-bj2ed]

What issues are you having with the Schneider? I'm considering to get one

[@Dc_tech386]

Your right about high frequency inverter but I seen 8kw high frequency inverter driver induction load pretty well the issue is not the highest frequency the issue is the transformer rating a 2000 watt transformer like that one you demonstrating will only give you 1450watt running and 1800 watt surge load but most companies don’t take the time out to put the right amount of component to get the higher frequency inverter to work like and low frequency inverter that’s the issue am new from college graduate in electrical engineering a is best and design and build higher frequency inverter that do work very will but it’s along more expensive to get high frequency inverter to work as a low frequency inverter but it can be done

[@solarandwindinsouthtexasda1473]

Or samlex evo

[@realvanman1]

How about the Trace SW series?

[@catskillwoodgas]

They are excellent 👍

[@TheJfmmendez]

Good info. Only one thing, schneider sw are not stackable. Schneider has a info about it in their site. The had problems and boards where burn

[@dovetailup8916]

Schneider XW's are stack-able... I don't know the reliability of the XW's at this point...

[@solarandwindinsouthtexasda1473]

I have a low frequency inverter it is a samlex 3012 Evo I had it for 2 years never had a problem with it and my wife love to overload it how come nobody ever talks about them

[@philipdishongh5074]

Thanks for the info. Have you reviewed the Victron Multiplus 3000w 12v Inverter/Charger? Curious about your opinion of the components used to build the Multiplus.

[@estelleviljoen5236]

I have 2 1200watt multiplus inverters running 2years non stop No problem

[@rv10flyer84]

High dollar and good quality.

[@bobcole3852]

Just found your video, three years later... Looking at low frequency to handle deep well pump plus house. What is that brand you said is 20 years old and still humming? Never heard anything but maybe the word "trace"? Thanks!

[@tillisross2246]

I’m researching the same thing…

[@hockey_now]

Trace was purchased by Xantrex in the early 2000s. Later in the 2000s (or perhaps early 2010s) Schneider bought Xantrex. The units you are asking about have a name like SW4024. "SW" = Pure sinewave "40" = 4000 Watt "24" = 24V Battery They made different power and voltages which the model number reflects. E.g. SW4048 = 4000Watt, 48V battery pure sinewave. The technology in these units remained unchanged during the Xantrex era. Not sure what/how they changed under Schneider. I have a SW4024(branded Xantrex) in service for 17 years. It's solid as a rock. Handles all the daily loads, a well pump, chop saw, table saw, etc all without trouble.

[@petermorris9592]

"Fly-wheel effect"? To support surge, the components need enough headroom in their specs to support it, and there needs to be enough energy storage (capacitors) to support it. Also, the intrrnal monitoring needs to be configured to allow the temporary overload without shutting down. It's nothing to do with the transformer.

[@catskillwoodgas]

Transformer weight does mater for surge capabilities. And yes capacitors as well.

[@kevinmills5293]

@@catskillwoodgas that’s true but it’s equally relevant for HF and LF topologies. Perhaps thermal mass is an advantage for the LF inverters during surge conditions.

[@ramondasta5560]

Which hybrid inverter has less noise? Sol-ark 12k or Schneider 6848 xw pro? Or maybe other brand? I'm looking for the less noisy hybrid inverter. I appreciate your experienced answer. Thanks.

[@rv10flyer84]

12K’s aren’t bad. Fans only run if it’s working hard charging or inverting. Not like eg4 6500’s running constantly! Schneider…I’ll know in a few days.

[@danielmunoz7970]

Gggg Do you recommend a Solar Inverter M6048D Sigineer Power? Thanks

[@user-go2hz6tc2d]

Hi, im in kind of a pickle, I have someone selling me a Magnum Modified Sine (The black versions of the magnasine) inverter, and i have the option to buy one of the newer Growatt inverters, price is almost the same but i want an inverter to run basically as a UPS backup for my computers. what would you recommend i get? I believe magnum is LF and the growatt is probably fancier but HF

[@jimmybrad156]

stay away from modified sine wave, they're horrible. I used a modified sinewave inverter for a few weeks for my laptop (original power supply, only a few years old), then a couple of months later that power supply died. Probably not a coincidence.

[@bigace109]

I lost fanboy status when they released skybox. And treated their installers like garbage when they inevitably failed. 15/15 at this point.

