Advice on Step-Down Voltage Transformer

[bkshepard]

Hi Gang,

I'm looking for some advice from those of you who have taken electronics equipment back and forth between the US and Europe.

At the end of this month, I will be moving to Europe. Pretty much all of my gear is dual voltage/frequency, so I'm not worried about that, except for my large HP Laser Printer that I do all my orchestral-sized printing on. I've looked into trying to replace it with a European model, but that's not practical. I need to take with me. The electrical demands of the printer are 110-127V, 8.5A, 50-60Hz. I need to buy a step-down transformer to go from 230V to 110V. I know laser printers have a large power spike when they first start up, so I'm looking for a transformer that can handle at least 3000W. Since the printer is okay with 50Hz, I don't need a power converter that also converts frequency.

I've seen a bunch of them listed on sites like Amazon in the $150-$200 range. However, they all look to be made in the same factory and just marketed under different brand names and they all have numerous complaints about shoddy workmanship. Do any of you have recommendations for a high-quality voltage transformer that isn't going to burn out in a few months due to crappy soldering? If it's manufactured in the US, I can ship it with my other stuff (I know they are heavy). If it's European-made, I can just buy it when I get there. Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

And yes, I will continue to be a regular member of MOTUNation!!!