1 iBook, 2 MacBooks, 1 MacBook Air, and an iPad charger. No failures. But I also had a Dell and a Toshiba notebook before that and they didn't fail either. There were lots of people that had troubles with the Dell charger, but the problem was attributed to rough usage -- disconnecting by pulling the cord and particularly pulling the cord at an angle. I expect most Mac chargers would be failing the same way. The Magsafe adapters can seem to fail when they get dirt in them, but the contacts can be cleaned with an eraser and brush and the chargers will work again.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Why are Apple chargers so easily broken?
- Thread starter piatti
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I have gone through 5 chargers, and my kid has gone thru 3.
both ipod touches.
multiple brands. starting with apple.
does anyone make a good charger that wont, fray, come apart, or just quit working.
I have never had these problems with my palm pilot.
thta I had for longer and still carry.
both ipod touches.
multiple brands. starting with apple.
does anyone make a good charger that wont, fray, come apart, or just quit working.
I have never had these problems with my palm pilot.
thta I had for longer and still carry.
This thread reminds me of the deniers from this thread:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1272321/
Apple fans sometimes take things to a whole new level. If they personally have never had a problem, then a common problem that a lot of people have experienced MUST not be a problem and/or user error.
Go look at the Amazon Magsafe reviews. 2.5/5 to 3/5 stars.
Go look at the Magsafe reviews/ratings on the Apple store. 1.5/5 to 2/5 stars, depending on the model. Here's the link: http://store.apple.com/us/search?find=magsafe
The old style Magsafe adapters are among the worst reviewed pieces of hardware Apple has ever produced, even on Apple's own official online store. Apple has actually acknowledged this by providing retroactive refunds to customers who bought their own.
Personally, I've had three MBP T-shaped Magsafe adapters go bad in about a four year span. (Apple has always provided a replacement, free of charge.) I have another MB Magsafe that went bad that I paid the reduced rate for. Prior to that, I had issues with my old Powerbook G4 adapter. Since the fraying PowerBook adapter, I've been pretty fanatical about not bending the cord near the brick itself. I wrap my cord this way before putting into a composite/neoprene case to make sure it doesn't get bent:
The Apple Store manager who was doing a MBP replacement for me (on a failed MBP) actually made the comment that if I traveled a lot, I was going to need a spare Magsafe as she let me keep the older (actually almost new, itself a 3 month old replacement) while she gave me the new one that came with the replacement MBP.
If your MacBook/Air/Pro sits mostly on your desk and doesn't go anywhere, you will probably never experience this problem. OTOH, if you travel extensively or work in an environment where you are constantly moving your Magsafe around, then you are more likely than not eventually going to run into this problem. I like it and wouldn't trade it for the equivalent PC laptop power brick (I carry a ThinkPad brick around, too - never failed BTW), because it's compact and extremely convenient but let's not pretend that this isn't an inherently weak design.
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1272321/
Apple fans sometimes take things to a whole new level. If they personally have never had a problem, then a common problem that a lot of people have experienced MUST not be a problem and/or user error.
Go look at the Amazon Magsafe reviews. 2.5/5 to 3/5 stars.
Go look at the Magsafe reviews/ratings on the Apple store. 1.5/5 to 2/5 stars, depending on the model. Here's the link: http://store.apple.com/us/search?find=magsafe
The old style Magsafe adapters are among the worst reviewed pieces of hardware Apple has ever produced, even on Apple's own official online store. Apple has actually acknowledged this by providing retroactive refunds to customers who bought their own.
Personally, I've had three MBP T-shaped Magsafe adapters go bad in about a four year span. (Apple has always provided a replacement, free of charge.) I have another MB Magsafe that went bad that I paid the reduced rate for. Prior to that, I had issues with my old Powerbook G4 adapter. Since the fraying PowerBook adapter, I've been pretty fanatical about not bending the cord near the brick itself. I wrap my cord this way before putting into a composite/neoprene case to make sure it doesn't get bent:
The Apple Store manager who was doing a MBP replacement for me (on a failed MBP) actually made the comment that if I traveled a lot, I was going to need a spare Magsafe as she let me keep the older (actually almost new, itself a 3 month old replacement) while she gave me the new one that came with the replacement MBP.
