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Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter (for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro)

Wires Exposed

Written by AW from Wellesley

Dec 7, 2009

I've had my Macbook Pro and the charger for 3.5 years, but a few months ago the wires became exposed. I covered them with electrical tape and that bought me a few months, but it didn't stop the inevitable. The wires get so hot that the casing melted completely off and now my wires are not functioning properly. It happened only a few months after my Extended Apple Care ran out. Coincidence? I've had a few experiences where products break right after the 3 years insurance runs out...I would be wary with these products.

2 of 2 people found this useful

Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter (for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro)

Haven't had a problem yet!

Written by AM from Rothesay

Dec 6, 2009

I have had my Macbook for three years and haven't had a problem with my magsafe cord yet. I bring it everywhere and it has gone through a lot but still works the same as the day I got it. I just bought a Macbook Pro so now I have 2 power cords the new one works great too!

4 of 4 people found this useful

Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter (for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro)

Horrible product but no other option

Written by YK from West New York

Dec 5, 2009

Horrible design. Power cord becomes so hot it burns the skin and then it melts the rubber to expose the wires. Once wires are exposed, they get severed and cease to work; hence, you have to buy a new one.

6 of 7 people found this useful

Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter (for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro)

Built to break?

Written by VL from SAINT CHARLES

Dec 3, 2009

I've had my Macbook Pro for a few months and the Magsafe Adapter is tearing itself apart. It is great that it keeps my laptop safe from getting yanked off the table, but I can't help but feel this thing is built to break. In order to wind the cable around the L shaped supports as neatly as described and shown in all the product pictures, you have to wind it perfectly tight. Doing this, however, puts the cable under constant stress which, coupled with the heat, causes the connection to the power box to come loose and expose bare wire. I am shocked now to find that it costs so much to replace, and that I am unlikely to qualify for a replacement due to unrelated accidental damage.

9 of 9 people found this useful

Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter (for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro)

they need to reinforce this design STAT

Written by LP from Scottsdale

Dec 1, 2009

I have had this same charger break on me twice now, and they are not cheap. The end that plugs into the computer WILL break and expose the wires. Does not matter how careful you are with them. I really hope they come up with a new design for this. They are lucky i gave it one star, only because i haven't had any other kind of problems with it. Again, though...This is the second charger that has broken in 1 year.

15 of 16 people found this useful

Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter (for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro)

Apple's Worst Product Award goes to the MagSafe Power Adapter.

Written by MC from Rancho Cordova

Dec 1, 2009

Beginning one month after ownership of the adapter it would occasionally not charge the computer, and after three months it failed completely.

Apple Care replaced it; However, the new one has wires that are one by one becoming disconnected from the MagSafe connector, and they are exposed about a quarter inch now. The wire jacket is becoming loose on the adapter end as well. This all happened in five months.

Both adapters became dangerously hot, so when I use the extender I have to make sure it's resting on something fairly heat resistance to prevent damage. This excessive heat buildup shows a poor transfer of energy. In other words you're wasting money paying the electric company for lots of heat that should have charged your computer. That's neither economically efficient or green.

I think that $80 is an absurd price to pay for this adapter. Especially for how it performs. Apple needs to address this issue before I will recommend their computers to anyone.

16 of 16 people found this useful

Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter (for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro)

No problems with 85W MagSafe Power Adapter

Written by RT from San Luis Obispo

Nov 30, 2009

I have used this power adapter with my 15" MacBook Pro for nearly 3 years now with no problems. Mostly it is used at home at my desk but I have traveled with it a number of times and it seems to have held up well. I am careful when I unplug or disconnect it from my laptop as well as when I coil the wiring cords to place it in my laptop carrying case. I have not noticed any unusual heating near the connections.

2 of 5 people found this useful

Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter (for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro)

Worked fine until...

Written by BH from Provo

Nov 30, 2009

I have never had any problems with this product (Or any product made by apple for that matter) until now. The power adapter has always been plugged into my surge protector and after 1.5 years of use it just died. I went to charge my MacBook Pro this morning and it wouldn't charge. Very disappointed with this product and Apple as well for releasing such a faulty product. I don't mind paying a high price for Apple products if they work well, but this is just unacceptable and I will not pay $80 for another faulty device....Looking elsewhere!!!

3 of 5 people found this useful

Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter (for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro)

Early failure

Written by JD from Saratoga Springs

Nov 30, 2009

Had to fork out another $85 for a new Power Adapter due to mine not charging my Macbook Pro. The L.E.D quit working then I noticed my computer not charging back up.
I am careful with all my stuff, no pets and living single. Just outside the warranty by about 3 months.
Why are these so expensive? No place that I could find to rebuild my power adapter from apple. A terrific idea that needs to be made more robust. Adapter needs reinforced at both the magsafe tip and coming out of the transformer.

