Pulling the plug, changing... voltages?!? Advice needed...

[Lassen Forge]

Here's a new one, a least for me.

I have a fairly successful shop here in the states. but we've decided (after a lot of talk, discussion, and recently, forest fires on our doorstep) to relocate to our property in Europe... which on one side is really exciting and cool... but as I'm looking around our shop, sorting stuff and packing... I'm realizing I have a TON of stuff that plugs into the good old US standard 60 Hz 120 volts... Some of the stuff seems like it would be easy. like swapping the motor on my drill press for a 50 hz 230 motor, or cross compatible like my battery operated tools... Some of it, like my freaking awesome Miller 211... well, I don't know... I heard trying to run it on 50 Hz will let the smoke out... Then there's middle ground stuff like my Sun 704 Distributor machine... will it or wont it? I'm assuming the non electric stuff might be easy - I mean, how convoluted could my gas fired forge be to run there...

So what I'm hoping for is advice... one, what will work there and here, what is convertable, and what will I need to sell here and re-aquire there... Two is how difficult is it going to replace what I have here with what I have there? And three... how hard is it to ship my tools and **** (maybe even the old car stuff) from the US to Italy? I've bought basic stuff there, but never considered outfitting my shop there like I have here... If you can help, it would be appreciated!!!

Thanks / Grazie / Danke / Spasibo / etc...
Sus @ the Forge

 

[Bubba Fett]

I'm thinking the cost may be too much to justify the effort. Might make more sense to sell the bigger items/power tools and use that money to buy Euro-brands when you get there. I guess it depends on the time constraints.

 

[engineer2]

Then there's middle ground stuff like my Sun 704 Distributor machine... will it or wont it?

Not familiar with the 704, but generally the motor and all the electronics are designed for 120VAC 60Hz.
I'm sure a generic converter would work too, but go to http://paramountd.com/parts.html and scroll down to

1000 watt Voltage Transformer/Converter - $109.00​
For use in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and anywhere that uses 220-240 volts. Very well constructed. Measures 180mm wide x 210mm long x 140mm high or 7in. x 8in. x 6in. It weighs 9KG or 18 LBS. Your tester is built to run on US 110-120 volts. Simply plug the converter into your wall socket and then plug your distributor tester machine into the converter and begin testing distributors!

 

[Sumboodie]

We had 50 Hertz in Korea.

Was annoying that US clocks would constantly lose time. I don't recall any other issues though.

 

[FMB4]

Sounds to me that just shipping your US stuff to the EU would be cost prohibitive.

 

[mike93lx]

Sell and rebuy. I'd only find a way to convert something really special or unique.

 

[cvairwerks]

Miller 211 doesn't care if it's 50 or 60 hz, per the manual. Shipping the big stuff and converting is going to be a pain and expensive....Last I heard, a container runs 10K$+ just to get it on the boat.

Drop bulletpruf a note, as he moved stateside from Italy last year I think it was.

 

[dutchgray]

Sell machinery and buy again in Europe, under normal circumstances you can get anything you want from anywhere in Europe, if you don't mind travelling, industrial areas will have plenty machines available, rural areas wont. The Germans and Swiss both made really good machine tools.
Corded power tools with brushed motors won't care about 50Hz and we already use 110V on building sites because of health and safety so transformers are available and cheap. (In the UK but this was a Europe wide thing I believe).

 

[mike93lx]

Also, 3 phase is common in Europe, so this could be a good change to upgrade some stuff

 

[kelpaso1]

Who the heck needs a distributor machine these days?

 

[Walkers]

Who the heck needs a distributor machine these days?

I do, remember, I’m an International guy, they never had anything better.

 

[engineer2]

Anybody working on older cars would find a distributor machine useful. You could probably do a small side business setting up distributors. Fully functional ones sell for crazy money around here, like $2000-$3500.

 

[MoonRise]

Miller 211 doesn't care if it's 50 or 60 hz, per the manual. Shipping the big stuff and converting is going to be a pain and expensive....Last I heard, a container runs 10K$+ just to get it on the boat.

Drop bulletpruf a note, as he moved stateside from Italy last year I think it was.

A bit depends on WHICH model/generation MM211 you have.

The 'older' MM211 with Auto-Set and MVP (single fold-down handle on top of the machine, two adjustment knobs are vertical to one another, and the spool gun switch is near the bottom right corner of the control panel, machine weight is listed as 74 lbs) is listed as 60 Hz input only (per the manual anyway).

The more recent MM211 (front and rear lift bars and a fixed lift handle, and the two main adjustment knobs are side-by-side and not vertical, and the 'mode' knob is centered between the two main adjustment knobs, which also has Auto-Set and MVP, machine weight is listed as 42 lbs) is listed as 50/60 Hz.

You'll still have the difference and incompatibility in the plug(s) and receptacle(s) to deal with. I'd probably make a converter-cable extension cord with a US NEMA receptacle on one end (the machine's existing plug goes into this end) and the desired Euro plug on the other end (the Euro plug then plugs into the Euro wall outlet), instead of chopping off the NEMA plug from the machine's power cord. Personal preference, you can chop or not.

Or you could maybe just run off of a 60 Hz generator powering the shop stuff?

+1 on drop Scott (bulletpruf) a note, he and his family recently relocated from Europe back to the US.

 

[Lassen Forge]

That's what I was kinda thinking I might have to do... I have a pair of EU2000's, but might have to upgrade those to 3500s for the 240V 60Hz power, and buy the electrical outlets, boxes etc here to run a separate 120/240 US spec system separate from "shore power"...

 

[mike93lx]

That's what I was kinda thinking I might have to do... I have a pair of EU2000's, but might have to upgrade those to 3500s for the 240V 60Hz power, and buy the electrical outlets, boxes etc here to run a separate 120/240 US spec system separate from "shore power"...

You need to go up to honda's 6500 to get 240v.

Running a generator is silly though. Have you looked at fuel costs in Europe compared to the US? Plus it is another expense that could be put towards buying the right equipment

 

[Lassen Forge]

Sure, gasoline in the EU isn't cheap, but neither is mains elecricity... part of the balancing act, working out the logistics of A vs B vs A+B vs C...

 

[seber]

They aren't cheap but single phase frequency converters are available. It would be a single unit to convert power for everything.

 

[seber]

Also not cheap is a frequency converter that would solve the problem entirely.

 

[larry4406]

Spit balling here - can you take a VFD controlled 3-phase motor running on the European power grid, adjust its speed to 60hz, and connect it to a US spec’d generator head? Then power your tools off it?

 

[Lassen Forge]

That's a cool idea... didn't think about a VFD...

 

[finn]

We used small inexpensive transformers when we brought things from the states to our house in Europe years ago. That was low current demand household stuff, though.

I wouldn’t do that again, nor would I do it with shop equipment or power tools.

Just sell everything and start over with new. You’re going to save shipping and packing/unpacking costs and hassle, plus have modern tools.