Conversion US to EU - possible of not?

[dgornik]

Hello!

I have a substantial set of Festool tools (saws, dust extractors, sanders, Domino) that were all bought in the US. I will be moving to EU. Since those are all 110V tools for 60Hz, and Europe runs on 220V 50Hz, are there conversion kits available (I assume motor / electronic and cable replacements) or will I have to sell/re-buy in Europe? Would Festool service actually consider such conversions?

(I did the search in the discussion groups but could not find an answer anywhere).

Thank you!

Davor

 

[squall_line]

Warranty would only be handled by shipping the tool back to the US.  Service would be hit-or-miss.

I purchased some of my tools from a guy who was moving from Minnesota to Europe.  He kept his battery powered tools but was selling all of his wired tools.  I think he only kept one or two "impossible to replace" items because he also owned a hospital-grade voltage converter to make those few items run smoothly, and kept his Milwaukee Packouts because he figured they would travel safely in a shipping container.

 

[woodbutcherbower]

It's way simpler than you could possibly imagine. Although the UK runs on 230v, construction sites have to use 110v by law since it's way safer in the event of a cord becoming accidentally severed. Site power is 230v however, so every worker uses 110v versions of Festool tools along with a portable step-down transformer which converts the 230v site supply voltage down to 110v - one of these;

[attachimg=1]

You'll see hundreds of these yellow boxes at every UK construction site. They're relatively cheap to buy - typically under 200 bucks, and depending on how you work, the chances are that you'll only need one of them. The 50Hz/60Hz difference doesn't seem to be any issue whatsoever. All you need to do is to take off the US cord plugs from your tools, and swap them out for Schuco connectors - you can then run all of your existing tools from the transformer's Schuco sockets without any modification;

[attachimg=2]

You don't state where in the EU you're moving to - but these transformers are widely available in the UK and could be shipped to any other EU destination. They're heavy though, so won't be cheap to ship. All you need to do then is to fit the transformer's inlet cord with the appropriate country mains plug - and you're good to go.

I hope that [member=58857]Crazyraceguy[/member] chimes in here - he bought a UK 110v version of the TS60 recently, complete with a Schuco mains cord, and did this simple conversion in reverse.

Hope that brightens up your day  [big grin]
Kevin

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I can tell you that in the reverse, I have had no issues at all. The UK 110v version of the TS60 comes hard-wired, so my first move was the swap the plug itself. I had to wait a few days for the internal connector, but then I switched to Plug-it. The TS60 is a higher amp-draw tool, so if it works fine, the others should be no issue either.
In your case, most of the tools will already be Plug-it, with exceptions for OF2200, RAS115, CT extractors, and really old versions of the tools.
With those exceptions in mind, the simple and most cost effective move is to sell your Plug-it cables while you are still in the US and by a new one that fits the transformer [member=75780]woodbutcherbower[/member] recommended, when you get to your destination. The beauty of Plug-it is that you really only need one, no matter how many tools you have. If you have several to sell, and only buy one, you could come out ahead, and apply that profit to the transformer.
Hope that helps.
Depending upon what tools you actually have, it could be that easy. If you own any of the exceptions, you have to get new ends for the existing cord.

 

[squall_line]

Ultimately, the shipping/import costs and hassle may outweigh the hassle of re-buying everything.  That's a calculation only you can make.

This is also a good time to purge tools that you have but no longer use, if you haven't already made that purge.

 

[Svar]

All you need to do is to take off the US cord plugs from your tools, and swap them out for Schuco connectors

You can get a step down transformer that simply accepts US plug.

50/60 Hz is not a problem. I have tools from both sides of the pond and they all work fine.
However, if I were moving long term and paying for the move myself I would just sell the tools and buy locally.

 

[jeh]

Ultimately, the shipping/import costs and hassle may outweigh the hassle of re-buying everything.  That's a calculation only you can make.

This is also a good time to purge tools that you have but no longer use, if you haven't already made that purge.

Who determines the valuation of the items? Knowing nothing about import fees I would say it is highly unlikely there is a line item for Festool drills for example. There might be a drill but it is probably valued as the big store cheap drill and not $500 drill. If you self-value your items then you can use any price you want. Would someone look at a Festool drill and know it was $500? I doubt anyone working in customs would know or care.

