Looking to upgrade to a 1.5kw spindle.
My question is after installing the VFD will this change how the bit runner, setter, zero works. I do not want to have to give up starting the program and then change cutters when prompted. Like most here I want to quieten and be able to control the spindle speed.
Appreciate any thoughts.
No impact on bitrunner, bitzero, bitsetter operation.
The only (positive) impact on the workflow is that if you check the “has spindle control” box, the prompts related to turning the router on and off or set the RPM will disappear, as they will now be useless.
If you use the bitrunner to control power to the router, it will just become useless for that purpose, because the VFD will now manage this for you (it receives the same PWM signal the BitRunner was getting, and will start/stop the spindle for you). You could recycle it to automate the activation of e.g. your shopvac, I know I did.
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Did you just split the PWM output to both devices? I was wondering if I would need some sort of buffer for the PWM signal to do both a relay for spindle and dust extraction.
I did just split it. In theory, this is not great. In reality it works absolutely fine.
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Thank you, I will forge ahead, sure I will have a few more questions, have been messing with this decision since I got the Shapeoko, Was bent on a 2.2kw but didn’t want to spend another chunk of money for the HDZ, after reading posts here and learning the 1.5kw was strong enough for my purposes and if I understand right the Z-Plus will handle the weight.
What are you cutting mostly and how aggressively? The smart folks here who can do the math have proved that in reality on a Shapeoko it’s unlikely to ever need more than what a 800W spindle can deliver. And it’s lighter than a 1.5kW one, cheaper, compatible with the standard 69mm mount etc…so you may want to consider that option, to reduce the load/wear on the ballscrew of the Z-plus further.
Says the guy who went for a 2.2kW spindle just because he did not know better at the time 
(and who will re-upgrade to a 1.5kW C3D spindle)
I would also recommend getting a water-cooled one, the hassle of setting up the tubes and chiller is more than compensated by the quietness and the ability to run the spindle at very low speed (for example, I like using mechanical edge finders, and they can only spin at 1000 RPM max). It’s not everyday that you run a the spindle below a 10k, but it’s nice to be able to do it for those specific cases.
EDIT: since the C3D spindle upgrade option is around the corner, you might want to hold your purchase for a few weeks, and get a supported 1.5kW water-cooled spindle and VFD 
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Does the C3d 1.5kW spindle fit in the same mount as the makita/c3d router?
Just now read your reply and it is good to know, Will be in the hold pattern for a while longer.
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