Outback Power VFXR3648A Vented 120V A Model Inverter/Charger

I live off the grid and I have been for quite sometime. I first started using OutBack products about 20 years ago when they first came out with their FX Inverters. This year I am in the process of possibly connecting to the grid and I could not do that with my existing FX Inverters so I upgraded to these VFXR3648A which can be used for both off-grid and grid-tie applications. I purchased two of these to run both my home and my woodshop. I could actually run them off one but because of the surge power to start some of my tools I needed to have them both. And there is another advantage to having two inverters and that is that there is twice the charging power if you need it and that the second unit is sitting their idle until your first inverter uses about two thirds its capacity when it kicks in to relieve the master unit thus saving ware and tier on each unit. My solar system is completely OutBack except for the solar panels, wind turbines, and the LP backup generator.

Just got it last Friday, installed and working fine. It's a beast, heavy, built to last, good solid connectors, and quiet.I just have a couple beefs, so far.Turning the inverter on and off is a pain. I probably won't do it often, but without the Mate, there's no "on/off" switch.. you actually have to install your own.It would be good if the Outback folks would think about a Smartphone app instead of that separate controller they sell.EDIT 3/5/2020: Unit used as inverter only with no mate. Twice in the last 2 weeks it has quit inverting just for a moment, but enough time to make my Directv receiver reboot. During reboot, it quits inverting again. This happens as my Li battery is at full charge, so I'm suspecting it's an over-voltage condition.

This thing is awesome! Using the "support" mode is perfect for me, and the unit has been rock-solid thus far. I would absolutely recommend this product.

inverter did not power up after installation.inside looks like a refirbrished unit.

While i'm not a fan of the Mate3 that controls this inverter, the inverter itself could not be ANY better. Extremely reliable, and it has tons of configuration options to tailor it to your very specific needs. I use mine as a large battery-backup UPS for our home. I have all my critical circuits wired to a sub-panel which is connected to the inverter. Grid power is the primary source and simply passes through the inverter and feeds the sub-panel 99.999% of the time. When there is a grid power outage, the inverter instantly transfers the source to the batteries. Until recently, I lived in Oklahoma where there are lots of storms that cause power-flickers. This saved my electronics, and allowed me to keep watching the news if tornados were headed into town. I didn't have to fire up a generator just to compensate for the flickers. In fact, the generator was never needed except in one case where we had an extended outage of about 12 hours. As my batteries began to deplete, i simply recharged them with the generator, and then turned it off and slept peacefully with no noise. The perfect setup. I now live in Georgia where storms and power issues are not as common, but I still setup the system the same way. I love it.Another thing i have done in the past was to configure a schedule for when to stop using grid power. During the summer months, we were on a billing plan that made it more expensive to use grid power from 2pm to 7pm. So i went into the settings and told the system to run my critical circuits on battery power during these hours, and it helped me save some money. Ultimately I didn't stick with this approach since cycling the batteries was not cost-effective, but it highlights the capabilities of the inverter to do just about anything you want within reason.

The basic functionality of this inverter is excellent, with good clean output, minimal noise, and great efficiency. Physical build is very good quality. I would give the unit itself 3 stars.One of the input terminals was loose inside, so when I went to tighten the bolt, the whole terminal spun. Yes, I used a precision torque wrench.Internal voltage meter is horrible. I don't understand why they can't just include a decent voltage reference chip on-board, it's not that expensive. But they cheap out and just include an "offset" function which lets you correct for their bad calibration.A METAL lid sitting right over the battery input terminals. Really? They do include some thin plastic caps to cover the terminals, but this seems like an afterthought. You MUST use the plastic caps, because removing or installing the lid would be a super safety hazard without them. Bad design.Interface is poor, as is the user manual. I use this for off-grid solar. As in *only* solar. Every single setting is designed for an alternative dino-fueled input, like a generator or the public grid. Nowhere is it obvious what setting to use for a PV only configuration. I eventually figured it out, but without any help from support. Which leads me to...The non-existent support. I opened several support cases, got auto-replies indicating that their system did receive my case. No response. EVER. I responded to the emails, asked them to reply, NOTHING. I went on their support forums, and all the users there are condescending bullies who berate you if you ask a question. I never got an answer there either, although I did get plenty of insults and snide remarks.I own several pieces of Outback equipment, all purchased at once. I spent thousands.BUT HERE'S THE BOTTOM LINE: I would never buy another piece of Outback equipment, and I would not recommend them to anyone. Not because of the hardware - poor UI and minor technical issues I can live with - but because of the lack of support, and the berating I received on their official forums (by moderators and employees).