buying Magsafe 85w: refurbished OWC tested vs Brand new

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buying Magsafe 85w: refurbished OWC tested vs Brand new

Hi everyone,

I have a MBP 17" 2011 ver. after 2 years and 3 months my Magsafe 85w power adapter just stopped working. it seems that i have overused it for a couple of days like leaving it connected to my sleeping laptop downloading for 18 hours or sometimes straight 24 hours but im not sure if that's the reason why.

I've sent it to a repair center and the problem was not the cables but the circuitry itself (particularly the Power Transistor and more likely, all the capacitors are affected and must be replaced)

so here i am now powerless without my charger for my Mac. now i would like to ask your opinion, ideas, personal experiences and comments on this thread.

Would it be better to buy an expensive brand new charger or stick to a less expensive refurbished one?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8), Magsafe 85w Power Adapter

Posted on May 27, 2013 9:57 AM

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Answer 1

mende1

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May 27, 2013 9:59 AM in response to jazel john

Welcome to Apple Support Communities

OWC is a good source and you can buy the charger from there if it's cheaper. You shouldn't have any problem with it.

However, if you want to make sure you won't have any problem with the charger, go for a new one. It will be more expensive, but it may work for more time. As I told you, OWC is a trusted source and their products are recommended, even if they are refurbished. The final decision is up to you

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Answer 2

jazel john Author

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May 27, 2013 4:17 PM in response to mende1

Thankyou for your inputs sir Mendel, BTW what is OWC?

im from philippines and the price for the refurbished is P3,650 = $89.00 and for the Bnew is P5,000 = $121.00

the reason i asked this is because i have a tight budget and it hurts for me to buy a brand new charger. i have also seen Class A types of Magsafe here "china Made" around P1,500 = $36.00 up to P2,500 = $60.00. but im a little bit scared on buying these kind of products thinking that it will supply power to the Mac, it might not last that long and it might fry up the computer one day. (could that happen?)

so based on your assurance about refurbished ones, i think ill be safe there, but if i have enough budget, ill go for the new one. i just want to be on the safe side to avoid inconvenience and time and my hard earned money.

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Answer 3

mende1

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93,624 points

May 27, 2013 10:01 PM in response to jazel john

OWC is a manufacturer that sells hardware for Macintosh.

You shouldn't use third-party chargers to prevent problems with the MacBook. It wouldn't be the first time that a user comes here to complain about a charger that has damaged its MagSafe port. You can go for the refurbished charger

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Answer 4

jazel john Author

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Jul 31, 2013 9:44 PM in response to mende1

Hi Mendel1, Forgot to post a reply in this thread, i ordered the refurbished OWC tested Magsafe 85w and was surprised that it was a Genuine and brand new with the same price. comes with a 1 year apple warranty too! so far it works well and doesn't go too hot. been using it for a month now and no problems and issues at the moment.

thanks for your help!🙂

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Answer 5

mende1

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Jul 31, 2013 9:45 PM in response to jazel john

You are welcome

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