I have heard that the Hercus and Sheraton are both copies of the South Bend, and I've also heard (from Americans) that the South Bend is better, but I don't recall in what respect it is allegedly better.
It is much better to use a three phase motor where you can, on grounds of reliability and longevity, and perhaps efficiency as well. An ordinary (in Australia) three phase motor is traditionally connected in delta and run on 410 Volts per phase. This is traditional partly because you can then connect it to a star-delta starter so that it starts in star and runs in delta after it gets up to speed. By doing that, it was legal to start a large motor (anything over 5 hp is not permitted to start direct on-line) without an expensive transformer-starter in the days before electronic starters.
However an American three phase motor will be 220 Volts per phase in delta, to suit most American three phase supplies. This means that for 240 Volt single phase export markets, it can be connected in star to accept 400 Volts per phase. After we had a flood here in Melbourne a few years ago and I had a waterlogged and burned-out 2 hp three phase motor on my flat-disk sander/grinder, I fitted a German three phase 240 Volt motor and connected it in star. It is a much better motor than the Australian 2 hp it replaced, and was very cheap at a flea market because nobody wanted a 3 phase 240 Volt motor.
I think your VFD has 220 or 240 Volt 3 phase output because it is made for sale in Europe or the US. Hence it can only run with a 3 phase motor that can accept 240 Volts per phase, and your Chinese motor can: it is designed for 220 Volts per phase in delta, and 380 Volts per phase in star, as it says on its rating plate. In other words, it is the same kind of imported motor as the German one I put on my disc grinder. My disc grinder could run on single phase if I bought a VFD the same as yours, yippee!
