Frecon: when to choose it, and when to step up to INVT, Veichi or Delta
Frecon (Frecon Electric, Shenzhen) is a Chinese manufacturer of frequency inverters and servo drives that owns the reliable, budget general-purpose niche. Our catalog carries 45 models across two series: the compact FR150 (0.75-4 kW) and the full-size vector FR500A (0.75-560 kW). The typical Frecon customer this year runs pumps and fans, water supply, ventilation, conveyors and simple machine tools, where a working drive is needed without paying a brand premium. In this niche Frecon sits in the same class as the budget INVT and Veichi: at prices from 5,248 UAH it covers basic tasks cheaper than Inovance or Delta, but it does not claim heavy positioning or closed-loop encoder control. Where you need precise positioning, complex fieldbus or a European service level, we honestly point you to INVT GD350, Veichi AC300 or Delta — and we say so plainly.
Frecon's main advantage in the budget segment is the single-phase FR150 models, which accept an ordinary 220 V supply and output three-phase 220 V to the motor: a lifesaver where only a domestic outlet is available. 24-month warranty, delivery across Ukraine in 1-3 days. Before ordering we ask three things: which supply (220 or 380 V), what is being driven (pump, fan, conveyor, compressor) and the motor power.
Frecon frequency inverter series
FR150: compact series for pumps and fans
9 models, 0.75-4 kW, from 5,248 UAH. A low-power series for the most common tasks: small pumps, fans, compressors and simple machinery. U/f control, a built-in PID controller for pressure or flow, soft start and basic motor protection. The headline feature is that the single-phase FR150-2S models accept a 1-ph 220 V supply and output 3-ph 220 V, so a three-phase motor can run from an ordinary outlet: at a cottage, in a workshop, on a farm, or in a borehole pump. For a three-phase 380 V supply, choose the FR150-4T models. It is a sensible choice when the motor is small and the drive only needs soft start, speed control and protection.
FR500A: general-purpose vector series up to 560 kW
36 models, 0.75-560 kW, from 6,051 UAH. Frecon's flagship range with sensorless vector control (SVC): it delivers 150% torque already at 0.5 Hz and withstands overloads of 150% for 1 min, 180% for 10 s and 200% for 1 s. A braking chopper is built in up to and including 37 kW (optional on 45-75 kW), with a 380-480 V operating range and a 323-528 V mains tolerance. On board are flexible I/O (DI/DO/AI/AO), built-in Modbus and PID, while expansion cards add PROFIBUS, CANopen, PROFINET and EtherCAT. It is a workhorse for OEM equipment: pumping stations, ventilation, conveyors, crushers, extrusion and winding lines, compressors and machine tools. When the FR150 runs out of power or you need a vector start under load, step up to the FR500A.
Which Frecon series to choose?
A small pump, fan or compressor up to 4 kW, especially where the site only has a single-phase 220 V supply: choose Frecon FR150 — the compact drive with 3-ph 220 V output does the job. Any three-phase drive from 0.75 to 560 kW that needs a vector start, high starting torque, overload headroom or an industrial fieldbus: Frecon FR500A. If you are torn between Frecon and pricier brands, the rule is simple: for basic control of a pump, fan or conveyor Frecon is honestly enough; for precise positioning, closed-loop encoder control or complex integration, look at INVT, Veichi or Delta.
