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This thing is great. The price on many transformers should leave many wondering if they shouldn’t just buy all new appliances– seeing as electric water kettles hog up 1500 watts. Microwaves– 1000 watts. An XBOX 360– 400 watts. Coffee grinders and refrigerators– 300 watts. Flat LCD TVs– 200 watts. The price of this transformer removes all those questions. It’s the most powerful one I could find and only $115. This qualified for FREE SHIPPING on Amazon, which saved ME $27, but my other friends were quoted as high as $80 other places to ship similar transformers. You can’t afford not to get this.

Where I am, there are at least 3 different power standards (US, UK, and the rest of Europe), but I have only US appliances. Everywhere is charging like $150 for a 1000 watt transformer, or $200 for 2000 watt. The place we moved into has only generator-powered British standard, and it trips very easily. I plugged this transformer in just fine when many of my suite mates were having problems with theirs tripping the power. This one did not trip.

There is also no noise. My roommate got a free military transformer though some connections, who knows how old it is? We put it in the corner under thick blankets and it still makes a loud buzzing. With this one, you only hear it for 1 second when you first turn it on, and it is completely silent even under full load. Disclaimer: DO NOT pack insulation or anything like blankets around any transformers- Just erring on side of fire and electrical safety. Honestly, this thing is not producing any amount of heat that I can tell.

It has a power selector on the back to switch input from 110V, 200V, 220V, and 240V. Comes with 3 fuses, one in the unit and 2 replacements. Has 2 outputs– one US and one universal.

It has a heavy duty US-style power plug with a ground/earth pin, and comes with a solid-feeling Europe-style plug adapter with grounding/earthing side-leads, but I am using it plugged into a British style “surge protecting” plug adapter with grounding/earthing. I hear transformers aren’t meant to be used with surge protection- whether it’s plugging into or being plugged into I don’t know. If you need a transformer you need to research this.

This was definitely a lucky first-find and after seeing all the hassles my peers have had with their converters, I’m already thinking of getting another. If they found a good one, they had to pay way more than $115, and many paid more for boxes that shorted after a week. What is it then? Just a heavy door stop.

Also, don’t try to replace the fuse with the unit plugged into an active outlet, even if the switch on the unit is OFF. I haven’t blown any yet, but I just wanted to check. Anyway, don’t ask– let’s just say I’m bleedin’ out the ears and I may potentially be cured of my crippling depression. Fine, yeah I shocked myself. It didn’t feel great. So what? Big whoop. Wanna fight about it?

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