If your MacBook/Air/Pro sits mostly on your desk and doesn't go anywhere, you will probably never experience this problem. OTOH, if you travel extensively or work in an environment where you are constantly moving your Magsafe around, then you are more likely than not eventually going to run into this problem. I like it and wouldn't trade it for the equivalent PC laptop power brick (I carry a ThinkPad brick around, too - never failed BTW), because it's compact and extremely convenient but let's not pretend that this isn't an inherently weak design.
Hmm.
Out of 4 iPhones, a couple of iPods, a macbook air and a macbook pro, i'm yet t see any issues?
Maybe you're just rough on your gear?
edit:
on PC charger compatibility: Most HP laptops are compatible - unless you're using a "workstation" (xxxxW machine) - they use higher power chargers.
Dell? Hah. Not only are they not compatible, worse than that, sometimes you get "wierd" behaviour when using the wrong charger. e.g., E4300 charger in E6500 laptop or E series dock. Same pinout. Look almost the same. Different wattage. E6500 running with one of those chargers may or may not complain at the POST about wrong charger (does plugged directly in, but not when on a dock). However, it WILL do wierd and random stuff like down-clock itself to 1mhz like it is running WAY hot (and then recover within 10 minutes, then repeat...) when it is not. We had massive issues with this at work as there are so many different models of dell charger and they all look almost identical - and the wattage rating is really hard to find on the label.
Trying to diagnose this **** for a remote user on the other side of the country/world = nightmare.
HP is much better in that regard - their workstation chargers are like 4x the size, and anything that doesn't need that uses the same charger....
Out of 4 iPhones, a couple of iPods, a macbook air and a macbook pro, i'm yet t see any issues?
Maybe you're just rough on your gear?
edit:
on PC charger compatibility: Most HP laptops are compatible - unless you're using a "workstation" (xxxxW machine) - they use higher power chargers.
Dell? Hah. Not only are they not compatible, worse than that, sometimes you get "wierd" behaviour when using the wrong charger. e.g., E4300 charger in E6500 laptop or E series dock. Same pinout. Look almost the same. Different wattage. E6500 running with one of those chargers may or may not complain at the POST about wrong charger (does plugged directly in, but not when on a dock). However, it WILL do wierd and random stuff like down-clock itself to 1mhz like it is running WAY hot (and then recover within 10 minutes, then repeat...) when it is not. We had massive issues with this at work as there are so many different models of dell charger and they all look almost identical - and the wattage rating is really hard to find on the label.
Trying to diagnose this **** for a remote user on the other side of the country/world = nightmare.
HP is much better in that regard - their workstation chargers are like 4x the size, and anything that doesn't need that uses the same charger....
Last edited:
I travel frequently and have only had one out of 6-7 Magsafes start fraying. Any cord will start to lose integrity if you don't make a minimum of effort to preserve it, Magsafe or not.
I think the issue is more how many times a day do you wrap/unwrap and/or move your Magsafe around.
I imagine the distribution is an S shaped curve and IME, the curve is flatter for standard PC type chargers. The natural thing most people do with Magsafe adapters is to pull the cord taught to wrap it around the wings, while my observation is that most people do a figure 8 with most PC laptop chargers. The latter doesn't stress the cord at the joint nearly as much.
I imagine the distribution is an S shaped curve and IME, the curve is flatter for standard PC type chargers. The natural thing most people do with Magsafe adapters is to pull the cord taught to wrap it around the wings, while my observation is that most people do a figure 8 with most PC laptop chargers. The latter doesn't stress the cord at the joint nearly as much.
My chargers are all original, and all working fine, but I did notice something the other day on my MBP. The Speck shell prevents the charging adaptor from fully engaging with the port on the MAc. It's no big deal, just reverse the connector so that it won't foul on the case...Might be the cause of some issues though.
I've only had one failure and they replaced it free of charge since i'd only had the MBA for a few months.
Funnily enough, this was maybe a month after apple had requested I review my feelings on the current design! If only I'd had the failure before...
So failures do happen, I just don't think it has anything to do with apple trying to be greedy like the OP implies.
Funnily enough, this was maybe a month after apple had requested I review my feelings on the current design! If only I'd had the failure before...
So failures do happen, I just don't think it has anything to do with apple trying to be greedy like the OP implies.
I've had loads of problems with Apple chargers/cables, but those shipped with more recent MacBook models seem far better.
Notably - the insulation on one cable started burning/melting through. The insulation near the Magsafe "T connector" started fraying (the "L connector" seems far better). And probably worst of all, the cable between the adaptor and wall plug seemed to be very poorly made. I've seen several people (who've had to replace that specific cable with a cheap 'kettle lead' and never had problems again - myself included.
