SF500 500W 110v/220v 220v/110v Step Up/Down Automatic Transformer Adapter

I use a blender that requires 230-240 volts and 220 watts. I connect a voltage converter to it capable of up to 230 watts. I've never had a problem with the converter in the last ~10 years. Then about a few months ago it stopped working. I had already blended several jugs of smoothies and then suddenly the blender stopped mid-way while I was blending. Also the converter's power light went off. For each jug, the blender would be on for a couple of minutes in both normal and high power modes. Then the blender would be off for a few moments while I pour out the smoothie and refill the jug with new ingredients. I researched voltage converters on Amazon and discovered the suggested advice is the converter's wattage should not only be greater than the device's wattage but actually 1.5 times of the device's wattage. So that means for my blender I should get a converter capable of at least 330 watts. I picked this converter for three reasons. First the wattage is more than enough. I wanted a buffer and I didn't want to just get a 330 watt converter and also I didn't see any converters with 330 watts. So the next best wattage is 500. Second this converter has auto voltage. With my previous converter, I had to flip a switch directing which way to convert. I never liked this because I was afraid it might be flipped accidentally and possibly cause damage. Third the size is similar to my previous converter. I am glad I am able to blend again. I blended one jug of smoothie and the blender worked great. The converter is also easy to use: just plug it in, plug in the device and flip the converter's power switch. The smoothie also tastes great! If anyone's interested: 1 Ataulfo Mango, peeled and sliced, the rock/seed is not used 2 California Mandarins, peeled and separated, remove any seeds 1 Banana, peeled and sliced Buttermilk churned from about half a pint of Heavy Whipping Cream, resulting in about 150 mL 4 Ice Cubes My blender is: National Juicer/Blender Model: MJ-171NR

I moved from the US to Italy earlier this year and shipped a 10ft container with my little car, some of my belongings that fit in the space after the car was inside, including some small electric appliances. I purchased one Seven Star 500W and one 3000W converter from another brand that weighs a ton (6" x 7.2" x 9.8" and weighs 37 lbs (!!!), and it blew a fuse the first time I tried to connect it, so I haven't touched it since) in order to use US 110V/120V small appliances in Italian 220V environment. After doing much research on which appliances w/ what wattage, Hz, whether AC or DC would actually work, and which items are simply not compatible, I sold my bigger appliances such as 50" TV, microwave, Kitchenaid stand-up mixer, etc. and decided to trust that converters that I've purchased will save me from purchasing everything brand new. From what I read, the rule of thumb is that the total wattage should be at least double the wattage of the appliance in question. As for testing it, I am not willing to try. Here are the items I've connected to the Seven Star 500W converter: - Cuisinart Smart Stick 2 Speed Hand Blender (B00AN9UJ68): works great - 28" Samsung Smart LED TV (UN28H4500): works great; used to watch only Netflix, not cable (incompatible) - Cuisinart Citrus Juicer (CCJ-500): clunky, rotates only one way, doesn't spin unless pressed with a lot of pressure, and final spin feature doesn't work at all - Epson all-in-one inkjet printer (C11CC31201): worked great until I took it off the converter and connected to the outlet with just a plug adapter. There was an explosion. There was smoke. It died. - Nord Stage 88 keyboard (NSTAGE2-EX-88): this is a keyboard instrument costing ~$5k and it works! - JBL Studio Monitors (LSR4328P): these are a pair of large speakers costing ~$1500 that I use with the keyboard and they work! So far, this small 500W converter has been working well for the past 5 months in Italy, so I purchased another one during my last visit to the US.