Surely the cost of the import fee is less than the difference between selling the used tools and buying new ones. I might agree with the selling concept if it were only a few tools, but for a lot the financial impact will be substantial. Not mentioned here is if the move is temporary or permanent.

Buy the adapter and keep the tools.

 

[MikeGE]

Ultimately, the shipping/import costs and hassle may outweigh the hassle of re-buying everything. 

Who determines the valuation of the items?

Unfortunately, [member=19045]dgornik[/member] does not indicate to which EU country he is moving.  For Germany, importing household goods, and automobiles if owned for more than six months, is duty free.  There are conditions, such as the move must be a permanent move with the intent on becoming a resident of Germany.  Any single item with a purchase price, or residual value, of €5,000 or more must be declared upon entry, but there will usually not be any import duties assessed if the item is for personal use.  A collection of Festool equipment will likely not require declaration.

 

[dgornik]

It's way simpler than you could possibly imagine. Although the UK runs on 230v, construction sites have to use 110v by law since it's way safer in the event of a cord becoming accidentally severed. Site power is 230v however, so every worker uses 110v versions of Festool tools along with a portable step-down transformer which converts the 230v site supply voltage down to 110v - one of these;

[attachimg=1]

You'll see hundreds of these yellow boxes at every UK construction site. They're relatively cheap to buy - typically under 200 bucks, and depending on how you work, the chances are that you'll only need one of them. The 50Hz/60Hz difference doesn't seem to be any issue whatsoever. All you need to do is to take off the US cord plugs from your tools, and swap them out for Schuco connectors - you can then run all of your existing tools from the transformer's Schuco sockets without any modification;

[attachimg=2]

You don't state where in the EU you're moving to - but these transformers are widely available in the UK and could be shipped to any other EU destination. They're heavy though, so won't be cheap to ship. All you need to do then is to fit the transformer's inlet cord with the appropriate country mains plug - and you're good to go.

I hope that [member=58857]Crazyraceguy[/member] chimes in here - he bought a UK 110v version of the TS60 recently, complete with a Schuco mains cord, and did this simple conversion in reverse.

Hope that brightens up your day  [big grin]
Kevin

Appreciate this ideas... I will be moving somewhere to Austria/Germany/Slovenia... schuko connections. Will look into converters. Thank you!

 

[dgornik]

I can tell you that in the reverse, I have had no issues at all. The UK 110v version of the TS60 comes hard-wired, so my first move was the swap the plug itself. I had to wait a few days for the internal connector, but then I switched to Plug-it. The TS60 is a higher amp-draw tool, so if it works fine, the others should be no issue either.
In your case, most of the tools will already be Plug-it, with exceptions for OF2200, RAS115, CT extractors, and really old versions of the tools.
With those exceptions in mind, the simple and most cost effective move is to sell your Plug-it cables while you are still in the US and by a new one that fits the transformer [member=75780]woodbutcherbower[/member] recommended, when you get to your destination. The beauty of Plug-it is that you really only need one, no matter how many tools you have. If you have several to sell, and only buy one, you could come out ahead, and apply that profit to the transformer.
Hope that helps.
Depending upon what tools you actually have, it could be that easy. If you own any of the exceptions, you have to get new ends for the existing cord.

I guess I have to check which ones would really be a simple plug-it cable replacement. Seems I thought way too complex. Thank you!

 

[dgornik]

Ultimately, the shipping/import costs and hassle may outweigh the hassle of re-buying everything.  That's a calculation only you can make.

This is also a good time to purge tools that you have but no longer use, if you haven't already made that purge.

This will not be a concern for me. Luckily someone else is paying for it

 

[dgornik]

All you need to do is to take off the US cord plugs from your tools, and swap them out for Schuco connectors

You can get a step down transformer that simply accepts US plug.

50/60 Hz is not a problem. I have tools from both sides of the pond and they all work fine.
However, if I were moving long term and paying for the move myself I would just sell the tools and buy locally.

Maybe I am showing my age from the time when 50/60 Hz was a problem with every motor. Thanks!

 

[dgornik]

Ultimately, the shipping/import costs and hassle may outweigh the hassle of re-buying everything. 

Who determines the valuation of the items?

