MicroSolar 1000 PSW Inverter Review

[ZoNiE]

I don't normally buy cheap electronics, but every once and a while something comes along that is worth a try. After reading reviews and watching some You Tube videos, specifically the ones where the guy takes them apart, I decided to plunk $160 on this 1000 watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter.
Info Here

What It will run so far:
12 Cup Drip Coffee Pot
4 Cup Drip Coffee pot and a Box Fan
Lowes Shop Vac, but tripped on first try, then started to beep after running a while.
Two box fans and some lighting.

It will NOT run the Microwave in my RV, but I didn't expect it to.

I ran these tests on two fully charged (by the sun) T105 batteries.

It seems to be ok up to about 900 watts and then faults.

Should be good for a TV and laptop charger, maybe a fan.

Hope this is useful to those here looking for a low cost inverter that is Pure Sine.

 

[lonewolf2koc]

I have the Micro Solar 1K PSW inverter for 4 months and it died. The PSW works great on sensitive computer hard drives, laptops and other delicate electronics.

The reason it died (keeps on beeping with anything greater than 10w of load):

I overloaded the inverter by plugging into a Mac Pro 2012 tower (about 450W max). The battery source is a 170 Ah AGM. I ran a 25-ft 12 AWG extension cable from the van to a shaded area. When I plugged in, it surged and power is dead. The Mac Pro needs a lot of starting current to boot up. Then the annoying beeping sound just won't go away. Removed power cable, shut down and it keeps on. Something's damaged internally after the moderate load. The 1000W is really 250 W max. It worked fine with <200W loads for 3.5 months. So the design is not the greatest. Because it's so cheap, I guess they didn't bother to design so that it will self-reset and doesn't get damaged.

Not sure if the long 25-ft extension cable caused the damage to the inverter. I replugged a 80-watt laptop, fan and it will not work even with a 6-ft power cable.

I have another non pure sine wave inverter from Peak Power and I overloaded it at one time. It shut down but still working 3 years after reset. The Micro Solar PSW won't. Something to watch out for $160 vs $400+ for a premium PSW inverter.

I don't normally buy cheap electronics, but every once and a while something comes along that is worth a try. After reading reviews and watching some You Tube videos, specifically the ones where the guy takes them apart, I decided to plunk $160 on this 1000 watt Pure Sine Wave Inverter.
Info Here

What It will run so far:
12 Cup Drip Coffee Pot
4 Cup Drip Coffee pot and a Box Fan
Lowes Shop Vac, but tripped on first try, then started to beep after running a while.
Two box fans and some lighting.

It will NOT run the Microwave in my RV, but I didn't expect it to.

I ran these tests on two fully charged (by the sun) T105 batteries.

It seems to be ok up to about 900 watts and then faults.

Should be good for a TV and laptop charger, maybe a fan.

Hope this is useful to those here looking for a low cost inverter that is Pure Sine.

 

[jimindenver]

When I was researching inverters I found that some can only support the higher ends of their ratings for short times. The lower in wattage you go, the longer it can run it. As mentioned above you may be buying a large inverter to run a small device continuously.

 

[SternWake]

Thanks for the user report.

My view is that inverters are a necessary evil.  I try to use mine as little as possible.


Other views, mostly by newbs to living on battery power, appear to be they are the solution to running all household loads, without realizing they are likely 80% efficient, or less, or that start up surges can be well out of range of the inverter's capability.  

Inverters are very good at allowing quick battery depletion, and often returning that battery to full is barely even a consideration.

My 800 watt coleman MSW inverter has a 0.68 amp no load amp consumption, and its fan always runs full speed, which is loud and annoying.

My 400 watt Wagan elite 400 PSW inverter is physically much smaller( 0.24amp consumption with no load), and the fan only kicks on audibly at 150 or more watts and, is still more quiet than the MSW.

Last year I got another Wagan for a power pack project for a friend.  I used the provided 10awg cables at full length with fully charged lifeline gpl-31XT, to max it out and it was tripping at 389 watts.  Not sure of surge wattage.  In final install the provided 10 awg cables were cut down to about 10 inches with better ring terminal terminations, and it was able to sustain 435watts for 5 minutes. 

This was an ~ 35 amp load at 12.2v.  Even this very capable battery could not supply that load for very long, not that I tried.

Newb's need to realize just how well a large wattage inverter can quickly deplete their battery.  Even a small inverter can do so.  Running my 200 watt lasko heater on my 400 watt PSW inverter is a 18+ amp load.  200 watts of heater barely does anything, but deplete the battery quickly.

Inverter can = battery destroyer.

Lots of newbs put huge wattage inverters on very little battery capacity, just to have.  Kind of like a drag racer with only enough gas to make it to the starting line.

The no load consumption varies greatly on inverters, as well as how efficient they are powering a percentage of their rating.

My 800 watt MSW inverter consumes 1 more amp powering a 50 watt heating pad then my 400 watt PSW inverter does powering the same heating pad, ~ 25% more battery consumption for the same task. 

The actual efficiency during use specs are hard to come by, yet would, if available, be a huge help to prospective inverter  shoppers. Generaly specs will say upto  XX% effieiency, but they will not sy minimum efficiency.  So it might be 85% efficient at a  150 watt load, but only 55% efficient at an 800 watt load.

I like my Wagan PSW, much more than my Coleman MSW, but I only have experience and data on these 2 inverters to relate to readers here.  I could collect more data, but really, I just choose the Wagan unless I have to power more than 400 watts, or want to be able to shut the inverter off easily from drivers seat while driving.