110v or 220v

dnme

If you were starting from scratch building a woodworking workshop, would you go with 110v or 220v tools?

I realise that 110v is designed for site use and that a 2 phase 55+55v powerstream is designed for safety. I'm just wondering is there any other advantage such as ...say
Price?
Power?
Power consumption (ESB bill)?
Availability? etc

Many thanks

Buford T Justice

Not much difference in price really, but it makes a difference in terms of availability.

As an example, you can pretty much get any Makita tool in 110V or 240V.

However, if you wanted say a cheap planer to do one job and you weren't too fussed about wrecking it depending on the job, then you won't find any 110 versions of cheaper tools, the likes of Homebase or Argos branded tools etc..

There's also a cost factor for 110. You will need transformers to power the tools, and depending on the amount of tools at one time and the load they take will depend on the number and size of the transformers you need.

If it's for you're own workshop for personal use, I'd go with 240V. If there's even a hint of doing work on site in the future, then go with 110.

jack of all

I'm an enthusiastic amateur and in the past I've often dithered over whether to go 110 or 240v when buying power tools; as it happens I have both. Fingers is spot on with his recommendation but in addition I would say that even if you are only doing work for yourself (as a hobby etc) it sometimes makes sense to have some 110v tools. For example I have a good Bosch rotary hammer drill and a 4" angle grinder in 110v- because I often use these outdoors and they are that bit safer to use in this situation. All my other tools are 240v as they are always used indoors in a workshop situation. My only regret was buying a Makita circular saw in 240v as I often use this outdoors to rip large sheet material to dimension. There is no price difference in the main.

ART6

For the reasons that Fingers stated I wouldn't (and don't) bother with 110v for DIY use. I just use RCDs on all of my house and workshop power supplies.

Another point -- Amps x Volts = Kilowatts. So a 750 Watt 240 Volt drill will draw just over 3 Amps. A 110 Volt one will draw 6.8 Amps.

dnme

ART6 wrote: »

Another point -- Amps x Volts = Kilowatts. So a 750 Watt 240 Volt drill will draw just over 3 Amps. A 110 Volt one will draw 6.8 Amps.

If it's the amps that do the damage, then how is the 110v example here safer?

slimjimmc

dnme wrote: »

If it's the amps that do the damage, then how is the 110v example here safer?

The higher the voltage the greater the effect on the nervous system and therefore on the heart during electrocution. At 110V there is much less risk of your heart going into ventricular fibrillation which can be fatal if not stopped in time (defibrillator).
The current in 110V is higher but the actual current flowing through the heart can be very low due to the body's conductivity, usually the skin is the main conductor at those voltages.

Buford T Justice

Credit to Robbie77300 for this explanation

110v itself is a lot safer than 230-240v. When you double the voltage the shock received can be up to 4 times more severe, its like I^2xr, so if you double the current which happens when voltage is doubled for any given resistance, the power absorbed will be 4 times higher.

Now we have 230v L to Earth because the neutral is connected to earth, so a shock when in contact with a Live and something earthed in the other hand is a dangerous situation.

Now the 110v supplies on sites use transformers with the 110v side earthed half way along the 110v winding (centre tapped). So there is no live and neutral on the 110v sockets, its more like 2 poles, but because its earthed in the middle of the winding, there is only 55v from either pole to earth which makes the 110v power extremely safe for site use, where as 230v would be extremely dangerous.

It is possible in dry conditions with shoes on that contact with a 230v terminal and no contact with anything else would not perceive any shock at all, but on sites with water and dampness everywhere, and plenty of metal in good contact with the ground the 230v would be lethal.

They could make the 110v secondary side not have any earth at all connected and so give an isolated supply, but the centre tap earth is a great way to monitor the tools or cables for earth faults which would not show up in an isolated secondary side but would leave 110v from the other pole to earth in this fault scenario.

heffo500

I set up my workshop a while ago and I've not got machinery yet but what I did was mount 110v sockets on the wall and run them down to a 3.3kva transformer in a press. As it's only me in the workshop using one tool at a time at most two so there is no fear of it being overloaded and it's very convenient just like using 220v tools.

What I did to run the cables was mount 2x2 metal trunking up at top of the walls and I just drop 20mm conduit down to each socket so its very easy but more importantly it means I can add another socket without any hassle as its just 1 length of conduit straight up to the ceiling.