Festool

[Chris]

I'm moving overseas from the US and have some festool 110V 60hz tools to bring. They are much cheaper here in the US, so I thought I would stock up. I was looking at the 150 sander & asked the dealer if he could get the European model which would be 50hz. He said he couldn't & that Festool had told him their American tools would not work in Europe. Anyone any experience with this? I've brought other items over and used a transformer to step down the voltage from 220 to 110. I know the hz can cause issues such as the tool running about 17% slower (50hz/60hz), but not work at all? Doesn't sound right?

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Most power tools use universal motors which aren't effected by frequency.

[dom]

Sounds like a FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt).

From a manufacturers viewpoint it's expensive and inconvenient to make different products for different markets.

Check the motor rating labels on the tool - most say 50/60Hz, and even if it doesn't a motor is unlikely to be damaged provided the voltage is correct.

In the UK 110V site tools are commonplace - and a site transformer used (like these

're isolation transformers, so contact with the phase wire is less dangerous)

As Festool have demountable power cords, you would just have to make one up to fit a UK site transformer to cover all your tools.

[terry]

For your info we have been doing the exact oppsite for the last 50+ years. We have a 230 volt Wolf drill bought in 1953, by using a transformer to step up the 115 to 230 we still use it today, in Canada. In a country using 230 you can step down from 230 to 115 volts. As mentioned 115 volts tools often used that way in UK. I have read that ingeniously the transformer not only isolates the tool from the 230 volt side, it also, the 115 volt output being centre tapped to ground reduces the voltage at the tool to about 58 volts RMS; safer.