Notably - the insulation on one cable started burning/melting through. The insulation near the Magsafe "T connector" started fraying (the "L connector" seems far better). And probably worst of all, the cable between the adaptor and wall plug seemed to be very poorly made. I've seen several people (who've had to replace that specific cable with a cheap 'kettle lead' and never had problems again - myself included.
I've owned 5 Magsafe chargers (two 65 Watt - one with the old t connector, one 45 watt, and three 85 watt) in the last 3 years. Only one has ever gone bad and that was within the first month or so of when I bought my 2011 Macbook Pro and Apple replaced it for free (Which they should have since it was very much under warranty).
One thing I make sure, is that I always leave a bit of "slack" in the cord coming out the power brick (I make a loop) when I start to wrap the cable around the "hooks". I've seen too many power bricks damaged because the cord coming out of the brick was bent at too much of an angle (i.e. 90 degrees) and it snapped the wire inside.
One thing I make sure, is that I always leave a bit of "slack" in the cord coming out the power brick (I make a loop) when I start to wrap the cable around the "hooks". I've seen too many power bricks damaged because the cord coming out of the brick was bent at too much of an angle (i.e. 90 degrees) and it snapped the wire inside.
I'm very careful, but I've had problems with power adapter cords breaking. I don't think it's a quality issue though. It's just part of making them thin and sleek looking. There's no doubt that a super thick fat cord is going to last longer, like the ones that you get with a PC laptop.
My mid-2010 MacBook Pro adapter's rubber skin on the Magsafe side became loose and recently began to split down by the computer connection end. It's still functional, but it worries me. So far I've just put some tape round it and it's alive and kicking.
That said, it goes in and out of my messenger bag several times a day, and I'm not particularly careful about it. Will probably replace it in the next six months or so, which is about what happened with my old PC and also my younger brother's.
That said, it goes in and out of my messenger bag several times a day, and I'm not particularly careful about it. Will probably replace it in the next six months or so, which is about what happened with my old PC and also my younger brother's.
My laptop sits at my desk and never moves yet the charger has failed 3 times already. Not handling the charger should be the best way to care of it? As much as I love Apple, I hate their chargers even though I like the MagSafe idea
-Sk1llz
Did anyone actually answer this?
Apple makes cute little cords with almost no strain relief and tiny wires. Highly ironic considering the point of the the magsafe in the first place. Change either one of these and over half the broken cords would never happen. IMO.
One of the few things I dislike about Apple's hardware.
Apple makes cute little cords with almost no strain relief and tiny wires. Highly ironic considering the point of the the magsafe in the first place. Change either one of these and over half the broken cords would never happen. IMO.
One of the few things I dislike about Apple's hardware.
Mac chargers
I know this thread is a bit long in the tooth but I've been searching for information as to why my chargers have been so poor and came across this. I have only had my Macbook pro retina since August 2012 and I'm on my third charger. My Macbook is mostly used on a desk and the charger is treated with the utmost care as is all my electrical equipment.
The first charger broke within 4 months of purchase, the insulating cable cover split and peeled away where the jack which fits into the female port on the computer attaches. About the same time the cable where it exits the power block started to go brown and burnt right through. I'm only glad I was in the room because it was smouldering and could have caused a fire.
The second charger had now developed a split in the insulating cable cover in the same place that the original one did exposing bare wires. I have now purchased a third charger in anticipation of the current one dying. I will not be purchasing another Mac.
I know this thread is a bit long in the tooth but I've been searching for information as to why my chargers have been so poor and came across this. I have only had my Macbook pro retina since August 2012 and I'm on my third charger. My Macbook is mostly used on a desk and the charger is treated with the utmost care as is all my electrical equipment.
The first charger broke within 4 months of purchase, the insulating cable cover split and peeled away where the jack which fits into the female port on the computer attaches. About the same time the cable where it exits the power block started to go brown and burnt right through. I'm only glad I was in the room because it was smouldering and could have caused a fire.
The second charger had now developed a split in the insulating cable cover in the same place that the original one did exposing bare wires. I have now purchased a third charger in anticipation of the current one dying. I will not be purchasing another Mac.
While some may have had experiences like yours, the vast majority don't. I've been using the same MagSafe adapter for over 5 years, with no visible signs of wear at all. The same is true for every MagSafe I've ever owned, as well as all my friends and clients who own Macs.
