Thread: What's the best Compound Mitre Saw on the market right now?

My Kapex was 230v 50hz. The only alternatives available globally are 110v 50hz for the UK site saw market & 120v 60hz for the USA & Japan. There's no switching, no conversion and absolutely no alternatives available.

The UK market is interesting, in that the lower voltage is mandatory in worksites, with large yellow transformers the norm which are connected to the 230/240v mains supply. All tools are then connected to the trannie's 110v output.

All domestic tools (including professional grade ones) are rated @ the same voltage as us & the rest of the civilised world: ie 220/230/240v.

The same tool is therefore available in 2 separate voltages in the UK dependent on its intended use. They have different plugs of course, and generally have yellow colour coded plugs & cables in the 110v variant. Due to the lower voltage supply from the transformers these tools often have a lower power output to compensate for the increased current demand. This produces the unusual result where the worksite tool is more gutless than its "domestic" equivalent.

The whole concept of using lower voltages in worksites for safety reasons is erroneous, given that it's not the actual voltage that kills but the current. Using Ohm's law if voltage is halved then current must be doubled to achieve an equivalent power output.

I stand corrected, by the more knowledgeable.

Originally Posted by Ratbag

The whole concept of using lower voltages in worksites for safety reasons is erroneous, given that it's not the actual voltage that kills but the current. Using Ohm's law if voltage is halved then current must be doubled to achieve an equivalent power output.

The resistance through a person stays the same, and using Ohm's law, the current passing through them will be halved if the voltage is halved. The current flowing through the tool is of no consequence to the shock victim.