I'm having a bit of a clearout and want to get rid of a potter's wheel which my wife bought some years ago. It has a 10 inch wheel head (potters' jargon for the the bit they bung the clay on) driven by a 250W motor though a cone / tyre drive to give variable speed:

I understand that this is a true and trusted design but my problem is that it has been so badly implemented (bits held together with rusty bolts and cable ties!) that I can't in conscience sell it on as as is.

I'm wondering about replacing the mechanically complicated cone/tyre arrangement with with a 3-phase motor and VFD, but I don't know enough about the low speed torque performance of these things. I had a look around and found a pottery wheel supplier who says:

"The Bailey wheel is powered by a super smooth, super quiet 0.5hp motor controlled by a computer-enhanced VF drive. This unique design delivers a peak equivalent of 1hp under heavy loads to give constant, smooth power throughout the speed range."

In the specs the the speed range is given as 0-280 rpm. I'm confused! What does 'peak equivalent' mean? What does 'computer-enhanced' mean? Can VFD/motor combinations actually deliver the rated motor power at, say,10 rpm?

If anyone can explain or point me to educational material I'd be grateful.

Robin.