USA cordless tools on Australia 240v power?

Pis-ton broke · 14-06-2011, 07:12 PM

I,m thinking about buying a De walt cordless combo kit from the USA. However De walt tools in USA are 110 volts (the charger ), question is, has anybody brought USA power goods and run it on 240v? do i need a step down transformer for the USA stuff?,or just get a plug adapter?

cheers Mick

opto · 14-06-2011, 07:21 PM

Why dont you get a 240 volt Charger from Dewalt Australia, problem solved

Benjamin Smith · 14-06-2011, 07:41 PM

plus if anything goes wrong with it you will not will be able to get warrenty work done if something goes wrong. and just a quick question what is the kit code and price you paid if you don't mind.

Pis-ton broke · 14-06-2011, 07:59 PM

code is DCK675L for $657.00 6 piece lith- ion battery

opto, thats a good point , but will the Ozzy charger be compartible with the Yank battery?

Yellow_Festiva · 14-06-2011, 08:00 PM

Hey Mick,

Email the seller and ask for the voltage range of the charger. Most stuff these days works between 100-240v anyway to cater for all the variable voltages around the world.

So, all you may need is the plug convertor.

Jim Goose · 14-06-2011, 08:15 PM

Silly question but why buy a drill from the USA? Surely by the time you pay for freight it will cost the same as the aussie price?

In anycase most chargers operate of a range of voltages.
As long as the input voltage and charge rate is the same it wont matter.

The other issue is warranty....

Pis-ton broke · 14-06-2011, 08:25 PM

thank yellow festiva.

Mr goose, its a combo set. in Australia its worth over $1500. to let you know, yank stuff is heaps, heaps cheaper, and the dollar is good. Its new , a big well known company, and i,ve brought stuff from Toolking before. shipping is about $180.

Tomo1972 · 14-06-2011, 08:28 PM

I had two 18V Dewalt cordless drills arrive today....landed for $240 total.

Retail in Oz is $375 each.

Impact driver last week $120 landed...In Oz is $320

Batteries 4 weeks ago for $65 each.. in Oz $110

Cant beat US prices at the moment.

Scott · 14-06-2011, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Hey Mick,

Email the seller and ask for the voltage range of the charger. Most stuff these days works between 100-240v anyway to cater for all the variable voltages around the world.

So, all you may need is the plug convertor.

If they don't suit (some I have googled seem to be 120v only), you can get Step Down Transformers (240->120v) from jaycar/ebay pretty cheaply and they already have the appropriate plug/s. Bit of a fiddly way to do it though.

galaxy xr8 · 14-06-2011, 08:35 PM

Interesting thread as I am also looking at a Makita Rotary polisher from the states aswell and have to find out how the different volt's etc work.

shedcoupe · 14-06-2011, 08:37 PM

Apart from the voltage issue, US electrical system is 60 Hz and Aussie is 50 Hz (frequency).
This may or may not be an issue for the charger's electronics.
The batteries are likely to be the same in US and Aus tools.

Trivia - my understanding is that a motor designed for 60 Hz will run slower on 50 Hz, and a motor designed for 220 V will have more torque on 240 V. Not related to this subject of course, as the motor in a cordless drill is DC, but this may be of interest to those thinking of bringing in corded tools that may be 220 V (though more likely to be 110 V and will need a step-down transformer).

Yellow_Festiva · 14-06-2011, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shedcoupe

Apart from the voltage issue, US electrical system is 60 Hz and Aussie is 50 Hz (frequency).
This may or may not be an issue for the charger's electronics.
The batteries are likely to be the same in US and Aus tools.

Doubt it will be an issue. I just looked at my laptop charger.

Input "100-240v and 50-60Hz"

It also has a clever system where the box of the charger (incorporated into the plug) has a removable AU pin socket. Twist it off and another plug can be slotted in.

So, they must use the exact same charging / battery hardware for all markets.

Doubt the drill would be any different.

shedcoupe · 14-06-2011, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Doubt it will be an issue. I just looked at my laptop charger.

Input "100-240v and 50-60Hz"

It also has a clever system where the box of the charger (incorporated into the plug) has a removable AU pin socket. Twist it off and another plug can be slotted in.

