I have seen a power tool for sale but it is from the US. It is 110v. Will it work as normal on my UK 110v transformer. Does anyone know for definite if the frequency in the US for 110v is the same as the UK? The power tool is cheaper than the UK offering so I'm tempted. Tnx.
Is 110v UK same as 110v US??
- Thread starter wifeiswitteringagain
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Isn't the US 60 Hurts?
American frequency is 60 Hz ( cycles per second ) and the UK frequency is 50 Hz.
Power tools with motors with brushes will work on 50 or 60 Hz but not at best efficiency.
An American ( 60 Hz ) fed with 50Hz may run hotter and possibly faster as the inductance ( resistance ) of the motor coils is lower for 50 than for 60 and more power will be taken.
Induction motor for 60 Hz will run slower on 50Hz and may run hotter.
The cheaper the motor the more pronounced the heatig effect is.
Some good quality brushed motors will run well on both frequencies.
Power tools with motors with brushes will work on 50 or 60 Hz but not at best efficiency.
An American ( 60 Hz ) fed with 50Hz may run hotter and possibly faster as the inductance ( resistance ) of the motor coils is lower for 50 than for 60 and more power will be taken.
Induction motor for 60 Hz will run slower on 50Hz and may run hotter.
The cheaper the motor the more pronounced the heatig effect is.
Some good quality brushed motors will run well on both frequencies.
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Thanks for the responses chaps. The tool I'm thinking of buying is a portable makita woodworking compound mitre saw. When in use it's an intermittent cutting process. the motor will probably only run for 10-20 secs max. at a time. The saving is a couple of hundred quid over the UK version. £280 vs £500ish for same tool. All that said, what do you qualified electrical guys reckon. Cheers.
Thanks Tim. Would you buy a US one bearing in mind the short cutting times???
Not totally I wouldn't have thought, 110v@50hz is still 10% more volts per cycle than 120v@60hz, better than nothing though!
It will probablly work
It's lifetime may be negatively affected, you will have great trouble getting any warranty support, you won't be protected by UK consumer protection laws, you will almost certainly have to pay VAT and may have to pay import duty as well.
It's lifetime may be negatively affected, you will have great trouble getting any warranty support, you won't be protected by UK consumer protection laws, you will almost certainly have to pay VAT and may have to pay import duty as well.
I personally would have no qualms about buying one
B
breezer
I wouldn't say may, more like WILL.
importing / delivery company will do that, even after 5 months of you bringing it in, and as plugwash said, no g'tee since you have void it by running on wrong frequency / voltage
importing / delivery company will do that, even after 5 months of you bringing it in, and as plugwash said, no g'tee since you have void it by running on wrong frequency / voltage
wasnt we taught at college that with a brush motor that the brushes actually have the effect of rectification on the AC current and therefore frequency will be of little importance to the windings
Not rectifying but commuting the polarity applied to the acctive coils on the armature. The AC supply reversals affect both field and armature magnetic polarities. ( Ooops jsut realise I forgot to say it is only motors with field windings that run on AC, permanent magnet motors won't ).
The impedance of the coils is lower at 50Hz than it is at 60Hz so more current flows in the coils.
Mmmm I was taught different then, that the brushes themselves acted like rectifiers hence the need for suppression to stop the sparking caused by the DC from pitting the commutator.
correct me if Im wrong, but isnt UK 110V 55-0-55 relative to earth, and has no neutral as such, whereas US 110V is 110-0 relative to earth.
would this not make a difference?
would this not make a difference?
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