2 of 3 people found this useful

Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter (for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro)

ver poor product

Written by RL from Lake Oswego

Nov 28, 2009

I have bouth two of them and they last about 4 to six months. I like apple but this product has really let me down. Not sure when they will make a change or fix the issue with the adapter.

3 of 5 people found this useful

Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter (for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro)

Poor design

Written by HM from Greenville

Nov 27, 2009

My "abuse" is carefully winding and unwinding daily at home and school - resulting in the cable pulling apart. Now I get to spend an additional $80 for another poorly design unit that will no doubt last another couple of years max.

4 of 5 people found this useful

Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter (for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro)

connection to cable & connector frayed & failed

Written by BY from Rigby

Nov 25, 2009

The cord is not durable enough to withstand being plugged in and unplugged from the magsafe connector repeatedly. Mine lasted 14 months with everyday use before the cable started detaching from the connecting point. It worked good when it worked. The wire is just built cheaply and failed under normal operating conditions.

12 of 13 people found this useful

Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter (for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro)

Perfect

Written by SH from Trinway

Nov 24, 2009

I'm now 6 months into my life with my new MBP. Why I ever left Mac for the other system, I'll never know. I'm home now and I'm here to stay! My cord sees a lot of use. I bring it with me daily to work, and use it in a couple different locations in my home while I'm studying, so I'm plugging and unplugging it several times a day. I also leave it plugged in all night AND i use the "ears" on the adapter block to lightly and gently wrap the cord. I have never had any problem at all and the mag-safe adapter has protected my couple-thousand-dollar investment from disaster more than once, what with three small kids and a dog running about. Yes it gets hot. They all do, from ALL manufacturers.

2 of 4 people found this useful

Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter (for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro)

Another MacBook Pro MagSafe Power Adapter Early Death

Written by LB from Lynchburg

Nov 23, 2009

I purchased my 17.5 inch MacBook Pro in 2007 and the adapter just died today. The adapter is hot, with no green charging light and the battery will not charge. I ordered a new one today. Apple needs to address the reliability of the power adapter (and battery life) at the earliest. I have little faith anything will be done, as I am on my second PowerBook power adapter and my third Powerbook battery died a year ago! So, Apple has had a long standing power adapter and battery quality problem with it's premium laptops that has never been addressed.

6 of 10 people found this useful

Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter (for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro)

My Macbook Pro

Written by RW from Chicago

Nov 22, 2009

Just wanted to pop in and give props to Apple and my MacBook Pro.
I have a 17 inch model that was purchased for me for Christmas in 2006, and I have to tell you that my laptop has to be the most durable and efficient laptop I've ever owned. My macBook Pro is 3 years old and is still faster than my almost brand new windows platform desktop... hands down. the only issue I have with my laptop is that it doesn't hold a charge too long any more. it'll read 100% charge but only last for about 15 or 20 minutes before it shuts off. i guess it may be due to the age of the battery and probably because i wasn't conditioning the battery (I wasn't aware of how to do it until a couple of months ago). but over-all. I have no problem with the AC power adapter itself, it still powers the unit just fine and it too is almost 3 years old.
Thanks again to the people at Apple for making a great laptop computer in the MacBook Pro I love it.

1 of 8 people found this useful

Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter (for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro)

Works Great

Written by DO from Austin

Nov 20, 2009

I've had my MacBook Pro for over 3 years and only now is the adapter having problems. (It's not seating well in the socket.)

1 of 3 people found this useful

Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter (for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro)

1 Year of Use, No Meltdown

Written by MH from Middletown

Nov 20, 2009

I've been using one of these for a full year without any issues.

It's almost always plugged in, and powered, as my Macbook Pro is always sitting in the same spot on my desk 95% of the time. No signs of meltdown or cable fraying anywhere.

On older ones, I did notice that - if you bend the wire in a bad direction at the same spot as the clip that is used to roll up the chord, it can cut through the rubber covering, so BE CAREFUL AND PAY ATTENTION when you're rolling the chord up. I'd guess several meltdown complaints are from people who abused their chords and did a bad job of rolling them up, vs. some inherent defect.

3 of 7 people found this useful

Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter (for 15- and 17-inch MacBook Pro)

Cord melted.

Written by JL from RANCHO VIEJO

Nov 19, 2009

The cord melted rendering my macbook useless because I have no way to charge it. Very BAD product. To bad we don't really have a choice.

12 of 13 people found this useful