So, they must use the exact same charging / battery hardware for all markets.

Doubt the drill would be any different.

Agree. The electronics in the charger are unlikely to be affected by the frequency difference, but if the charger voltage does matter it will need a step-down transformer.

Pis-ton broke · 14-06-2011, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott

If they don't suit (some I have googled seem to be 120v only), you can get Step Down Transformers (240->120v) from jaycar/ebay pretty cheaply and they already have the appropriate plug/s. Bit of a fiddly way to do it though.

thanks scott, i didn,t know that, if worst comes to worst, i will go to jaycar. it with be a done deal, i,m buy,in it, hear come my new toys.

AUIIPURSUIT · 14-06-2011, 09:14 PM

i bought a 36V dewalt kit from the states a few years back.

the charger requires a step down transformer. You CANNOT just go buy the cheapest available. It HAS to have suitable amperage or it will just FAIL miserably. So you are looking around the 100$+ mark for a step down that is no frills and will do the job properly.

Its also a pain in the **** if u need to take a step down and a bulky charger on site (i leave it at home and if they die, they die). So buying a charger locally is probably a better solution. They are quite expensive though, even extra batteries are a junkload pending what voltage youre looking at.

Secondly, we had 2 batteries die within a week and they are basically bricks now. they arent worth returning and dewalt aus wouldnt have a bar of it.

FWIW, i think dewalt tools have gone down the gurgler and theres much better brands around.

Considering its tax deductable anyway (guessing your a tradie too), look around before you bite the bullet.

best of luck from someone whose been there.

Pis-ton broke · 14-06-2011, 09:25 PM

what sort of good brands are you talking about AUIIPURSUIT. Makita? or Hitachi?

I have heard that about de walt too. but i don,t have much time to check every tool spec. de walt has a steel gearbox in the drill.

shedcoupe · 14-06-2011, 09:25 PM

The cost in making a cordless tool is mostly the battery these days as motors, gearboxes, chucks, chargers etc. just aren't that dear now, so the tale of the dead batteries above is very relevant - if a battery dies early it is expensive to replace without warranty backup.

Yellow_Festiva · 14-06-2011, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AUIIPURSUIT

Secondly, we had 2 batteries die within a week and they are basically bricks now. they arent worth returning and dewalt aus wouldnt have a bar of it.

I guess that's the risk you take when buying these items from OS. I bought a laptop battery online and it has died within 2 months. I'm debating if it is worth paying $25 to send an $85 battery back for their 'assesssment of the failure'.

Not that I do it often, but I will prob not buy something like this again from OS. I wonder if they send dodgy / 'factory seconds' to us because they know most won't bother sending it back...

And if they send another replacement battery, it will prob come straight out of the same batch the first one came from..

AUIIPURSUIT · 14-06-2011, 10:12 PM

panasonic make awesome impact drills, theres a reason nearly every chippy uses them.

Im also a fan of milwaukee gear in the cordless range and of course the makita li-ion is pretty good kit.

**Giant Cranium** · 14-06-2011, 10:21 PM

im hitachi thru and thru. have had the whole cordless range for the last 3 years and treated them badly and they just keep going.
even the batteries have not fadded with over 1000 charges on each of my 6 batteries

also milwalkie are good but to big and heavy

sudszy · 15-06-2011, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Doubt it will be an issue. I just looked at my laptop charger.

Input "100-240v and 50-60Hz"

It also has a clever system where the box of the charger (incorporated into the plug) has a removable AU pin socket. Twist it off and another plug can be slotted in.

So, they must use the exact same charging / battery hardware for all markets.

Doubt the drill would be any different.

Most stuff exported to Australia will be as you describe above and for laptops/phones where the market is world wide it makes sense to just send the one charger off everywhere, especially since people travelling with these items is common these days.

For a product that is made in the USA, they are unlikely to add expense to the local product by having the charger work at dual voltage/frequency, the cost would be considerable especially if it is a high current/power device for charging drill batteries, rather than just a mobile phone charger.

Possibly one thing I would consider is contacting the supplier where you(OP) intend purchasing the unit and ask whether they can organise a 240V charger through de Walt USA at their end.

