POWER TOOLS

[StephenA]

I am sure this question has been asked a million times but I am in the process of buying a barn for conversion.

I have a complete workshop of power tools, both hand and machine, as I am moving over to France is it possible to convert these tools and machines to work in france or do I need to buy them all over again.

[pachapapa]

Cut off or disconnect the funny yUK plugs and replace with french two-pin or three-pin plugs depending on power and earthing characteristics of the appliance.

[Théière]

Are your power tools 110v? if so make up a power lead with a decent outdoor (rubber plug) French onto a 240v three pin socket from the UK. Obviously taking your 110v transformer with you.

Nothing funny about UK plugs, locally fused and a bloody sight better than pathetic french ones. Localised fusing is always safer than hoping good conections exist back through many metres of cable several boite de derivations and chock block connectors. Start pulling 2.400 watts (my scie circulaire and router and watch the french plugs get hot)

Edited due to the effect of medication!

[tonyv]

Don't cut off the UK plugs. Invest in a few multi-socket extensions (about a fiver), and put French plugs on those. Much easier, preserves warranty, etc, and makes it harder for neighbours to "borrow" your tools.

Both connector systems have their advantages and drawbacks. The French plug is much smaller, lighter, and, er, flimsier. The UK plug is over-engineered, looks and feels like a brick, and has a local fuse, which can be a nuisance in terms of reliability.

I've yet to see a well-designed mains plug/socket system, but on balance I'd prefer the French tot the UK. I recognise that opinions will vary.

[marcardis]

"Are your power tools 110v? if so make up a power lead with a decent

outdoor (rubber plug) French onto a 110v three pin socket from the UK.

Nothing funny about UK plugs, locally fused and a bloody sight better than pathetic french ones."

Slightly confusing advice.

Why would his tools be 110v in the UK unless he is a contractor and has the required transformers, etc.

In the event that the hand tools were 110v and he followed your advice to make up a power lead, what is he going to plug it into in France - a transformer would be needed.

How exactly are UK plugs better than French ones and what is the advantage of the fuse in the plug?

With respect to power loadings, papachapa and tonyv have offered more helpful advice.

Personally, when we moved to France, I replaced all the UK plugs on my power tools with Legrand rubber plugs and for 'pathetic French ones" they are still fine after 11 years.

Regards,

Marcardis

[BIG MAC]

Line voltages are similar so ok in that respect. I would simply put a French plug on a couple of UK 4 way extension leads then you can use your gear both sides ditto in your workshop a couple of good quality extensions of the block type can generally be wall mounted thereby giving you UK style connectivity...(If you want switchable just make up a lead with plug connected to some UK sockets..it's not hard wired as there's aplug top.....just amke sure you aren't exceeding recommended loadings.

Heavey tools even on 110V Transformer may knock out your isolator on the incoming supply from time to time but no big deal (My Makita demolition hammer does)

Battery pack stuff just the same as UK. I would simply use an adaptor on the charger

 

[Jonzjob]

My workshop has the U.K. multi sockets hardwired into a junction box. If(!) it ever comes to the time when it is needed to refit with French sockets it is an easy job to change over.

As for French sockets! Just think of the round 2 pin sockets that will gladly accept a 3 pin plug! Lovely job, a piece of kit that needs an earth and NONE available! Also a bit of kit that needs just a 3 amp fuse in the plug running off a 16 amp cb back on the board? Good stuff 'ere init?

Neither are perfect, but I prefer the U.K. style, over engineering included.

[BIG MAC]

If floor standing kit and hardwiring into a JB  then why not use a proper isolators and small single way MCB / RCD board which could be fed off French plug top ;-)  Because you would be properly 'Hard wired' you should be able to determine what your loads are by rating the equipment and allowing for diversity (You are unlikely to run all machines at once but may have extract and thicknesser or morticer running together.

Doing it this way you could run an independent earth to an earth spike which would allow the board to trip on earth leakage as well as line fault. you could also wire in a 'Mushroom' isolator near to the workshop door which would allow the whole power circuit to be knocked out in an emergency but leaving lights operational.

(This all assumes rather that if it's running on a plug top and that the line loads are not excessive that in effect the workshop becomes a switched and earther 'Appliance')

Me...... I just bought French power tools as I needed them and have very few UK ones there now 

[Jonzjob]

I have put a tableau in there with an RCD and a couple of breakers.

