What we buy
Ranges we buy on this page
This guide explains how to estimate transformer weight from kVA and voltage, measure the complete assembly, and distinguish nameplate weight from shipping weight. It is written for North Carolina plant engineers, utility asset managers, facility directors, contractors, demolition crews, and trustees planning removal.
| Phase | kVA | Voltage | Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-phase | 10 - 333 kVA | up to 25 kV | Liquid or dry |
| 3-phase | 15 - 20,000 kVA | 34.5 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
What it is
Transformer weight describes a particular configuration, not just the core and windings. Depending on the manufacturer's documentation, a listed weight may include the tank, insulating liquid, radiators, bushings, and enclosure.
Dimensions likewise need a defined boundary: tank outline, assembled operating envelope, or transport envelope with removable components detached.
A nameplate may list total weight, liquid weight, or separate component weights. Shipping weight refers to the actual transport configuration and may exclude drained liquid or detached radiators, while including a skid or protective blocking.
Neither label establishes the lifting load unless its included components match the planned lift.
Local reality
Why it matters when you sell
When you sell a transformer, its verified weight and dimensions help determine how it can leave the property. A 480-volt dry-type unit inside a hospital mechanical room may fit through the doorway only after enclosure panels are removed.
The route still must accommodate the core-and-coil assembly and handling equipment.
For a pad-mounted transformer at a North Carolina plant, the tank weight alone does not establish a removal plan. Crews need the complete lift weight, lifting-point details, overhead obstructions, and space for crane outriggers.
A narrow service lane or buried utility corridor can change the equipment position and access route.
Around the site
The numbers
Use kVA and voltage to identify comparable equipment, not to calculate a dependable weight by formula. A 1,000 kVA liquid-filled transformer and a 1,000 kVA dry-type transformer can have substantially different masses and footprints.
Higher insulation requirements, winding material, cooling arrangement, and enclosure construction further limit comparisons between units.
Record length, width, and height in inches, with weight in pounds. Measure protruding radiators, bushings, cable boxes, and lifting lugs rather than stopping at the tank wall.
Check the manufacturer's outline drawing against field measurements, then identify which parts remain installed during lifting and which travel separately on the trailer.
Where it sits
Common mistakes
Do not treat gallons of insulating liquid as pounds, or subtract an assumed liquid quantity from a nameplate total. Fluid density depends on fluid type and temperature.
If draining is part of the removal plan, document the actual quantity and confirm the resulting transport weight through records or weighing.
Another mistake is using shipping dimensions from an old drawing after replacement bushings or radiator banks have changed the outline. Measure the equipment as it stands.
Also distinguish gross trailer load from transformer weight: blocking, detached components, and handling fixtures can add weight without appearing on the transformer nameplate.
On the ground
How it affects value
Weight alone does not establish a transformer's recovery potential. A heavy tank may contain substantial insulating liquid and steel, while its winding material remains undocumented.
Nameplate photographs, drawings, test records, and internal construction details help separate reusable equipment from failed units whose evaluation centers on dismantling and material recovery.
Dimensions also affect whether an otherwise usable transformer is practical to relocate. A tall bushing assembly may require removal for transport clearance, and corroded radiator flanges can complicate disassembly.
Document those conditions before removal so the evaluation reflects the actual unit, rather than an assumed compact tank with accessible lifting points.
Local reality
What to do next
Start with clear photographs of the nameplate, all four sides, bushings, radiators, lifting points, and the surrounding pad or room. Gather the outline drawing and any shipping records.
Mark each weight as total, liquid, active-part, or shipping weight exactly as the source states; leave unknown fields identified as unknown.
Have qualified personnel verify isolation and electrical safety before close inspection or measurement. Record the exit route, doorway clearance, overhead lines, and crane access separately from transformer dimensions.
Transformer Buyers NC buys used, surplus, failed, and obsolete transformers across North Carolina; these records support evaluation and planning for their removal.
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 kVA alone tell me transformer weight?
No. kVA identifies capacity, not a fixed mass. Compare units with similar voltage, construction, cooling, and enclosure only for preliminary planning. Use the manufacturer's drawing, a clearly defined nameplate weight, or verified weighing before selecting lifting equipment or establishing the trailer load.
Service area
Why does shipping weight differ from nameplate weight?
The two figures may describe different assemblies. A nameplate total may include insulating liquid and installed radiators, while the shipping configuration may have those removed. Skids and blocking can add transport weight. Check the documentation rather than assuming shipping weight is always lower.
Payment
Which dimensions should I measure before transformer removal?
Measure the complete length, width, and height, including bushings, radiators, cable boxes, and other projections. Record a separate transport envelope if components will be detached. Doorways, turns, overhead clearance, and the crane setup area need their own measurements; they are not transformer dimensions.
Logistics
How it affects value: what should a seller know?
Weight alone does not establish a transformer's recovery potential. A heavy tank may contain substantial insulating liquid and steel, while its winding material remains undocumented.