I can't really imagine how one gets all these failed chargers unless they are disconnected by pulling the cords rather than the plugs -- always a bad idea.
Nearly a year and a half since I last posted here that I've never had a charger fail (Apple or other brand), and I still haven't, even on on MacBook Pro that is moved around and plugged in daily.
Nearly a year and a half since I last posted here that I've never had a charger fail (Apple or other brand), and I still haven't, even on on MacBook Pro that is moved around and plugged in daily.
Yep
This is really the key here. Carefully wrapping them up to store, not yanking out and such will help longevity.
I've had eight laptops (iBook, Powerbook(s), MacBook(s), MacBook Pro and now MacBook Air) and I've yet to have a charger sever on me.
----------
Very important to not wrap up wires at sharp angles.
This is really the key here. Carefully wrapping them up to store, not yanking out and such will help longevity.
I've had eight laptops (iBook, Powerbook(s), MacBook(s), MacBook Pro and now MacBook Air) and I've yet to have a charger sever on me.
----------
Very important to not wrap up wires at sharp angles.
Here are a couple of closeups of my charger for my latest Mac. It's about 18 months old, travels, and gets daily use. You can see the loop that gives it strain relief when packed up. You can also see that it is very dirty from use. And you can see that the ends of the cable are intact with no fraying. Never pull on the cable.
Attachments
Please guys, these generalisations are tiresome. Ok, so you've never experienced the problem, that doesn't mean the tens of millions of other Apple charger users will have identical experiences to yours, that's just premature extrapolation.
I treat all my adaptors the same (not exactly 'babying' them, but never pulling them out by the cord either or wrapping the cord tightly around the adaptor) and several of the earlier chargers failed within months, while the current 2 adaptors I use are in pristine condition. If it were just down to user behaviour, you'd expect similar issues to happen to all.
I treat all my adaptors the same (not exactly 'babying' them, but never pulling them out by the cord either or wrapping the cord tightly around the adaptor) and several of the earlier chargers failed within months, while the current 2 adaptors I use are in pristine condition. If it were just down to user behaviour, you'd expect similar issues to happen to all.
While a very small percentage of adapters may be defective, the vast majority will last a long time if you take care of it. talmy's pictures inspired me to take one of my 5+ year old MagSafe adapter for my Early 2008 MBP, which still runs as well as when I took it out of the box.
Add me to the list of "never had a problem", at least not in the nature of this thread. One of the pins in my Late 2010 MBAir's MagSafe stuck about a month after it's purchase. Apple swapped it out and I'm still using that adapter today. It looks very similar to Talmy's example above. This holds true for my old MacBook Pro and PowerBook chargers as well as the chargers I've used at work. Heck, up until the iPhone 5 I was still using the dock cable from my original (2007) iPhone to charge my 4 & 4S every day. The majority of my friends with Apple products are Apple nerds as well, the effect from working at Apple and gaining lots of friends from the job, and they almost all have similar experiences.
The flip side to this is my wife. She liked her iBook, her iPhones, her MacBook, etc but she didn't put much care into the cables and whatnot. As a result she goes through cables/adapters every 8-12 months for all of her equipment. What I've noticed is she puts stress on the cables at near 90 degree angles. I've seen her using her iBook before with the power brick in the air, held in place by the tension between her iBook and the connection at the wall, with the cord at the iBook bent almost 90 degrees. Same goes for her dock cables, they get twisted, bent and knotted up constantly.
In my opinion thats the defining difference. I don't want to say that people with these failed adapters are straight up abusing them but I do think that adding an extra few seconds to wrap the cords nicely, ensure theres a little slack, etc would change their experiences dramatically.
The flip side to this is my wife. She liked her iBook, her iPhones, her MacBook, etc but she didn't put much care into the cables and whatnot. As a result she goes through cables/adapters every 8-12 months for all of her equipment. What I've noticed is she puts stress on the cables at near 90 degree angles. I've seen her using her iBook before with the power brick in the air, held in place by the tension between her iBook and the connection at the wall, with the cord at the iBook bent almost 90 degrees. Same goes for her dock cables, they get twisted, bent and knotted up constantly.
In my opinion thats the defining difference. I don't want to say that people with these failed adapters are straight up abusing them but I do think that adding an extra few seconds to wrap the cords nicely, ensure theres a little slack, etc would change their experiences dramatically.