I live in the U.S. where the standard outlet is 120V and this product came with the standard 3-prong cord for such an outlet, however when turning it on and rotating the variable speed control it doesn't kick on until turning the knob about 80% then speeds up a little bit more when turning to the max. However it definitely was not churning out the RPMs that were advertised. Obviously the power specifications outlined on the lathe mentions 240 volts, so I bought a Dryer cord for a 240v outlet and wired it up and what a difference it makes. Now it turns on immediately when turning the variable knob and the max turn is at leasts 5X faster than what I was getting with a standard 120V plug.TLDR: If in the United States, wire it up for a 240v outlet.