I find myself sitting in a marina in Portugal where endless amounts of power are available in 220VAC at 50Hz. The United States runs on 110VAC at 60Hz. The short version to this problem is they are not convertible.
The long story is: The way you can convert 220 to 110 is with a converter that steps the voltage down but still keeps the lower Hz which means your tools will run but just a bit slower.
All of my tools are from the states where 110 is the standard and therefore that is how they are powered. Even the battery charger for my cordless tools is 110! The only way for me to power my tools is to crank up the generator which is from the United States and cranks out 110VAC at 60Hz. It’s like my mini American power plant!
All of this could have been avoided by being a little more selective when I was took shopping all those years ago. Tools do come convertible where you can plug them into 110 or 220 at 50 or 60 Hz. These tools can work anywhere and would negate this whole issue.
If you are planning on going cruising, be sure to buy tools that come convertible so that you don’t find yourself sitting at a marina pier surrounded by neighbors and having to ask them if it’s ok with them that you run a noisy generator on that peaceful day.
