Thinkpads Forum

The part of the cable that connects to the grey tip of my AC adapter was somehow damaged, so I need a replacement.

I see quite a few low cost third party adapters available, but their review scores are all over the map.

Do any of you have any experiences with third party ac adapters, or universal adapters? Should I stick with an original? I'm loathe to use Ebay because it complicates matters if there are any issues, but it seems like the best option is to keep an eye out for cheap Lenovo adapters and grab them for their buy it now prices, but I'd like to know if there are any better alternatives.

(It wouldn't be a huge problem, except I only have a single battery, a nine cell extended that is somehow still trucking even though it has a cycle count around 500 and is lucky to get 20-30 minutes of juice at minimum brightness while underclocked to 900MHz.)

Thanks.

Personally, I don't trust generic AC adapters.

Post a WTB (want to buy) ad in the forum's marketplace, and get a genuine adapter from a trustworthy seller.

No, I don't have one to offer you...LOL

Happy hunting.

I have bought 4 aftermarket power adapters with good results but be sure you look for two things in the ebay listing: 1) a 1 year or longer warranty, and 2) the correct wattage (65 or 90) for your laptop. Some adapters are only 65 watts and are not suitable for dual processor laptops. This ebay vendor in NJ is very good about replacing warranted items: Member id laptopz-outlet

SmokeStacks wrote:I'm loathe to use Ebay because it complicates matters if there are any issues

I think if you buy one from a US seller, you should be alright. If there's a problem you can dispute it with eBay/Paypal. They almost always decide in favor of the buyer. If you buy one from overseas and there's a dispute, you'll have to ship it back overseas, which is likely to cost as much as the adapter, but shipping in the US should be fairly inexpensive. I just picked up a genuine 65w adapter from a US seller for $12.