Using USA 110V Equipment on Euro 220V Mains!

[diarmaid]

Im intending to import a variety of tools from the USA to use here in Ireland when I start my fabrication business next year. Suppliers told me they cant get them in 220V as manufacturers are protecting their Euro distributors. So heres my plan!!!....I buy the tools in 110V and get them shipped to me from the USA...saving about 3000 euro total after postage and import duty! Then Im going to check the wattage on the tools and get my local electronics store to make me a couple of step down voltage transformers to reduce from 220V Irish mains to 110V for my tools. Does anyone see any problems with this? I was told that 110V tools are less powerful but I doubt that every person in the USA operating on 110V is using sub-standard tools because of this, so it cant be true....surely a cut-off saw doing 1800rpm on 110V will perform exactly the same as its 'brother' on sale in Europe operating on 220V at 1800rpm....advice please?

[Al_The_Man]

Originally Posted by diarmaid I was told that 110V tools are less powerful .........

That was probably an Irish Tool salesman...

In general terms Wattage is wattage, which is an energy term for work, 10watts at 240v is the same as 10 watts at 120v.
The current will be proportionately higher for the lower voltage. As long as the source has the capability to supply the necessary current then there should be no problem.
Al.

[vacpress]

this is an interesting aside: at weber, where i work in the grill r&d department, they wont consider a US electric grill because the power issues. They are doing a EU\UK one...

Stupid US.. With our 'we are the best' mentality, and our 110v power!

who do we think we are?

[fkaCarel]

I must add that a couple of years ago we went from 220 to 230, just a little to avoid explosions. More watts from the same wire.

Carel

[davidp]

Diarmid,
I lived in the US and brought my 110 v tools back to Blighty. All you need is a suitable transformer, and a re-check of your spindle speeds. US voltage is on 60 Hz, UK is 50 Hz. The motors will spin slower by 50/60. But they will be more torquey. At 50 Hz there is more "area under the curve" (each volt swing or cycle takes longer) so the motor shows more torque. I bought my transformers from Machine Mart - standard yellow site boxes.

[diarmaid]

I should have no major problems then. Ireland is on 220V & 50Hz, almost the same as the UK. Now for a really basic question, but electricity/electronics is not my forte! Im also only researching CNC systems now for about two weeks, so a long way to go yet before purchase, but if Im right basically the computer, the gantry motors, and my plasma cutter have to be on seperate power supplies (So they dont short each other I think), is this simply a question of plugging them into different wall sockets...I think they require different amps so maybe Im gonna need some form of converter put together for these aswell?....While Im at it...do any of you have any comments on Torchmate CNC Plasma systems, good bad or indifferent? Thanks.

[diarmaid]

Originally Posted by vacpress this is an interesting aside: at weber, where i work in the grill r&d department, they wont consider a US electric grill because the power issues. They are doing a EU\UK one... Stupid US.. With our 'we are the best' mentality, and our 110v power! who do we think we are?

Hi, thats basically what I was wondering about, notwithstanding the other helpful replies. What exactly were these 'power issues'?

[martinw]

Originally Posted by diarmaid I should have no major problems then.

Dear diarmaid,

Quite by coincidence, I sent an email to Hitachi in the USA this afternoon to enquire whether or not their M12VC was OK to run on 110v AC at 50 Hz rather than 120v AC at 60 Hz, the rated supply in the manual. I have no worries about the voltage, but the frequency of the mains supply concerned me. If they reply, and that is a big if given every manufacturers 'concerns about "liability", litigation, "heath 'n' safety" etc......(specially in a country where the local Hitachi people don't sell them)... I'll let you know. I'm not holding my breath.

Best wishes

Martin

[diarmaid]

Originally Posted by martinw Dear diarmaid, Quite by coincidence, I sent an email to Hitachi Martin

Cheers Martin,

We shall wait and see.

[davidp]

Diarmid,
1 Most site equipment is now 110v in the UK and Europe as it is intrinsically safer outdoors.
2 In your planning be careful to allow for an earth plane that is common to all the systems. I once installed a PC to a machine tool and couldn't get the RS232 to work until I put the PC on the same supply as the machine tool.

Regards
David

[rugludallur]

For most things you can just use a transformer to convert the voltage to 110 but I would stay away from anything that uses AC motors designed for 60hz as these will never perform well on 50hz. On the other hand I imported both my TIG welder and my Plasma cutter from the US and I run them off 50hz (380v) without any problems even though the cooling fans are all powered by AC motors.
Manufacturers will never OK equipment designed for 60hz to run off 50hz since it will run 15% hotter than it was designed for.
Also be carefull when buying 3-phase equipment, even though the voltage is usually close enough to run them straight off the mains there is a problem with the transform since most of the US has Delta but EU has Wye and this will cause problems with 3-phase motors.
EU voltage is now specified as 230V +-10% to the end device, so in theory you are getting anywhere from 207-253v, for 3-phase it is specified as 380v +-10% between phases so 342-418v.

If you are looking to buy a quality angle grinder for 230v I can highly recomend any of these:

Makita 9565CV 1400W 125mm
Hitachi G15YC 1500W 150mm
Hitachi G13YC 1500W 125mm

Yours

Jarl
www.dallur.com

[diarmaid]

Im still investigating this and have talked to the people who will make my transformer (Transformer Guy!). Like people have said, the main problem is the frequency. It seems that you can buy something on 50Hz and run it on a 60Hz supply no problem, but it wont work the other way around as easily, and the higher the rpm of the motor you want to run the more significant the difference in performance (I know, obvious!), so while a cut-off saw on 1,800rpm will prob work fine, a router on 18,000rpm most definately wont.

Transformer guy said that a frequency converter is a major piece of kit and quite expensive (Also said he can't build me one), can anyone shed any light on this please?

As an aside, he also said that the transformer should have some sort of surge control put on it when they're building it (Can't remember what he called it) so that I dont get killed!!...but that he was going away for awhile and his employee will probably tell me I dont need it...but I have to insist!!!....should I be worried about this guy building my transformer......:-)