CJR09 · 15-06-2011, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AUIIPURSUIT

FWIW, i think dewalt tools have gone down the gurgler and theres much better brands around.

Considering its tax deductable anyway (guessing your a tradie too), look around before you bite the bullet.

best of luck from someone whose been there.

^^^^this^^^^

Quote:

Originally Posted by AUIIPURSUIT

panasonic make awesome impact drills, theres a reason nearly every chippy uses them.

Im also a fan of milwaukee gear in the cordless range and of course the makita li-ion is pretty good kit.

been there done it also - I'm with makita now - li-ion

not quite as good as the milwaukee but similar warranty and half the price

bang for buck makita is where its at

XESP351 · 15-06-2011, 01:58 PM

Couple of months ago I bought a Hitachi combo kit which included Circ Saw, angle grinder, jigsaw, two Li-Ion batteries and charger, plus a Hitachi bag for $650 from an Aussie seller on Ebay who imports them from USA and has the correct voltage, frequency and plug for Oz. I rang Hitachi Oz and this same kit would have cost $1320 with 12 months warranty. The seller was a very good bloke (picked it up from the warehouse) and provides replacement warranty for 12 months, the tools have performed flawlessly so far. He also sells Milwaukee and Dewalt gear.

Let me know if you want his details and I'll see if i can dig them up.

**Charliewool** · 15-06-2011, 03:23 PM

Dewalt aren't a patch on what they once were!.. My opinion, This.. http://www.fordforums.com.au/showpos...47&postcount=5

Tomo1972 · 15-06-2011, 03:28 PM

I cant fault Dewalt. Mine cop a thrashing everyday and I havent had a single failure from....

2 x drill/driver/hammer drills
1 x rotary impact hammer drill
1 x impact driver
1 x angle grinder
1 x recip saw
1 x torch
1 x fluro light
1 x wet vac
1 x radio/charger

All of the above are 18v cordless and three years old

The only failure I have had is one battery in three years.

Just purchased a spare drill/driver, impact driver and 6 batteries....to kill some tax.

vztrt · 15-06-2011, 10:30 PM

The cahrger will most likely only work at 110v. They do this so you buy the overpriced item in Oz (the cost to make a 110-240v SMPS is no real cost difference).

But as said you can go down to Jaycar and get a step-down transformer. This will cost you around the $200 mark from experience.

sudszy · 15-06-2011, 10:43 PM

http://www.tortech.com.au/product/250-watts-step-down/

it implies the 50Hz output isnt a problem for the dewalt chargers.

Barnaby · 15-06-2011, 10:46 PM

I used to work next to the DeWalt service agent in Melbourne (Chirnside Park) and their big clean-away bin was chockers in about a week! Guys there said they had lost the plot and that they all seem to do it - build a rep and then blow it by cutting corners on new models and then battle for a few years to get their rep back and then do it all over again. Milwaukee is a good example, had a good reputation for a few years but the new ones are having issues according to a mate who sells them.

Panasonic are good but there is only one that never seems to have issues - Hilti $$$

http://www.hilti.com.au

The frequency of the mains wont be an issue for the newer switching supplies, the old transformer/linear supplies sometimes could overheat over longer periods.

homegrown · 15-06-2011, 11:00 PM

HI Ya I bought a KIT OFF EBAY It was a 7 piece set save hundreds buying it from the states. No issues with the tools. Batteries are fine, Charger has a step down, but with the money I saved I could easily buy a new Aussie one and still have saved heaps. 60 50 hz is no issue., All the tools are made in China and half of China is 50 hz while the other half is 60.
Just thought Id write my thoughts. Tools are great quality and I trash the crap out of them on a daily basis

ea90gl · 15-06-2011, 11:03 PM

My vote goes to milwaukee, used plenty of others and yes they may be bigger and heavier but the power/torque the 18V range gives out is brilliant. Got the 6 piece set almost a year back now and do not regret it. Looked at sets from the US but as mentioned since tools are us tradies bread maker it's not worth risking warranty and having to send it back and wait etc. Just purchase here the extra you pay is well worth it.By the way Milwaukee offer 5 years warranty on tools/2 years on battries