I have bought power tools here, but when I checked the cost of a Fein Multimaster I saved over £100 by getting it from Axminster Power Tools and it came with a lot of extras too. There was no way that I was going to buy it here! That saving was the price to my door.

[pachapapa]

Of course none of these hardish soft wire ersatz hybrid a;lternatives will be covered by french house insurance when one gets electrocuted.

Surprising really as many of the contributors to this thread share a different psychopathic view point when confronted by a 13 kg gas cylinder in a kitchen.

Ah Yes! Silly me missing the crucial point. It is the "wifey's" lack of technological expertise, what matters.[:D] 

 

[Jonzjob]

The general idea is that 'one' does not get electrocuted, does 'one' because 'one' has 'one' protected by 'ones' RCD![:P]

As for gas cylinders, ours is a 2240 pounder sat at the back of 'ones' house. Propane of course.

[marcardis]

"Are your power tools 110v? if so make up a power lead with a decent

outdoor (rubber plug) French onto a 240v three pin socket from the UK.

Obviously taking your 110v transformer with you.

Nothing funny about UK plugs, locally fused and a bloody sight

better than pathetic french ones. Localised fusing is always safer than

hoping good conections exist back through many metres of cable several

boite de derivations and chock block connectors. Start pulling 2.400

watts (my scie circulaire and router and watch the french plugs get hot)

Edited due to the effect of medication!"

You are obviously able to change your original misleading posting.

My 'portable' workshop runs a Makita 5143R saw, a Makita 2300 router, Makita 1806 planer  and a Makita 445 portable extractor all running through French 'moulded on' plugs

The extractor and either the saw, router or planer run at the same time. Plus onsite lighting, stereo, etc. The French plugs do not get hot - where do you get this nonsense from?

If your plugs are getting hot then you have a problem with your wiring installation, which is nothing to do with French plugs.

Fairly daft to rely on a fuse in a plug when there could be a more major problem further on.

Regards,

Marcardis

[BIG MAC]

Yes indeed silly you as a plug in installation running within it's rating,  Mcb and RCD protected, cw an isolator and proper earth would not be as safe as a gas cylinder and garden hose arrangement....silly you indeed.

And what would an Insurer say?

He would say have you interfered with or overloaded the domestic hard wired installation? and you would quite honestly say No.  In effect all you have is a big sophisticated extension lead running through a plug top......

[StephenA]

Hi, Marcardis,

Thanks for the comments, no all power tools are 240V. Not sure how many of the tools have 'molded on' plugs so most could be changed if needed.

So other than the issue of being covered by french insurance, there are no real problems.

Regards,

Stephen A

[Théière]

[quote user="marcardis"]

My 'portable' workshop runs a Makita 5143R saw, a Makita 2300 router, Makita 1806 planer  and a Makita 445 portable extractor all running through French 'moulded on' plugs Yep, agreed moulded on plugs, a huge difference between the quality of a moulded on plug compared to the aftermarket additions (what StepehenA would be fitting).

The extractor and either the saw, router or planer run at the same time. Plus onsite lighting, stereo, etc. The French plugs do not get hot - where do you get this nonsense from? The aftermarket brico plugs do not have enough metal in them so when pulling some pwer the metal gets hot. I had to find find some better quality plugs as I ditched the cheap and nasty ones.

If your plugs are getting hot then you have a problem with your wiring installation, which is nothing to do with French plugs. Why? heat is produced by a high restistance or possibly a short circuit and is local, i.e. when you plug in an electric fire the fire gets hot not the wiring connected to it from the fuse board.

Fairly daft to rely on a fuse in a plug when there could be a more major problem further on. Really, why is that? if a problem occurs in the appliance the the weak link (fuse) key to saving your life is only 1.5m away compared to many meteres and several conections. without a local fuse the rest of that cable run can become overheated at any point and potentially cause a fire. Then of course it does generate the major problem further on. I agree and RCD is by far the safest option

Anyhow, O/P has his answer so that's that.

Regards,

Marcardis

[/quote]

[BIG MAC]

Of course RCD Protection would also deal with a neutral to earth fault in the workshop if using a little RCD protected board and UK style sockets, even if the board is running off a very high quality French style plug top (Good call IMHO)........