What we buy
Ranges we buy on this page
A dismantled transformer is not evaluated like a complete unit. Missing bushings, detached radiators and an absent cabinet change the inspection, handling and possible disposition.
The first distinction is physical: whether the tank still contains intact core and coils, or the remaining pieces form a separated scrap lot.
| Phase | kVA | Voltage | Fluid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-phase | 10 - 333 kVA | up to 25 kV | Liquid or dry |
| 3-phase | 50 - 20,000 kVA | 115 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 situation
Partial assembly can mean a transformer stripped for repair, dismantled during demolition or left unfinished after a contractor departed. A tank may remain on its concrete pad while bushings, radiators and the terminal cabinet sit elsewhere.
Those separate pieces need to be identified as belonging to that unit.
A missing cabinet is different from missing windings. On a pad-mounted transformer, removed compartment doors may expose elbows and fuse hardware without disturbing the active assembly.
On another unit, an open tank may reveal that the core and coils have already been lifted out for separate handling.
Local reality
What Partial Assembly changes about the sale
The missing parts help decide whether the transformer is a rebuild candidate or a scrap lot. Intact core and coils support further evaluation, but they do not establish serviceability.
Cut winding leads, damaged bushing mounts or a distorted tank flange can change that assessment before electrical testing begins.
Detached components also change the pickup plan. A radiator bank strapped to a pallet travels differently from an upright transformer tank. Loose bushings need protection from impact, and a removed core-and-coil assembly needs a supported base.
The remaining lifting points must be checked against the actual load configuration.
Around the site
Documentation that matters
Start with a readable nameplate photograph showing manufacturer, serial number, kVA and primary and secondary voltages. If the plate was attached to a missing cabinet, send earlier photographs or asset records.
Matching serial numbers on repair paperwork help connect the stripped tank with its original equipment identity.
A dismantling list should state what is present, what is missing and whether the core and coils are intact. Include removed bushings, radiators, conservator equipment and cabinet panels.
Repair reports, winding test results and photographs taken before disassembly can explain why parts were removed and where they went.
Where it sits
Risk and liability
An open bushing hole or missing radiator connection creates a path for rain and debris into the tank. Record whether openings were capped, covered or left exposed.
Wet insulation and visible rust matter to evaluation, but photographs alone cannot establish the condition of cellulose insulation inside the windings.
Oil residue remains a concern even when the main tank has been drained. Detached radiators, hoses and low points can retain liquid.
Provide any oil analysis or PCB documentation tied to the unit, and identify leaks, damaged gaskets and spill containment before anyone moves the loose components onsite.
On the ground
Timing
Evaluation becomes harder after demolition crews separate the nameplate, tank and internal assembly into different staging areas. Photograph the partial transformer before those pieces move.
At a North Carolina plant shutdown, identify the unit on the removal schedule so its radiators do not disappear into an unrelated load.
Pickup timing depends on access and preparation, not just the date the tank became idle. A lowboy may need room beside the pad, while detached coils may require separate loading.
Confirm electrical isolation, drain status and crane access before setting a removal window around an outage or demolition shift.
Local reality
How we handle partial assembly
Transformer Buyers NC buys used, surplus, failed and obsolete transformers, including partial assemblies, anywhere in North Carolina. We review the remaining tank, core, coils and detached components together.
The initial assessment distinguishes documented missing parts from components whose location or condition is still unknown after dismantling.
Handling planning follows the actual pieces on site. A tank with removed radiators may have a different balance than the complete transformer, and exposed winding leads need protection during loading.
Photographs of lifting lugs, pallets and access lanes help determine what must be verified before equipment is moved.
Around the site
What to send first
Send overall photographs from each side, the nameplate and close views of every missing connection or open compartment. Show the tank interior only if it is already safely accessible.
Include pictures of detached radiators, bushings and cabinet sections, with labels linking each piece to the same transformer.
State the North Carolina site location, ownership contact and reason for dismantling. Then list present parts, missing parts and the known condition of the core and coils.
Note whether oil remains, whether openings are sealed and whether a crane can reach the tank without crossing buried structures.
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 you buy a transformer without its bushings?
Missing bushings do not automatically rule out a purchase. The assessment depends on the remaining core and coils, winding leads, bushing mounts and tank condition.
Service area
Should detached radiators stay with the transformer?
Keep detached radiators identified with their original transformer until their disposition is established. Photograph connection flanges and any labels, and report retained oil or damaged fittings.
Payment
What if the core and coils are missing?
State that clearly and photograph the remaining tank and loose components. An empty tank is materially different from a partial transformer with its active assembly intact.
Logistics
Timing: what should a seller know?
Evaluation becomes harder after demolition crews separate the nameplate, tank and internal assembly into different staging areas. Photograph the partial transformer before those pieces move.