WEG CFW100 vs CFW300/320 VFD Family Overview from AutomationDirect

The WEG CFW100 variable frequency drives are basically the same as the CFW300 drives except they are in a much smaller package. These drives have the same input and output power specs but look at the difference in size! OK, so what’s the difference? Well, if I go to the webstore and select motion control, variable frequency drives, micro drives and let’s scroll down to the quarter horsepower drives. If I check this CFW100 drive and the similar CFW300 drive then hit compare, the differences are highlighted in yellow and since we don’t see any yellow we see that the specs are identical except for the SCCR rating. And honestly, if you have to worry about having more than 30,000 or 65,000 amps running through the drive, well, you might have bigger problems. And they are even the same price. So for all practical purposes, these WEG CFW100 drives are just smaller versions of the CFW300 drives. Of course, that means you can’t put big components in these little guys to handle big horsepowers. While the CFW300 drives can handle single phase 120 through one and a half horsepower, single phase 240 through 3 horsepower and three-phase 230VAC through 5 horsepower, the CFW100 drives can only handle these horse- power ranges because their small size limits the power handling capabilities of their internal components. It also means the I/O is limited. The CFW100 is so small, it can only bring out 5 terminal pins, compared to the CFW300’s 12 pins. And, there is only ONE option module port on the CFW100 – so you can either do communication or I/O. The CFW300 has a dedicated port for the communication modules and another port for the I/O modules so you could use one of each. Take a look at this video if you want to see which option modules are available for each drive and what the differences are between them. There are some surprises in there … and some things you need to know BEFORE deciding which drive is right for you. I will give you one spoiler – the CFW100 drive has a potentiometer option module. Plug it in, modify a couple parameters and you now have a speed control knob right on the front of the drive. I love that one. So, the bottom line is, if you have a small horsepower job and want the smallest drive you can find, and you don’t need built-in I/O then the WEG CFW100 is the drive for you. Especially when you realize it’s just as capable as the CFW300 because it has all the same built-in features and similar option modules. And most of the time I usually only add a run and a stop button, a forward reverse switch – you can’t control forward and reverse from either drive's built-in HMI - and a potentiometer for speed control. Given those minimal requirements, the CFW100 usually meets all of my needs. If on the other hand, you need I/O flexibility, and the ability to communicate with the drive and add I/O at the same time, then you probably want to look at the CFW300. The other really cool thing about these drives is you can zero-stack them. That is, most drives require you leave space on all four sides for airflow. The WEG drives don’t so you can push them right up against each other, the sidewall of your cabinet or your machine. That’s one of my favorite things about the WEG drives. The good news is because they are functionally similar, all of the tutorial videos on those features that use the CFW300 drive as an example, apply to the CFW100. The CFW100 even has the same built-in PLC as the CFW300 and uses the same free configuration software so you can use these video tutorials on this CFW100 too. Again, for all practical purposes, they are functionally identical. Of course, we have dedicated tutorial videos that show you how to use many of the CFW100 specific option modules. It can’t use the same option modules as the CFW300 because they won’t fit on this little drive, right? So, with all the features you would expect in a high-end drive, free tutorial videos, free shipping on all orders over 49 bucks, free award-winning tech support during regular business hours and a 30-day moneyback guarantee, you can get one today at AutomationDirect.com and have nothing to lose. Click here to see all of the WEG tutorial videos. Click here to learn about AutomationDirect’s free award-winning tech support options and click here to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you will be notified when we publish new videos.