What we buy
Ranges we buy on this page
Moving a transformer starts with its weight, lifting points and the ground beneath the crane, not with a truck reservation. This guide covers crane sizing, lifting lugs, cribbing, trailer types and the permits a heavy move needs in North Carolina.
It is written for plant engineers, utility asset managers, facility directors, contractors and demolition crews preparing a transformer for removal from a pad, vault or substation.
| Phase | kVA | Voltage | Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-phase | 10 - 333 kVA | up to 25 kV | Liquid or dry |
| 3-phase | 25 - 10,000 kVA | 25 kV | Liquid-filled |
Who we buy from
Six kinds of seller
- Recyclers
- Electrical contractors
- Equipment dealers
- End users
- Demo contractors
- Distributors
Fast offers
A written offer the same business day, based on your photographs.
Dedicated logistics
Our own crew, trailer and crane, not a brokered haul.
No broker fees
One buyer from first call to cleared pad, with nothing skimmed.
How it works
Six steps from photograph to payment
- 01
Take pictures
Photograph the nameplate, the inside of the cabinet and the tank from both ends. Four frames on a phone are enough to price most units.
- 02
Send them to us
Email or text the photographs with the site address and whether the unit is still energised. We reply the same business day with questions or a number.
- 03
Review the offer
The offer names the unit, the site, the price and the pickup window. It is written, dated and good for thirty days unless the unit changes hands.
- 04
We schedule freight
A crew, a trailer and a crane if the pad needs one. You get the date and the arrival window, and the site does not have to close for it.
- 05
Testing on arrival
Winding resistance, insulation resistance and a turns ratio check, plus oil analysis where the unit is liquid-filled. Results travel with the unit.
- 06
Get paid
Payment is released against the signed bill of sale and the scale ticket, by check or ACH, with the paperwork copy left on site.
What we handle
The parts sellers dread
Rigging
Crane, skates and a route survey for anything that will not roll onto a trailer.
Oil containment
Pans, absorbent and a spill plan before a drain plug is touched.
Bill of sale
A document that clears a lien, a lease or a bankruptcy file, not a handwritten note.
PCB paperwork
Testing and manifesting for pre-1979 oil, handled before the unit moves.
On the ground
The short version
Establish the transformer's actual shipping weight, dimensions and center of gravity before choosing lifting equipment. A nameplate weight may include insulating liquid or accessories that will travel separately.
Record the tank, radiators, bushings and conservator configuration so the rigging contractor works from the equipment that will actually leave the site.
Plan the crane position, trailer position and travel route as one operation. A lowboy cannot solve an overhead clearance problem if tall bushings remain installed.
In North Carolina, an oversize or overweight movement may require an NCDOT permit, route restrictions and escorts before the loaded trailer reaches a public road.
Local reality
Why a seller should care
A transformer can be disconnected and still be difficult to remove. Fence openings, buried duct banks, soft shoulders and concrete pad edges determine where outriggers and trailer tires can bear.
Sellers should identify these constraints before a crane arrives, particularly at operating plants where access roads must remain open.
Removal also creates work inside the facility. A hospital loading lane may serve emergency vehicles; a plant gate may carry shift traffic. Establish the lift exclusion zone, outage boundary and truck staging area with site personnel.
Confirm electrical isolation and grounding under the site's procedures before any rigging crew approaches.
Around the site
The arithmetic
Crane sizing begins with gross suspended load: transformer shipping weight plus slings, shackles, spreader bar and other below-hook equipment. The lift planner must account for hook-block weight according to the crane's load chart.
Capacity depends on radius, boom configuration, outrigger setup and ground support, not the crane's advertised maximum tonnage.
For a simplified symmetric two-leg sling, each leg's tension equals load divided by twice the sine of the sling angle measured from horizontal. At 30 degrees, each leg carries the full load.
Actual lug loading also depends on geometry; qualified riggers must verify angles, component ratings and manufacturer lifting instructions.
Where it sits
Where people go wrong
Do not assume every welded eye on a tank is a whole-unit lifting point. Some fittings serve cover removal, positioning or component handling. Corrosion, cracked welds and bent lifting lugs need evaluation before use.
Side loading a lug with an improvised sling arrangement can damage the attachment or tear the tank.
Cribbing must support the intended bearing points on firm, assessed ground. Loose blocks beneath a tank edge can shift as the load settles. Never work beneath a suspended transformer.
During loading, protect drain valves and radiator headers from trailer contact; striking either can release oil and stop the entire move.
On the ground
Value impact
For a transformer being sold for reuse, transport damage can change its disposition. A cracked porcelain bushing, distorted radiator flange or leaking gasket may require repair and testing before energization.
Photographs taken before rigging help distinguish existing defects from damage caused during lifting, loading or securement on the trailer.
Even a failed transformer needs a controlled move. Oil leaks, damaged valves and unsecured accessories can prevent safe loading or require containment before departure.
Transformer Buyers NC buys used, surplus, failed and obsolete transformers throughout North Carolina; documenting removal conditions helps determine a workable handling plan for each individual unit.
Local reality
Your next move
Prepare a removal packet with nameplate photographs, measured dimensions, shipping weight documentation, lifting drawings if available and clear views of each lifting lug. Include the pad approach, gate width, overhead lines and proposed crane setup area.
Identify underground utilities and provide available drawings rather than treating pavement as proof of support.
Have the carrier evaluate flatbed, step-deck or lowboy selection using loaded height, axle loading and securement requirements. Confirm permit responsibility, approved route and any escort conditions before dispatch.
Record accessory packing and oil-containment arrangements, then agree on who controls the lift, releases the load and signs the pickup paperwork.
Get started
Get an offer in minutes
Five fields is all it takes. Photographs help, but a nameplate and a town are enough to start.
No fee, no obligation. We reply the same business day.
Tell us what you have
We reply the same business day.
Questions
Straight answers
Equipment types
Can the nameplate weight be used for crane sizing?
Use it as a starting point, not an unverified final load. Check whether it includes oil, radiators and other accessories. The lift calculation must include rigging equipment and applicable crane deductions. Resolve missing or conflicting weight information before selecting the crane configuration.
Service area
Which trailer type fits a tall transformer?
A lowboy may reduce loaded height compared with a flatbed, but deck clearance alone does not settle the choice. The carrier must check transformer dimensions, support points, axle loading and the permitted route. Bushings or conservators may need removal under manufacturer instructions.
Payment
Who handles permits for a North Carolina move?
Assign that responsibility explicitly to the carrier or designated permit service before dispatch. NCDOT oversize and overweight authorization depends on the proposed load and route. Confirm applicable local road requirements as well; a state permit does not establish safe clearance through a facility gate.
Logistics
Value impact: what should a seller know?
For a transformer being sold for reuse, transport damage can change its disposition. A cracked porcelain bushing, distorted radiator flange or leaking gasket may require repair and testing before energization.