Inverters come in all shapes and sizes, but mainly two types – Modified Sine Wave Pure Sine Wave
The advantages of modified sine wave inverters are that they are cheap Will work with most electrical items Available in various power outputs Can easily be found on Ebay The disadvantages are that they can be unreliable Are often made in China to various quality standards Do not provide a clean power supply Lack support in case of problems
The advantages of pure sine wave inverters They usually give you a clean power supply Sometimes better than your local grid! Can be used with sensitive computer equipment, microwaves, washing machines Usually very reliable Are usually computer controlled with programmable features including auto generator start Can be used as a UPS (uninterruptable power supply) Often come with built in high power chargers Disadvantages – more expensive!