How do you alter chords on US appliances for use in foreign outlets (Sweden specifically)?

Question

I heard you can cut the end off the chord and replace it with one from the country you are in. How do you do this?

Answer 1

It isn't a matter of changing the cord,  (a 'chord' is a musical expression), there's rather more to it than that.

The American domestic supply for small appliances is 120Vac at 60Hz.

The Swedish domestic supply is 230Vac at 50Hz, and it uses different plugs and sockets.  

Unless an  appliance can be either switched to use a 230V supply or can run off a wide range of voltages without adjustment then you need a mains transformer to change the voltage from 240 to 120.  The transformer must have a power rating at least as high as the appliance you want to power from it.  

The difference in frequency is not important unless it is something like a vinyl disc player which uses a synchronous motor (which won't run at the correct speed if the supply  frequency is different from its design frequency.)

To power anything above about 200 watts or so the transformer will be quite large and heavy and they start to get expensive too.  

It might be more economical to replace higher power items with new ones bought in Sweden.