Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Anybody else have to buy 2 Magsafe's per Macbook?

nathan_reilly

nathan_reilly

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Apr 2, 2016
369
1,149
Hi all!

I hate that I have bought at least two $79 Magsafe chargers for every Macbook I've ever owned, because they simply don't last. Am I alone here? I put together a little typeform survey to see if others agree that we need a solution

This isn't only about Magsafe chargers, though! I've got tons of old, broken 30 pin, Lightning and headphone cables that simply stopped working.

I don't think I'm alone when I see my friends wrapping their cables in electrical tape, gluing them, or risking exposed contacts and shielding. Let me know !! :

https://nathanreilly.typeform.com/to/iq8dDQ

Thanks much
 
No, you're not alone. Lots of people are complaining.

I've always used the same charger that came with my MBP more than 5 years ago and it barely shows signs of use, much less any type of breaking.

And in 7 and a half years of personally using 5 different iOS devices daily (successively, not concurrently) and as many 30-pin and Lightning cables plus spares, I've not yet had a cable fail or needing replacement.
 
  • Like
Reactions: npolly0212
I feel like you're one in a million there. Many of my friends have to replace frayed and poorly connecting Magsafe chargers at least once in the lifetime of a typical Mac. Maybe we're a rougher crowd!
 
I've never had to replace a magsafe charger in six years of mac ownership. I've also never had to replace a lightning cable. Or a 30 pin dock cable for that matter. Never had to replace a charger cord for any non-mac laptops in the past twenty-plus years of owning laptops.

In contrast, my daughter has had to replace lightning and dock cables, though not yet a magsafe charger.

There's a distinct difference in how she and I handle devices and treat cables, which I believe is directly responsible for the different experiences.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Skoal
What's infuriating is that the MagSafe (at least the one that came with my 2010 MacBook Pro) have a detachable/replaceable cable on the "high voltage" (wall socket power) side, but NOT on the "MacBook side".

Thus, when the cable connections wear out (either "at the MacBook" or "at the power supply" sides), you can't just replace the connecting cable.

If the "low voltage" cable were replaceable, it would be a cheap and easy fix.
 
  • Like
Reactions: cerberusss
have a look here:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/macbook-charger-teardown-highlights-dangers-of-counterfeit-adapters.1962215/page-3#post-22717010

In our family we have now THREE chargers with defective low-voltage-cables.

You can buy replacement cables including magsafe-adapter for about 10 USD/EUR each.

There are lots of YT videos showing how to repair the chargers "by the hard way" = cracking the glued housing and resoldering the old cable or soldering the new one.

"Happily" our three apple chargers are only defective some centimeters outside the housing - so I will be able prevent opening the housing and to cut the defective cables some cm outside the housing - and then solder the replacement cables there. Of course you have to assure that the cables will be reinforced after soldering. I will glue some additional big plastic outer isolation part from a high voltage cable on it to have enough safety. You can also create (or add) a loop and bound /glue the part before and behind the soldered part to prevent pulling-force on the soldered part.

It is a shame that apple does not deliver these chargers with bad designed low-voltage cables at least exchangeable…
imagine the hundreds of thousands if not millions of chargers landfilling worldwide and polluting the environment… and emptying the pockets of apple customers as well...
 
Spread the word! Take the survey! My chargers always break on the Low Voltage side. Do you guys use the provided cable winders? I wince as I see people lash their cords around those nooses.
 
I have used lightning cables on countless devices since 2012 and MagSafe/MagSafe 2 chargers on 5 laptops since 2010. Never had an issue. I am just super careful making sure that the ends don't get jerked around or stressed at weird angles. All of my MagSafe cables still look new, and only a couple my lightning cables (probably the original ones from my an my wife's iPhone 5's) show a little bit of bulging on the rubber towards the lightning end.

I realize there are defective chargers and cables that make it to consumers, but I would speculate that most cases of excessive fraying are a result of improper use or abuse. Or maybe I have just won the cable lottery for 5 years straight.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Skoal and deeddawg
2 MBPs over 5.5 years and only one failed charger. I bought more than one extra because I don't like having to carry them around.
 
