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Customer Reviews: Average Rating:  Rating :  - The need for a REPLACEMENT battery charger says it all
You're looking at this battery recharger as a REPLACEMENT because the original began to arc at the connector-end to the Razor bike. As a replacement, it's acceptable since there are no alternatives. You'll avoid another replacement, however, IF YOU GRIP THE CONNECTOR ITSELF TO DISCONNECT from the Razor bike AND AVOID GRIPPING AND PULLING THE CORD.
The UL Subject 2238-type connector uses a CAST-METAL enclosure to give a FALSE IMPRESSION of ruggedness. Nonetheless, the connector's cord grip (strain-relief clamps) cannot accommodate the small cord size selected by the recharger's designer.
The battery recharger's designer selected a 3-contact connector intended for a LARGER-DIAMETER 3-conductor cord instead of the 2-conductor cord actually used. (The third contact is unused. In cast-metal connectors, none could be found in a 2-contact connector as a component. The battery recharger designer should have looked to either a custom-built connector suitable for the cord, a molded-on connector, or a 2-contact connector in nonmetallic, especially given the arc-over tendencies here.) The strain-relief clamps cannot accommodate the smaller 2-conductor cord sufficiently to prevent transmittal of strain to the connector's terminals, hence the arcing. The designer tried to kludge this OBVIOUS DESIGN DEFECT with a off-the-shelf bushing (cord gland) with STILL too large an inside diameter to grip the small 2-conductor cord adequately. AHJs take note: This design defect violates National Electrical Code® Section 400.10 DESPITE this battery charger's UL Listing.
As an engineering manager at an electroindustry company and having access to specialized equipment, even I could not repair the original damaged termination on the recharger connector because of the original kludged assembly method used by the recharger designer. (Even with specialized equipment, you cannot disassemble without permanent, irrepairable damage to the connector.)
Although this recharger is UL Listed, the UL Conformity Assessment Services (CAS) Engineer for chargers also did an inadequate evaluation for this strain-relief attribute; that situation could have been avoid by consulting with UL CAS Engineers for UL2238, UL498, UL1682, UL1977 or any of the other related UL Standards for various connector products.
With this poorly designed battery recharger (even if you think it's in good condition, not easily verified), DO NOT leave your Razor bike recharging UNATTENDED [UNLESS ON A CIRCUIT HAVING ARC-FAULT CIRCUIT INTERRUPTION (AFCI) PROTECTION]. US CPSC take note: The arcing at the strained terminations has insufficient spacings to separate the exposed conductors there and DOES result in charring of the insulator. DO NOT RECHARGE IN A LOCATION WITH PETROLEUM-FUELED VEHICLES OR WHERE PETROLEUM (gasoline, oil) ARE STORED.
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