Unfortunately, [member=19045]dgornik[/member] does not indicate to which EU country he is moving.  For Germany, importing household goods, and automobiles if owned for more than six months, is duty free.  There are conditions, such as the move must be a permanent move with the intent on becoming a resident of Germany.  Any single item with a purchase price, or residual value, of €5,000 or more must be declared upon entry, but there will usually not be any import duties assessed if the item is for personal use.  A collection of Festool equipment will likely not require declaration.

Agree, not a problem for me. Thank you!

 

[dgornik]

All you need to do is to take off the US cord plugs from your tools, and swap them out for Schuco connectors

You can get a step down transformer that simply accepts US plug.

50/60 Hz is not a problem. I have tools from both sides of the pond and they all work fine.
However, if I were moving long term and paying for the move myself I would just sell the tools and buy locally.

Maybe I am showing my age from the time when 50/60 Hz was a problem with every motor. Thanks!

I actually went through all of my tools now... and only one (RO90 DX FEQ) has in specifications 50/60Hz. I understand the point that it should/will work, but just wanted to update here that the tools are not certified for it. Thank you!

 

[Crazyraceguy]

The thing that just occurred to me, which made me feel dumb, is that you would really only need to do the transformer conversion for the CT. All of the other tools, with their existing cords, would work through it. Not seeing the forrest, for the trees.

 

[Svar]

All you need to do is to take off the US cord plugs from your tools, and swap them out for Schuco connectors

You can get a step down transformer that simply accepts US plug.
50/60 Hz is not a problem. I have tools from both sides of the pond and they all work fine.
However, if I were moving long term and paying for the move myself I would just sell the tools and buy locally.

Maybe I am showing my age from the time when 50/60 Hz was a problem with every motor. Thanks!

I believe it's a problem for clocks or devices with induction motors. For power tools with universal motors I don't notice any difference in operation or performance.

 

[Galazore11]

I can tell you that in the reverse, I have had no issues at all. The UK 110v version of the TS60 comes hard-wired, so my first move was the swap the plug itself. I had to wait a few days for the internal connector, but then I switched to Plug-it. The TS60 is a higher amp-draw tool, so if it works fine, the others should be no issue either.
In your case, most of the tools will already be Plug-it, with exceptions for OF2200, RAS115, CT extractors, and really old versions of the tools.
With those exceptions in mind, the simple and most cost effective move is to sell your Plug-it cables while you are still in the US and by a new one that fits the transformer [member=75780]woodbutcherbower[/member] recommended, when you get to your destination. The beauty of Plug-it is that you really only need one, no matter how many tools you have. If you have several to sell, and only buy one, you could come out ahead, and apply that profit to the transformer.
Hope that helps.
Depending upon what tools you actually have, it could be that easy. If you own any of the exceptions, you have to get new ends for the existing cord.

New here, can you clarify the reverse process if a 125/3 has a GB plug it and I'm in the US? I read that some UK tools are 110 because of job site laws? Is it specific to the tool, or can I just pop in my US plug it and everything will work? Looks like you just mentioned a hardwired cord swap on your TS60

Sorry to rehash an old topic (also my first time here, so I kinda have no idea how this board works. )

 

[Crazyraceguy]

[member=82876]Galazore11[/member] It completely depends on the tool itself. The UK tools are offered in both configurations 230v and 110v, but they are not interchangeable. A 230v tool will not run on 110v site power. The plugs are different anyway. Conversely, the 110v site tools won't work with the normal mains power.  As mentioned above there are transformers to make this happen.

 

[Galazore11]

[member=82876]Galazore11[/member] It completely depends on the tool itself. The UK tools are offered in both configurations 230v and 110v, but they are not interchangeable. A 230v tool will not run on 110v site power. The plugs are different anyway. Conversely, the 110v site tools won't work with the normal mains power.  As mentioned above there are transformers to make this happen.

So if the tool is the 110V version and I change the plug to the US plug, it would work in the US with no transformer? Conversely, if I just get the transformer I can just do it that way. My thought was is if the tool side and pigtail of the Plug It is the same, there was a chance I could just swap that out with an additional Plug It I have.

Again, my apologies, electric is not my strong suit whatsoever.

 

[jeh]

For the tools I bought in the UK (110V versions) I bought the female (I think) version of the locking connector used in the UK and made a short extension cord with US plug. I am adverse to butchering cords.