What we buy
Ranges we buy on this page
This guide compares scrap value with resale value: the copper and core arithmetic against the working-unit market, and the conditions that favor each path.
| Phase | kVA | Voltage | Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-phase | 10 - 333 kVA | up to 25 kV | Liquid or dry |
| 3-phase | 75 - 20,000 kVA | 46 kV | Liquid or dry |
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
Scrap assessment starts with recoverable copper or aluminum windings, electrical steel in the core, and steel in the tank.
Working-unit assessment starts with a different question: whether the transformer can serve another installation with its existing voltage ratio, capacity, insulation system, and connection arrangement.
An intact 480-volt secondary transformer with documented tests may be a reuse candidate even after years outside. A similar tank with burned windings or an internally damaged core may favor material recovery.
Rust on a radiator alone does not establish which path fits the unit.
Local reality
Why a seller should care
A demolition crew can erase the reuse option before an assessment happens. Cutting bushings, pulling leads, or opening the tank exposes insulation and breaks the evidence chain.
Keep the nameplate attached and photograph the transformer before disconnecting cables, removing elbows, or separating any cooling equipment.
For a North Carolina facility director, the decision also affects removal planning. An intact unit may need protected bushings, secured radiators, and a lowboy sized for its shipping weight.
Material recovery still requires an oil plan, lifting access, and documented handling of potentially contaminated components.
Around the site
The arithmetic
The copper and core arithmetic begins with material identification, not total nameplate weight. Shipping weight can include insulating liquid, the tank, radiators, and accessories.
Copper windings and aluminum windings require different recovery assessments; neither can be reliably identified from the paint color or cabinet dimensions.
For working-unit assessment, list the rated kVA, primary and secondary voltages, phase count, impedance, and tap positions beside the test records. Then account for missing bushings, leaks, transport limits, and required repairs.
This is a comparison of usable equipment against recoverable material, not gross weight alone.
Where it sits
Where people go wrong
Owners sometimes describe every liquid-filled transformer as copper-wound. The nameplate may not identify conductor material, and an exterior photograph rarely settles it. Manufacturer drawings, original specifications, or verified internal records are stronger evidence.
Do not open an energized or uncleared tank just to identify the winding.
Another mistake is treating a past operating status as a current condition report. A transformer removed after a protection trip needs the trip history and diagnostic results reviewed.
A cracked bushing, winding fault, and external cable fault imply different reuse prospects, even if each caused an outage.
On the ground
Value impact
Resale potential improves when the nameplate matches a practical application and records support continued service. A three-phase unit with complete terminals, known impedance, and recent insulation results presents a clearer case than an unidentified tank.
Unusual voltage combinations can narrow reuse prospects despite acceptable electrical condition.
Scrap suitability becomes clearer when internal damage prevents practical reuse, but the recovery picture still depends on conductor material and contamination. PCB documentation matters for older liquid-filled equipment.
An oil test does not prove winding integrity, and a failed winding does not establish the liquid's regulatory classification.
Local reality
Your next move
Build one assessment packet before authorizing dismantling: nameplate photographs, overall views, winding material records, available electrical tests, oil documentation, and a description of the removal reason.
Include the North Carolina site location, pad access, estimated shipping weight, and whether a crane can reach the lifting points.
Transformer Buyers NC buys used, surplus, failed, and obsolete transformers anywhere in North Carolina. For a scrap-versus-resale assessment, describe the unit as it stands, including disconnected radiators, damaged bushings, or missing records.
Preserve the tank and terminals until the reuse and material-recovery paths have been reviewed.
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
Does a failed transformer always belong in scrap?
No. A failed accessory, such as a bushing, can leave the core and windings serviceable. Internal arcing or severe winding damage presents a different case. The protection report, inspection findings, and electrical tests help distinguish repairable equipment from a material-recovery candidate.
Service area
Can shipping weight reveal the amount of copper?
Shipping weight alone cannot establish copper content. It may include insulating liquid, steel tank walls, radiators, and other components. Some transformers have aluminum windings. Manufacturer documentation or verified construction records are needed before treating total weight as evidence of recoverable conductor material.
Payment
Which records help separate reuse from material recovery?
Start with the nameplate, removal reason, electrical test reports, and available oil analysis. Add repair history and drawings identifying conductor material. For older liquid-filled units, include PCB documentation.
Logistics
Value impact: what should a seller know?
Resale potential improves when the nameplate matches a practical application and records support continued service. A three-phase unit with complete terminals, known impedance, and recent insulation results presents a clearer case than an unidentified tank.