I am surprised to see so many negative reviews for this product. I can only assume quality control at the manufacturer is poor, so there are defective units making it into the supply chain. So I would suggest testing the transformer, and letting it sit plugged in and turned on for at least some hours before you go travelling with it. That way, if it fails you get have Amazon replace it asap. I've had my SF500 since November 29, 2013. It has worked flawlessly. I am still using it to this day. I use it in New Zealand for plugging in any US purchased electronic devices that require up to 500 watts of power. This means it's been used for hundreds of hours (as opposed to a few hours whilst travelling, for example). I've used it extensively for a 200 watt ( Tribest Personal Blender , and almost daily with a low wattage (something like 12.5w) Waterpik . I've never had any issues with it. >> WEIGHT << It is rather heavy, and not something most travellers would want to lug around if they can avoid it. I recommend checking the maximum wattage you require for your strictly 110v devices whilst traveling. (I say "strictly" because you obvious want to check your devices don't in fact have a dual voltage adapter already. Many devices have their own transformer within their plug, which often support both 110v and 220v input). If you don't actually require 500 watts (that's around 4.5 amps, at 110v) then take a look at smaller transformers. For example, the Simran SMF-200 Deluxe 200 Watts step-down transformer handles 200 watts, which may be adequate for many people. >> THE PLUG PINS << The SF500 comes with a European style plug on it. Which has two round pins (live and neutral) and an earth on the plug housing. In many countries you'll need a pin adapter, so make sure you've got all the adapters you require. For New Zealand and Australia (and China), you'll need one of these, BESTEK Grounded Universal Plug Adapter USA to Australia, China Travel Plug Adapter Plug Kit , and for the United Kingdom and Hong Kong, one of these BESTEK Grounded Universal Plug Adapter Travel Plug Kit for USA to UK, Ireland, Hong Kong (Type G) - 3 Packs . IMPORTANT NOTE: As this is an auto-switching transformer (it can receive receive 110 and 240, and transform it to the opposite voltage), it may take a some milliseconds to transform the input voltage to the opposite output voltage. Therefore, always turn the plug the transformer in, and turn it on, before you plug in the device you plan to use it with. This will ensure you don't inadvertently deliver 220v to a 110v device. Taking this precaution is not so important if you are converting from 110v to 220v, but is very important when converting 220v to 110v. >> ALTERNATIVES << As I write this, the SF500 is $35, with free (but not Prime) shipping. For about the same price, you can get 2000W Step Down Voltage Converter 220V to 110V and Universal Travel Plug Adapter Combo . It handles up to 2000 watts. Although, you'll need to ensure none of your devices require an earth pin, as this transformer/adapter combo only supports two pins. Another very affordable and compact option is the International Power adapter universal travel adapter with 4USB Port / 5A Travel Charger Plug Charger PowerI Wall Adapter Multifunction Universal Converter Global Sockets American / British / EU / Aust , which is currently $21. It handles 880w at 110v. Apart from their compact size, another advantage of these two adapter/transformer combos is that they include all the various pin configurations you're like to need. So you can avoid carrying around a separate set of pin adapters. >> MY RECOMMENDATION << I think the average international traveller will find it more convenient to use one of the small combo adapter/transformers, like the two I've mentioned. I use the SF500 at home, as opposed to when travelling. Because of its size and weight, I'd prefer not to lug it around travelling. It works great, however, as a low wattage (500w) transformer around the home.

I wanted something larger than 200Watt transformer so this was there at the RIGHT price! It has easy access to the fuse and will run all those extras BUT say a hair dryer etc. or any super high wattage items. Most TV etc. use less than 500W so you would be Golden! I plugged in a Monster Cable 110volt plug strip and I was able to run 4 adapters at once with out breaking a sweat! When I went to England from Iceland with a quality adapter it easily went from the Standard Eurpean Type F to England's Type D with zero issues! One of the really neat things about this is it will also convert 110v into 220v! I am not sure I will ever have that need but it is a REALLY neat feature and adding the on/off switch makes this one the best power converters I have seen for going abroad because it also come with a universal plug in on the front vs. most adapters only having the one plug type. It's NOT light weight but you get what you pay for!

I originally purchased four of these "converters", three of which have now failed. This last failure also killed the electronics in my media centre. The failure smoked up that area of the room and left some dark refuse where it was sitting. It became quite hot. I am glad that I was at home when it happened. There is a serious design flaw with these units, which my professional expertise qualifies me to comment upon. The unit was only being used in a low-wattage capacity when it failed. But even my label printer, which was not switched "on", was killed. These units attempt to serve as both a "step-up" and "step-down" transformer. That is, if you are an expat American living in Europe, they will step the 220V input line voltage down to 110V output. And when the same unit is used in the US, they will step the 110V input line voltage up to 220V output. In other words, these units will either "double" or "halve" the input voltage, and make that voltage available to the consumer. Other "up/down" converters on the market do this mechanically, such as by the end-user sliding a switch. The sales literature claims that this unit is "fully automatic". This is a binary decision that I wish it had not tried to make, because failure has consequences. The unit attempts to detect the line voltage and then uses an electromechanical relay to route the input and output coils of the internal transformer accordingly. There is a singe transformer inside, but the manner in which it is being used is changed. You may hear the internal relay "click" when flipping the switch to "ON". But if that switching circuitry fails to function properly and the relay finds itself in the right country but in the wrong direction, then the 220V input can be doubled to 440V output – that is, at least for a few seconds. But that short time is all that it took to kill my electronics. At least on this occasion, I heard the failure. The unit suddenly emitted a loud clicking sound, which was the relay flipping back and forth. This lasted about 10 seconds, and then it smoked. The internal "safety breaker" is set to protect against a prolonged high input current and not an output voltage surge—which is another design flaw. In other words, the breaker is designed to protect the device itself, and not your appliance. The internal breaker also does not protect against high-temperature, as other reviewers have surmised. (The design could have been easily modified to protect against high output voltage.) The 10 seconds of pulsing my 110V electronics with 440V was fatal. And it was also fatal to the converter, because 220V was placed across electrical components that are designed for 110V. Another one of my units that had also failed a few months ago has the same burned smell, and I assume that it came to the same fate. I recommend instead purchasing a dedicated transformer, either a "step-up" or "step-down", that is intended for a specific application. The concept of an "automatic" converter having this much power is questionable. We're not talking "electric shavers" here. If you already have one of these, I can only suggest that you don't leave it switched on unattended. My remaining unit will be removed from my home. IMO, this should not carry the European CE label. Can these cause a fire? I do not know, but I can affirm that they burned the PC boards of my connected electronics – which were not rated for 440 volts. And that it burned its own PC board. These units are labeled across the front: "Quality Guarantee Safety Breaker". But what do that mean?? The importer calls itself "Supreme Premium Products". That says it all…. The manufacturer is not living in the same world as I am. I am compelled to contact the appropriate oversight agencies, on both shores, as well as this re-seller directly.

