How to get power tools to work in Eastern Europe?

January 21, 2007 6:05 AM

Do power tools need more than just a voltage converter to work in Eastern Europe (Belgrade, Serbia)? My father wants to purchase a power tool for my father in law (think a drill...). (more inside)

We know all about the need for power converters and adapters, but my dad is worried about there being a difference in 'cycles' for the power. he mentioned 60 cycle and 50 cycle power... thinking that this difference was relevant and important due to the electric motor in the tool.

I asked some people in Belgrade, but they didn't know what I was talking about...

posted by dyerfr to Travel & Transportation (4 answers total)

Your dad is correct. European mains power is universally 50Hz. North America is 60Hz. AC motors tend to be designed for one specific frequency and may work inefficiently or not at all (or burn out) at the wrong one. The only way to find out is to try.

You could side-step this issue with cordless tools, but you'd still have to check what voltages/frequencies the charger supported.
posted by cillit bang at 6:59 AM on January 21, 2007

Also, most voltage adapters are only designed for small amperage. Many power tools draw large amperages.
posted by caddis at 9:20 AM on January 21, 2007

For AC induction motors the speed depends on the frequency, so even if they worked they would be 17% slower than the rated speed. Then again, those tend to be the kind of motors used in fans and things with constant speed, and not hand tools that use universal motors, which I believe do not depend on frequency at all. However if you put 220V to a universal motor whose windings were designed for 110V you would certainly fry them. The kinds of devices that can support a wide range of voltages/frequencies with only a change in plug are not typically motors but electronics that use switch-mode voltage regulation, such as cell phone chargers or computer power supplies. On the other hand, if you get a cordless drill, there is a very high chance that the charger would be such a switchmode circuit and would support any voltage and frequency.

In any case just defer to the specifications stamped on the unit itself, which should be definitive as to whether this will work or not.
posted by Rhomboid at 10:23 AM on January 21, 2007

Furthermore, any kind of power adaptor transformer that converts voltage that also has a high enough current rating for hand tools will probably be quite large and heavy, and not the kind of thing one would want to bring to a job site. If it were me I would go either with the cordless tool or make sure to order a version of the tool for the appropriate line voltage, but I would not consider any kind of transformer.
posted by Rhomboid at 10:26 AM on January 21, 2007