One failed MagSafe, 18 months after purchasing my MBP. Bad luck I guess. Got it replaced though and the new one has been fine so far. I think a lot of the time it depends how you use it, for instance, my MBP spends most of its time on a stand with the MagSage plugged in (so I can operate it in clamshell mode connected to a separate monitor). Only problem is, the cable coming out the Mac port sort of curves downward fairly suddenly and I know that's not ideal.

I did buy a backup cable to be on the safe side - I leave it at my parents' house so I don't need to transport it in my backpack every time I visit them.
 
I had the cord fray right at the MagSafe connector on my MBA's charger (5 years old). Bought a $5 MagSafe cord off eBay and after a little solder and heat shrink it was like new.
 
My MBP MagSafe broke at the fixed end and I had no option but to replace it.

Although I prolonged the life by applying tapes by around a year. But had to replace it in the end as the charging had become very unstable.
 
Since the first MBA my wife and I have toted her MBA's and my MBP's all over the world. Never an issue. You folks need to use a little care when handling the cord. That's all it takes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: deeddawg
Taking the extra 5 seconds to wrap the cord properly is worth it. All of my cords have outlasted the unit. All of my friends' cords are damaged :p
 
  • Like
Reactions: cerberusss
I had a 2006 MBP for 6 years and used the original cord the whole time. My friends whom I gave it to used it for a good long while as well. Now I'm using a 2012 MBP and 4 years later I'm still using the original cord.

YMMV
 
sounds like my wife and nephew. They just destroy every single cable they touch. While my cables that are much much older and get much more daily use still look fairly close to new. Even the 7 yr old MBP magesafe.

My wife has gone through 3 magsafe's on her 2012 MBP and now on her 2nd adapter with her 2014 MBP. I don't understand it. I can't even count the lightening cables she's gone through.
 
Mine too is spotless after 3 years but I need a spare for running Netflix at the tv.
Mine is a swine to unplug behind desk so decided to buy a spare.
But where to buy in South Africa. West Rand.
New is R999 !!!
Seems excessive.
Half that on OLX but will it work...:(
 
In ten years I haven't had any charger problems. I've upgraded my computer twice in that time, so am on my third charger, but I still get around 4.5 years out of each. And yes, I use the "cable winders".
 
Ive never had a MagSafe, Lightning, 30 Pin etc. cable fail on me in the 15 years that I've used Apple products. I think its how you treat the cables. All of my cables look brand new no fraying, yellowing or other damage.
 
  • Like
Reactions: deeddawg
I haven't had a single damaged cable. I have, however, fixed dozens of magsafe chargers, always by replacing the DC cable.

Topic Starter really does have a point. Take for example the DC cable. It's very thin compared to the charger cable of (for example) an HP laptop. Undoubtedly Apple balanced aesthetics and robustness.

And then charges €80 euros for a charger :)
 
JTToft said:
- I do. No issues for 5 years.

Treat your cables properly, and they'll last forever.
Click to expand...

Exactly! I have never had an Apple cable fail. That goes for 3 MacBooks/MacBook pros, multiple iPods, iPhones, and iPads.

You don't have to treat them with kid gloves but don't yank them out by the cord either. Every iPhone, iPad cord I've seen broken it has always been at the connector which tells me the person hasn't been removing them by the connector but by the cord instead.

As for the cable coil on the MagSafe adapters. Just put a relief bend where the cable comes out of the wall adapter before you wrap it around the arms and you'll never have a problem...ever!
 
If you think there is no problem with Apple cables then you're just an Apple apologist fanboi. It reminds me of every single thread here when somebody has an issue with their product and everybody else just accuses them of 'using it wrong' (sound familiar?). Many times those same products end up in a free repair program.

You shouldn't have to treat your cables like they're the Shroud of Turin, they should be able to handle normal use expected of an electrical cable. If a spade breaks digging in your garden it's faulty.

Why can other manufacturers make cables that do not fray and Apple can not?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back