It is really disappointing to receive a new piece of electronics and hear things rattling around inside. It was easy to take the four screws off from the bottom side. There were two pieces of plastic "wandering around". I could see one was a broken piece from the outlet plug housing. This one did not look critical to operation. The other piece looked like a plastic comb. One edge looked like it was broken. Also it looked like there was some glue one side. I could not see where it went without further dis-assembly which I was not comfortable doing. There are 3 wires inside the cover that go from the outlet plug side of the box over the transformer to the side where the on/off switch is. One of the wires was very pinched. This appears to be from lack of care during assembly. After removing the broken pieces, I tried the unit. It appears to work correctly. I will charge my cordless drill batteries later today. If there are any problems, I will update the review. I question the statement printed on the unit "Quality Guarantee".

This product is excellent!!! Works very good!!! A good travelling companion with up to 500-watts capacity. Overload protection is via resetable toggle switch compared to blown out fuses which is a hazzle when you are on travel. It's light and handy. The only thing though, it would nice if sellers would also offer (sell or include) adapter plugs that could go with this adapters to further add convenience to buyers/users, otherwise you would still need to buy adapter/s - consider the hazzle of additional research, buying and extra shipping charges. The input plug of this unit (as shown) is European round two-male prongs. The power output at the bottom (not shown) is UK BS1363 female socket. Hence, if you are a 2-flat prong user (US), you will need one(1) European to American Outlet Plug as well as one(1)US to UK 3-Prong.

I bought this transformer about a year ago for my rice cooker (220 V, 50 Hz) to run it in the US (110 V, 60 Hz). So far it works like a charm. I've used it for over the past year and was worried whether the 60 Hz/50 Hz difference would be an issue, but everything seems to be running just fine. Investing twenty bucks in a transformer allowed me to keep using my rice cooker instead of buying and learning how to use a new one, so it was well worth it. UPDATE: After six months of use now, it still works fine and I haven't had to replace any fuses yet. But you have to be aware of the wattage on the appliances you are plugging into it. I just saw some of the reviews with lower ratings on this item saying it doesn't work, starts smoking, fuses blow immediately etc. Please be aware that this transformer is limited to 200 Watts only, and you probably don't want to max that out either to stay on the safe side. Find out how many Watts you are plugging into it before you turn it on and keep in mind 200 is fairly low. If you have larger wattage items you will need to invest your money into a transformer that can handle that. You can probably safely run the following items using this transformer: clock radio, electric blanket, laptop, a small TV, radio, VCR/DVD. You may hit the limit and ask for trouble with desktop computers, Hi-Fi equipment, XBone, PS4, LCD TVs - you may want to get a 500W transformer for those. You will almost certainly blow the fuses if you try to run: any sort of kitchen appliance, power tools, vacuum cleaner, hair dryer, iron. You need something much more heavy duty for those items.

La corriente transformada de 220v cambiaba sola a 110v y se me pudrio mucha comida en la heladera por eso. Haciendo reset volvia a 220v y luego otra vez y sin aviso cambiaba a 110v. Nos cansamos y con temor de que genere daño permanente en la heladera (160w) decidimos devolverlo. La verdad es que si no tuve mala suerte y me toco uno defectuoso, no lo recomendaria.