Sell your surplus substation transformers.
Highest dollar value per unit. 500 kVA floor, 20 MVA ceiling for our purchasing. On-site scrapping viable above roughly 5 MVA.
Get an offerWhat we pay for and why
Value on a substation transformer comes down to kVA, primary voltage, winding metal, age, and whether it still tests. New surplus on the skid is worth the most. Failed units are worth their metal and oil.
Ratings we buy
| Category | oil filled |
|---|---|
| Phases | 3 phase |
| Voltage class | high |
| 3-phase kVA | 500, 750, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000, 3750, 5000, 7500, 10000, 12000, 15000, 20000 |
| Photos we need | Nameplate, open cabinet, exterior |
| Freight | Included in the offer |
What drives the number on this unit
The market is deepest from 1 to 10 MVA with 46 to 69 kV high sides. Bigger and higher-voltage units have fewer buyers, which is where on-site scrapping starts to compete with resale.
A folder of DGA results is worth real money. It converts an unknown into a resale unit before we ever roll a truck.
A load tap changer adds value when it works and subtracts when it is worn. Tell us the counter reading if you can get it.
Above roughly 5 MVA, transport cost becomes a major term in the offer. Sometimes the answer is our crew scrapping it on your pad, and we will show you both numbers.
Reading the nameplate
Substation nameplates ride the tank wall, usually chest height on the low-voltage side. Photograph the full plate plus the oil volume and total weight stampings, and grab the tap changer data plate if there is one. Shoot the radiators, bushings, and conservator too; on units this size, the accessories are part of the appraisal.
Freight and rigging
A 1 MVA unit runs 10,000 to 15,000 pounds and moves on a standard lowboy. At 5 MVA you are around 40,000 to 60,000 pounds with a crane on both ends. At 20 MVA the unit moves in the 100,000-pound class, often with radiators and bushings pulled for transport. We plan and pay for all of it; the offer already includes the haul.
Six-step sell process
- 01Send three photos and a ZIP code
- 02We read the nameplate and reply
- 03You get a written offer
- 04We schedule freight and rigging
- 05Pickup and paperwork
- 06You get paid within 3 business days of a passed test
PCB and oil note
Oil-filled units built before 1980 may contain PCBs. If your unit is that age and has not been sampled, we sample before an offer is final. We do not give disposal instructions on this site. Call us and a person will walk you through it.
FAQ
Yes. The core, windings, tank steel, and oil all carry value. Tell us the failure mode if you know it.
Send the other two photos and whatever you know. Illegible nameplates route to a slower queue, but the lead still gets a call.
If it was built before 1980 and has never been sampled, possibly. We sample before an offer is final. We do not give disposal guidance on the web.
We do. Flatbed for most units, lowboy or crane for larger substation gear. Tell us if the unit is truck accessible.
When freight plus rigging exceeds the resale margin, usually on big units far from buyers. We quote both paths and you pick the bigger number.
Normal. We offer now from nameplate and test data, hold the number, and schedule removal behind your cutover.