Early next year our overseas shipping container is going on its journey, and I’ve got a (slightly late) question.
I’m bringing quite a bit of power tools—drill, circular saw, screwdrivers, etc. I take good care of them and would really like to keep using them in Canada. Do the chargers usually work with a plug adapter, or do you need something else?
I’ve noticed with a few things I’ve used with an adapter before (like a hair dryer) that they don’t run at full power in Canada. Has anyone had experience with charging European power tool batteries over there, or with using the tools themselves?
Thx
Marile
If you want a really simple rule of thumb: tools with batteries probably fine, computer and household electronics too - just check the panels on the devices, powerbricks or chargers to see if they have the 100-240v 'switching' type power supplies. Heavier wired gear (things with larger physical motors) and heating elements - probably not worth it except for smaller travel devices.
In more detail:
-If your power tools run off a battery, you should look on the battery chargers themselves and see if they are marked (typically they are) with something like ~100-240v, 50/60 Hz. Essentially this covers off both the North American standard mains power (120v/60hz) and the European (230v/50Hz). If so, all you would need is a plug adapter (no electronics involved, just a physical adapter). Again, this is quite common for items that are purely electronics, such as battery chargers.
-If your devices work directly off the mains and are purely electronics (televisions and computer things, for example), they will probably show this same 100-240v range.
-European devices connected to mains electricity that drive motors of any size/weight probably WILL NOT work (and will show on their panels something like 220-240v/60Hz) - they rely upon the specific AC used, and I believe in some cases could be dangerous/be ruined. This would usually mean things like heavier drills and saws (if not run off batteries, of course) - and even a lot of lighter ones, if run off mains.
-Things that are mostly heating elements (hair dryers and the like) - some smaller travel ones like light hair dryers or curling irons might be designed for multiple voltages, and yes, they'll run at lower power in North America due to the lower voltage. But I would /strongly/ advise against planning on using any that are not marked for the wide voltage range - it could be dangerous. Most appliances that have heating elements (toasters, crockpots, etc) are not designed to be used at different AC standards.
While you can get step-up / step-down transformers, they're traditionally bulky and very heavy, and the different frequency (Hz) can cause problems for some types of equipment. Mostly not worth it unless it's some very specialized equipment.