[@Hilalengineer]

Respect from PAKISTAN 🇵🇰

[@EsMontero97]

SW Schneider inverters are not stackable, the ports are there but they released a Technical bulletin on 2018 saying that it is no longer supported. XW series, also from Schneider do support stacking.

[@rv10flyer84]

100% correct.

[@d2putman]

Have you worked with the SOLARK inverters? I hear mixed reviews on it.

[@catskillwoodgas]

Not yet

[@rv10flyer84]

18 months off grid on two 12k. They work fine as long as you don’t have high inrush loads and install soft starts on heat pumps or a/c’s. People that complain are the ones that think they can run well pumps, welding machines, air compressors and 5 ton heat pumps with no soft start. The ones that complain about flickering LEDs need to spend more money on better quality LED lights.

[@redsquirrelftw]

Is there a reason they don't make high frequency inverters with IGBTs? Some of those can do like 100+ amps at 100's of volts. If they overrated the IGBTs like 4x I can't see why they can't make high frequency inverters with really big ratings. Could also throw in a 1:1 60hz transformer at the end to give a bit of surge capacity.

[@sidlori1592]

Yes. IGBTs are excellent for very high voltage systems (which is why they're generally used on electric car motor drivers, etc.) But they have a severe problem for low voltage systems: their "on-state" voltage drop (i.e. saturation voltage) can easily exceed 1v. If you're running 250 amps on a 24v inverter (=6kw), since there would be an IGBT on both sides of the transformer (H-bridge configuration), that's 2v loss @ 250A = 500W of heat generated. That's 8.3% loss. However, if you're running 400vDC (i.e. 240v HF inverter output stage, or electric car), the exact same 6kw load is only 15 amps. 15A * 2v loss = 30W...literally a drop in the bucket in comparison. MOSFETs by comparison are excellent for low voltage systems, as their on-state is measured in ohms (often milliohms), not volts. (Worth noting: high voltage MOSFETs usually have a very high ON resistance, making IGBTs the better choice.) If we have 3 paralleled HY3810 MOSFETs @ 0.005 ohms (5 milliohms) each, that's only 1.6 milliohms per quadrant. As there'll be 2 quadrants in use at any given time on an H-bridge, that's 3.3 milliohms @ 250A = 206W of heat, less than half of what a comparable IGBT would generate. Only 3.4% loss. In short: IGBTs are excellent for high voltage systems (say >100v). MOSFETs are better for low voltage systems (generally

[@redsquirrelftw]

@@sidlori1592 Oh yeah that makes sense. Did not realize the voltage drop was that high.

[@sidlori1592]

@@redsquirrelftw I was quite surprised myself. Some of those "400A, 1200v" IGBT bridge modules look really tempting for a LF inverter H-bridge...but reading the spec sheet revealed that they are totally unsuitable. Quite a disappointment, as they aren't terribly expensive...

[@sidlori1592]

@@redsquirrelftw They're worse than I recalled...! As an example, there's the CM600HA IGBT module (single unit, not a multi-pack unit, you would need 4 of these for an inverter H-bridge, or 6 for a 3-phase motor driver)...rated 600A, 1200v. Sounds great, right? Collector-emitter saturation voltage @ 600A? 2.1v typ (3.0v max.) 1,260W of heat! With 1 on either side of a tranny for a 24v inverter @ 600A, that's 4.2v of loss, and 2,520W of heat. Good thing they're rated at 3,670W of heat dissipation each...the equivalent of two space heaters running full blast. Yeah, they're great for high voltage systems ;-).

[@mgladden2]

You had 7 out of 12 4048's fail? I assume you meant 4048, you said 4024's, which are the larger 24V model (2524 is now discontinued). That seems like an awful lot of failures. Same customer doing the same thing to it, or 7 customers all having that kind of luck? Something doesn't jive there. My local statewide solar shop sells boatloads of gear and they say of the many inverter have returned or failed, the conext inverters rarely come up. Maybe you got a bad batch?

[@ckk6664]

I have had my conext 4024 for over 6 years without any issues at all.

[@mgladden2]

@@ckk6664 I went ahead with the 4048 and it's worked flawlessly for 1 year. I think this is one of those cases where people overload them or put them in tight enclosures, or just some marketing ploy for a company with kickbacks from a preferred vendor.

