Customers buy Danfoss from us mostly for pumping stations plus boiler rooms with compressor halls. A typical customer this year: a boiler-room maintenance engineer running 2-3 centrifugal pumps at 22-90 kW who needs Modbus into SCADA, or an HOA contractor whose irrigation pumps tore a check valve from water hammer and needs a soft starter with soft-stop, fast. We stock both series: MCD 200 (base, 18-200 A) and MCD 500 (built-in bypass, 21-1600 A).

How to choose between the series. If the motor starts 1-2 times a day and the load is light (a fan, a pump without frequent cycles), MCD 200 is enough and is 30-40% cheaper. If it is a screw compressor, a crusher, a conveyor with stone product, or frequent starts (5-10 per hour), we ship MCD 500: the built-in bypass removes 90% of the heat after ramp-up so the panel stays cool; plus adaptive torque control and locked-rotor protection. All MCD units cover 200-690 V (T4/T5 up to 440 V, T6/T7 up to 690 V), ask us about your supply.

What we ask before the order and how long it takes

First: the exact motor nameplate FLA, not the installation spec (those numbers differ). For MCD 500 we size at or slightly above the motor current, for MCD 200 we add a 10-15% margin because it has no bypass and runs hot. Second: heavy or light start. A crusher, mill, or piston compressor pulls 4-6×FLA for 10-20 seconds; that calls for MCD 500 with adaptive torque. Third: do you need fieldbus into SCADA. MCD 500 has Modbus RTU out of the box, optionally Profibus DP, Profinet, EtherNet/IP. MCD 200 has no fieldbus: just relay outputs plus discrete inputs.

From our sales the top 3 for pumps and fans: MCD5-0021B-T5 (21 A, 7.5 kW, for boiler rooms; circulation pumps), MCD5-0084B-T5 (84 A, 37 kW, compressors), MCD5-0195B-T5 (195 A, 90 kW, crushers at concrete plants). Danfoss warranty 24 months, delivery from our Kyiv warehouse in 1-3 days; large MCD5-0595 and above sometimes ship to order (5-10 days). Datasheet available before payment.

Model	Series	Current, A	Power	Application
MCD5-0021B-T5	MCD 500	21	7.5 kW	Pumps, fans
MCD5-0084B-T5	MCD 500	84	37 kW	Compressors, conveyors
MCD5-0195B-T5	MCD 500	195	90 kW	Crushers, mills
MCD5-0595C-T5	MCD 500	595	300 kW	Large pumping stations
MCD5-1600C-T5	MCD 500	1600	800 kW	Heavy industrial drives

The MCD 500 series features a built-in bypass contactor that shunts the thyristors after ramp-up, reducing heat dissipation by 90%. For general-purpose motor soft starting, the MCD 200 series with basic protection is sufficient.

Soft Starter Manufacturers

Our soft starter catalog features leading global manufacturers:

Danfoss — 180 models, MCD 200 and MCD 500 series (Denmark)
Schneider Electric — Altistart series (France)

Danfoss Soft Starters by Specifications

Selection by key parameters:

By current: from 18 A (MCD 201, 7.5 kW) to 1600 A (MCD 500, 800 kW)
By voltage: 200–440 V (T4/T5) or 200–690 V (T6/T7)
By series: MCD 201 (basic), MCD 202 (extended protection), MCD 500 (bypass + communications)
By application: pumps, motors, compressors, conveyors

Warranty & Support

Manufacturer warranty for Danfoss soft starters is 24 months. We provide technical consultation, commissioning, and maintenance services. Delivery across Ukraine: Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Lviv, and other cities. Bank transfer payment with VAT available for corporate customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

MCD 200 or MCD 500 — what is the difference?

The bypass, and the feature set. The MCD 200 is the base unit. Current 18-200 A with no built-in bypass. It runs warm, so it gets sized with 10-15% margin. The MCD 500 covers 21-1600 A with a built-in bypass, adaptive torque control, plus locked-rotor protection. On price the MCD 200 is roughly a third cheaper. If the motor starts a couple of times a day and pulls nothing heavy, take the MCD 200, there is nothing there worth paying a bypass premium for.

How much does a Danfoss MCD soft starter cost?

The MCD200 runs from UAH 20,617 to UAH 113,976. The MCD500 starts at UAH 39,673 and in its top 1600 A frame costs UAH 1,003,119. We hold 180 Danfoss positions, the widest soft starter range of any brand we carry. Ask a manager about a specific SKU. Stock shifts weekly.

What supply voltage do the MCD 200 and MCD 500 accept?

The whole MCD range works across 200-690 V, but the versions differ. T4 and T5 are rated to 440 V. The T6 and T7 versions hold up to 690 V. For a standard Ukrainian 380 V network the T5 applies. This is a frequent source of confusion, so we ask about supply voltage before sizing the frame.

Where do I find the Danfoss MCD 500 manual?

We hold manuals for the MCD100, MCD200 and MCD500. We send them with the invoice, before payment. If you need parameters for a specific machine, tell us the load type plus the nameplate motor current. We will send starting values for ramp time and initial voltage, so nobody has to guess during commissioning.

Is an external bypass needed for the MCD 200?

Yes, the MCD 200 has no bypass. With frequent starts it heats the cabinet. That is exactly why this series gets sized with 10-15% current margin. The MCD 500 has a built-in bypass which removes almost all heat dissipation after acceleration. A line breaker is always needed.

Which Danfoss suits a crusher or compressor?

The MCD 500, and nothing below it. A heavy start means 4-6 times rated current for 10-20 seconds, which calls for adaptive torque control that the MCD 200 does not have. We size by nameplate current plus margin for hard breakaway. For a piston compressor we usually go one frame above the calculated size.

Does the MCD offer SCADA communication?

The MCD 500 has Modbus RTU out of the box, with Profibus DP, Profinet or EtherNet/IP available as options. The MCD 200 has no fieldbus at all, just relay outputs plus digital inputs. So if the unit must report into a control room, the series question answers itself.

Does the MCD replace a variable frequency drive?

No. The MCD removes the inrush and gives a controlled stop, which saves the pipework from water hammer. But after acceleration the motor runs straight off the mains at 50 Hz. Trimming pump output or holding pressure with a PID loop is beyond a soft starter. That needs a VFD, which we also stock.