Sell or keep?

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Guy in Paradise

New User
Guy Belleman
Well friends, I have been pondering on whether to sell my 110V bandsaw, drill press and planer. I have been transferred from Japan to Brussels, Belgium, where I need tools that use 220V or a transformer. I am fond of my reliable equipment and am not having much luck at finding a potential source of new tools in Brussels. Although I suspect I know what most of you are going to recommend, please give me your thoughts. I can actually get 1/2 to 2/3 the price here on my old tools since tools are very expensive in Japan. Thank you.
 

Tarhead

Mark
Corporate Member
Double check your input voltage on your small tools. If they're 110/230 all you'll need is a plug adapter to fit the Euro wall plug and the motor doesn't care. Check out some of the power tools that John Heisz https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjA8vRlL1c7BDixQRJ39-LQ and Matthias Wandel https://www.youtube.com/user/Matthiaswandel are making out of 2X framing lumber. You would need a source of motors, pulleys and belts (old washing machines, old treadmills, etc). It may be time to add some hand tools and get some Festool equipment. If you do go the Festool direction, buy as many non-electrical accessories as you can here. Hard to believe... but we have the lowest pricing in the world for their equipment.
 

ehpoole

Administrator
Ethan
So long as you properly size your step-down transformer there is nothing wrong with running your existing 120V tools off the transformer if you are happy with your existing tools and do not mind that they will be running a but slower than you are perhaps accustomed to.

That said, as to what will make the most sense may depend in part upon how long you are likely to be living in Europe (1yr, 5rs, 20yrs, forever?) as that may influence your decision heavily. If you will only be living in Europe for a few years (or if you *may* only live there a few years) then a step-down transformer makes the most sense as transformers are not prohibitively expensive (on the secondary markets) -- provided, of course, that the cost of shipping heavy power tools overseas does not consume your potential savings (in which case the decision becomes easy regardless of duration, unless there is a strong emotional attachment).

However, please be aware that all of your power tools utilizing induction motors will be running 1/6th slower in Europe, versus the US, as they will be synching with a 50Hz waveform rather than the intended 60Hz (in other words, a nominal 3600 RPM motor will run at 3000 RPM) -- and that is something no step-down transformer can correct for (frequency correction can only be achieved with an inverter that can then synthesize a 60Hz AC source at whatever desired voltage or via a motor-alternator arrangement). Depending upon where you presently live in Japan, you may, or may not, have already experienced this slowdown -- some parts of Japan have 50Hz power while others use the same 60Hz power we are accustomed to in the US.

Enjoy your new adventure and be sure to keep us up to date on your saga.
 

Guy in Paradise

New User
Guy Belleman
Guess I should have clarified. I work for DOD and the shipping is free. I will probably be in Brussels for at least three years, maybe as many as seven. Don't really need more tools to bring home after retirement, as I have those already. As Ethan notes, I am already have been running my tools at 50Hz and 100VAC in Japan, so using a transformer in Europe can't be much different. Since there is no military base woodshop there, I may be looking a some sort of tablesaw though.
 
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