[@ckk6664]

@@mgladden2 that’s true. Schneider is highly recommended in Jamaica. We sometimes reach temperatures of 38 degrees Celsius outside. The major suppliers of solar products all have stocks that keep running out.

[@tallisluna2847]

Hi! I'm planning and shopping for a 230VAC off grid solar power Inverters for my hottub, that runs and wired to 240 Volts. My hottub hast it's own separate feeder breaker, and outside GFCI disconnect box. I was adviced by a solar business representative that in USA, the grid standard is 120VAC per phase, and require 120VAC inverters to function with Solar Regulator, and that Solar Regulation services will not work properly for USA grids. This means that a 230 VAC off grid solar power inverter may be sending energy back to the utility company. I was adviced to get 120 VAC off grid solar power instead, but if I insist to a 230 VAC after being adviced, then they can not provide me with effective tech support for the system. I am not sure if a 120 VAC solar power inverter can power my 240 Voltage hottub. Please help me understand.

[@sidlori1592]

Sounds to me like a "solar business representative" who only offers 120vAC inverters and is giving you a load of BS to try to sell you their product. Their statements are simply and completely not true. - You will need a 240vAC inverter to power your 240vAC hot tub, unless you are fine with about 1/4 of the design heating ability (240vAC @ 30A = 7.2kw...the 8 ohm heating coil would only run 15A @ 120v, 1.8kw.) - Grid-tie over 240vAC is 100% completely possible. Heck, a grid-tie inverter backfeeding into a single 120vAC phase, is going to appear as 240vAC back to the grid through the autoformer principle of the center-tapped utility transformer! You were given a bunch of absolute BS. - Not sure if there was confusion from the "solar business rep" about grid-tie vs off-grid systems. Sounds a bit like they were trying to sell you a grid-tie system (most "solar installer" companies out there want to sell you grid-tie), which has to be connected to the "electrical grid" in order to produce any output power. (Grid-tie systems will shut down per UL requirements if the grid goes down.) I'm suspecting this because of the talk about "solar regulators." - If you're wanting an off-grid system (as you mentioned), keep in mind: a standard off-grid inverter CANNOT be connected to an electrical switch box that is also connected to the electrical grid. Providing that the electrical lines going from the off-grid inverter to your hot tub never contact anything connected to the electrical grid system, a properly sized off-grid inverter + solar panels + solar MPPT charger + battery bank will do nicely.

[@PeterMilanovski]

$350 for a fet board? Fet's cost under a dollar each! Where's the rest of the money going? The two most expensive components there are the heat sink and the transformer. Also, the transformer comparison is actually unfair, while the third inverter has a tiny transformer, it runs a different topology compared to the first two. High frequency switch mode doesn't need a massive transformer to output the same amount of power as the older topology of the first two.. Size for size, the switch mode power topology will output more people. Maybe you should consider one from a different company because they are much more efficient than the older first two... EI core transformers of the first two models are essentially outdated, expensive and inefficient not to mention the weight..The size of the transformer only matters on the first two models..

[@rv10flyer84]

Where is the rest of the money going? Of course in the greedy suits pocket, Christmas Bonuses and benefits plans and jet fuel for their bizjet.

[@diy-bj2ed]

How long does a schneider sw inverter normally last for ?

[@truthexposed9916]

7 days.

[@catskillwoodgas]

Well the oldest 24 volt sw4024 we installed is 5 years old and still working

[@theheathkitshop2424]

@@catskillwoodgas FYI... My 5548 SW is going on 18 years now. Still humming away. When it goes, I don't know what I'll use to replace it. I'll need three men and a boy to lift it off the wall when it does die.

[@theheathkitshop2424]

@@catskillwoodgas FYI, my old Trace 5548 still cooking for 18 years...

[@diy-bj2ed]

Thanks for the reply. Considering to buy one but afraid to have it fail on me after a short period

[@FMercuryEA]

That's old American inverter technology. Things have changed

[@guy4698]

I have a SW 4024.. flawless performance!!.. your way off base

[@GroundPoundersPlace]

4048

[@talusranch990]

The pauses in the speaking is extremely annoying, what the hell. It would only take the time to unsolder the mosfets to fix a high frequency one but yeah they are crap.

[@alie-bb-brybry70]

Blaa blaa blaa , crap