Buying Universal laptop charger

Hi
I have a Lenovo s10e ideapad netbook
it is running fine but the original charger broke (overheated causing plastic wire to melt)

i replaced it with one I found compatible on eBay
but this also broke after less than 2 months

I checked the Lenovo store and found that they discontinued the s series of ideapad and do not make the AC adapters anymore

how should I replace my charger?
Any universal laptop chargers you can recommend that will be compatible with my laptop/ trustworthy to use ?

Wow! You've had 2 AC adapters for your netbook fail? I would seriously look into why they failed as that seems unusual to me. Perhaps the wall voltage where you plug them in is low, that could cause the adapter to work harder and cause it to overheat. Also, make sure the adapter isn't buried under a blanket or anything so that it has the ability to vent the heat it generates.

Here is a link (US, sorry) for a place selling original equipment adapter which is probably your best bet: 30W Original Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3 ac adapter charger power supply ADP-30SH B 20V 1.5A

However, if you want to go with a universal, look for one that has the same output voltage (20 VDC) but has a higher current rating. The original current rating is 1.5A so try to find one that is rated 2A or even more. Having an adapter with a higher current rating just means that it's heavier duty so it shouldn't overheat as easily.

i believe that the below adapter is a fake
30W Original Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3 ac adapter charger power supply ADP-30SH B 20V 1.5A

ive been searching amazon and ebay and usually can find cheap adapters like this selling from china, USA, Israel and Australia

i figured out they are fakes as they do not pay attention to the details of the adapter
such as the original adapter being 40W not 30W and the placement of the writing not being the same as the original or not containing the same symbols to show that they past the test that the original did

these counterfeit adapters fit with the laptop and may charge it for a while (5 months at most i have read on reviews)

Also i do not cover the adapter while charging and pretty sure the wall voltage is not low as i use it at a variety of wall plugs at home, school, work etc

The adapter was probably faulty as it was a counterfeit
The original adapter failed probably from overuse as i had it for 5-6 years (sometimes adapters just fail over time)

Check this site for an adapter, I've never had a problem:
IBM / Lenovo Ideapad S10 and S12 Series Laptop AC Power Adapter
Also note that IBM spun off their computers to Lenovo so you'll see both names and their HDD/Hard Disk Drives to Hitachi.

Just as a higher current adapter makes it heavier duty, a lower current rating makes it less heavy duty. If the original adapter was indeed a 40W and the replacement 30W then the replacement had insufficient current capacity which is why it failed prematurely. BTW, just in case you don't know, the wattage rating is calculated by multiplying the voltage times the current so 20V * 2A = 40W. If the laptop originally came with a 40W then you might even want to see if you can find a 50W as a replacement (20V * 2.5A). The voltage needs to be 20V but the current rating can be as high you can find and are willing to pay for.

I have no idea why your original failed, I've owned/used about a dozen or more different laptops over the last 20 years and have never had the AC adapter fail on any of them. Just lucky I guess.

All of my AC adapters for Dell, HP, Gateway and Toshiba are either 65W or 90W and the plugs for the Notebook socket don't interchange. A Universal adapter will have tips for a number of uses, can even get a Targus, Dell and HP brand at my local Wal*Mart [about 40 miles away] so I keep one on hand for those clients that lose theirs or fail to bring theirs to me for repair.

Two chargers going bad could just be bad luck, but it could indicate a bad battery is trying to draw too much power and there's really no way for normal users to check that. The battery would need to be tested using specialized test equipment.

I use and recommend this Rosewill Automatic Universal 90W Notebook Power Adapter. I use this on service calls and when troubleshooting notebooks. You select the proper tip (out of 13 provided) and it automatically adjusts its output voltage for the battery or notebook it encounters. Thus far, I have had no problems using it on my own Toshiba, as well as several client's Dells, HP/Compac, eMachine, Sony, Lenova, Acer, and even Apple notebooks.

Berton said:

Check this site for an adapter, I've never had a problem:
IBM / Lenovo Ideapad S10 and S12 Series Laptop AC Power Adapter
Also note that IBM spun off their computers to Lenovo so you'll see both names and their HDD/Hard Disk Drives to Hitachi.

Click to expand...

Checked reviews for the site
Priority Electronics Reviews - priorityelectronics.com Ratings at ResellerRatings

seems kind of dodgy
overall reviews were negative
customers complained about customer service and their equipment

also they do not provide an address for operations in order to contact or send back stuff
plus looking at the site seems like it is dodgy as its look has not been updated