Thread: moving from USA

Marxie,

Send a PM to Toolin' Around. He made all those decisions a year or so ago, and has the experience to tell you which ones were good, or not so good.

Cheers,

P

sell it all except the 220v (so long as its 50Hz) and get new stuff over here!

cheers

Originally Posted by Zed

sell it all except the 220v (so long as its 50Hz) and get new stuff over here!

cheers

Yeah, the pneumatics won't work on our air over here.

Mick

When I moved from the US to Oz, I sold all my machinery and power tools and bought new over here. It saved some freight and a lot of hassles.

Rocker

Marxie:
Keep everything 110V; sell the 220V stuff.

I am also a Californian although I have lived in Australia longer than I have lived in the US. I say go against the trend collected from the other replies you have received -- for a number of reasons.

1. A 110volt transformer suitable for USA tools is readily available in Australia, including the used market. Expect to pay about $100AUS per 10Amps (for used transformers) Thus, for about $200AUS you can get a 20Amp transformer which should be more than enough for all your hand power tools.

2. Without exception (in my experience), tools are more expensive here than in the USA. It has something to do with market size and demand (I guess). Example: Porter Cable 2hp router in Australia costs $650AUS. The same router costs $200US from Tools-r-us in CA. Another example: Makita Biscuit Joiner costs $500AUS here. The same machine only costs $175US at Tools-r-us. As a result, every time I go to CA (every couple of years or so) I ALWAYS buy another power tool and bring it to Australia in my suitcase.

3. The issue of servicing is diminishing in a truly international culture like Australia. Rocker, Lee Valley, eTools-r-us, etc. will mail stuff to Australia at the drop of a hat. Besides, there are plenty of capable technicians here who are willing to pull apart anything electronic ...

4. Definitely sell your 220V gear. The induction type motors do not take kindly to the 50Hz electricity. I struggled for years with my Delta Unisaw (3hp; 220V) which I got rewired for Australian electricity. It always ran hot and did not perform as it would have in the US. Recently I had to upgrade the motor to an Australian one and it was a bit of trouble...

Good luck with your decision.
Regards, Luckyduck

Originally Posted by LuckyDuck

Marxie:
Keep everything 110V; sell the 220V stuff.

I am also a Californian although I have lived in Australia longer than I have lived in the US. I say go against the trend collected from the other replies you have received -- for a number of reasons.

1. A 110volt transformer suitable for USA tools is readily available in Australia, including the used market. Expect to pay about $100AUS per 10Amps (for used transformers) Thus, for about $200AUS you can get a 20Amp transformer which should be more than enough for all your hand power tools.

2. Without exception (in my experience), tools are more expensive here than in the USA. It has something to do with market size and demand (I guess). Example: Porter Cable 2hp router in Australia costs $650AUS. The same router costs $200US from Tools-r-us in CA. Another example: Makita Biscuit Joiner costs $500AUS here. The same machine only costs $175US at Tools-r-us. As a result, every time I go to CA (every couple of years or so) I ALWAYS buy another power tool and bring it to Australia in my suitcase.

3. The issue of servicing is diminishing in a truly international culture like Australia. Rocker, Lee Valley, eTools-r-us, etc. will mail stuff to Australia at the drop of a hat. Besides, there are plenty of capable technicians here who are willing to pull apart anything electronic ...

4. Definitely sell your 220V gear. The induction type motors do not take kindly to the 50Hz electricity. I struggled for years with my Delta Unisaw (3hp; 220V) which I got rewired for Australian electricity. It always ran hot and did not perform as it would have in the US. Recently I had to upgrade the motor to an Australian one and it was a bit of trouble...

Good luck with your decision.
Regards, Luckyduck

Being a marine Engineer and having dealt with various power supplies (Depending where the ship was made) and tools made for diffrent voltages/frequencies ( where they were supplied from ) I would say that the above advice is the best you will get, When you get set up and run a second 110 v system use diffrent sockets and plugs to the Australian 3 pin so you don't plug in the wrong tool,

Rgds

Fark - wish someone had told me that a year ago.

I guess the question that needs to be asked first is what do you plan to do with your tools... Dick around in your own shed or use them as part of your job at a business. That will make a very big difference as to whether it's worth it or not.

Keep the 110Volt stuff. The freeloaders won't be able to borrow them.

Originally Posted by Ashore

Being a marine Engineer and having dealt with various power supplies (Depending where the ship was made) and tools made for diffrent voltages/frequencies ( where they were supplied from ) I would say that the above advice is the best you will get, When you get set up and run a second 110 v system use diffrent sockets and plugs to the Australian 3 pin so you don't plug in the wrong tool,

Rgds

G'day Ashore!

I'm quite interested in your comments as there is a US machine (110v) that I'd like to get (not sold here), but was advised by the vendor that our 50Hz system would probably burn out the 1/4HP motor, even if a transformer was used to reduce the 230v to 110v.

I'd doubt that, at 1/4hp, the motor would be an induction one, or am I off tack completely here?

Care to comment?

Originally Posted by Auld Bassoon

G'day Ashore!

I'm quite interested in your comments as there is a US machine (110v) that I'd like to get (not sold here), but was advised by the vendor that our 50Hz system would probably burn out the 1/4HP motor, even if a transformer was used to reduce the 230v to 110v.
I'd doubt that, at 1/4hp, the motor would be an induction one, or am I off tack completely here?

Most of the ships built for us were 240v 50 hz , sometimes 60hz , (the latter played havoc with electric clocks) but never had a problem with 50 hz tools burning out with 60 hz power.
Ships built in japan usually carried 110 volt of 50 volt circuits around the Engine Room for tools and hand held lighting , these were run from a 240v 50hz supply via transformer and had no probs with burn out.

One Vessel built in Korea in 1984 ? was to supply certain electric hand tools , drills, grinders, nibblers etc for 240v 50hz supply . Of course the stuff supplied was local gear for 110v 60 hz , when told that it wasn't satisfactory as the specs were for 240v 50 hz the tools were taken away and returned 2 days later and each one had been over stamped by hand on the compliance plate 240v 50hz . When I left that ship after two years service those tools were still running .

So to answer no I dont think it would be a problem. The frequency may have some effect on the speed and if this is critical then you would need another method of speed control
1/4 hp would doubt if its an induction motor, can you ask the vendor or if you have a good picture of it can you see axcess plugs for brushes, or if you are worried its possible to have installed a temp cut out switch situated neer the windings .


Rgds

Originally Posted by Ashore

When you get set up and run a second 110 v system use diffrent sockets and plugs to the Australian 3 pin so you don't plug in the wrong tool,

Rgds

Amen to that. My parents brought heaps of household appliances from the US and every now and then one of us kids (yes it was a long time ago) would plug an iron, or a fan, or a lamp, into 240V power. Sometimes bulbs just blew, sometimes there was a crackling sound, and sometimes the appliance literally burst into flames. Good fun for a kid until Dad came home and found out that yet another one of his US goodies got burned.

The 50/60Hz thing isn't a serious problem for most things. Anything with a universal motor (really fast stuff, like drills, routers, etc) doesn't care what the Hz are, so long as the voltage is close. Most of them will also run on DC- aka - 0Hz.

Induction motors can get upset about the frequency, but even then it's not always an issue.

I say all that as a sparky, and someone living in a country that, in all it's wisdom, still has two different frequencies for power (north 50Hz, south 60Hz) even though they did manage to stick with one voltage, even thought it a royal PITA at 100V...

marxie

as to your cordless stuff. I'd keep the tool and try and get an Aussie spec charger

ian