What we buy
Ranges we buy on this page
Transformer Buyers NC buys used, surplus, failed, and obsolete transformers throughout North Carolina. This page explains the pickup work: checking lifting lugs, setting cribbing, choosing a crane and trailer, and clearing a permitted route.
| 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
How we load a transformer
Loading starts with the nameplate, outline drawing, and a walk around the tank. The crew checks lifting lugs, welds, radiator clearance, and the center of gravity. Bushings and cable boxes need protection from rigging.
A spreader bar keeps sling legs away from fittings when the approved lifting arrangement requires it.
Cribbing provides stable support during staging and trailer placement; it does not substitute for a lifting plan. Sound timbers sit on ground that can carry the load without settling.
Before movement, electrical isolation, grounding removal, cable disconnection, and oil containment responsibilities must be confirmed with the site representative.
Local reality
Crane sizing
A crane is selected from its load chart at the actual lift radius, not its advertised maximum capacity. Transformer weight, rigging weight, boom configuration, and the distance from the crane centerline to the trailer all matter.
A short lift across a fence can still require substantial capacity at radius.
Outrigger reactions determine the matting and ground preparation needed beside a transformer pad. Buried duct banks, utility trenches, vault roofs, and recently backfilled soil require review before setup.
Where the outline drawing is missing, verified dimensions and weight information are needed before the crane contractor finalizes the lift plan.
Around the site
Trailers and weight
Trailer selection uses transport weight and dimensions, including saddles, blocking, and any components left attached. A lowboy lowers overall height, but deck capacity and axle distribution still control the arrangement.
Large power transformers may require nine-axle rigs or other specialized configurations rather than a conventional tractor and trailer.
Radiators, conservators, and tall bushings may need separate transport when the manufacturer’s instructions permit removal. That work changes the shipping envelope and introduces gasket, blanking plate, and oil-handling requirements.
Tie-down points must suit transport forces; lifting lugs are not automatically approved securement points. Blocking must prevent sliding without damaging the tank.
Where it sits
Permits and escorts
North Carolina oversize and overweight movement planning starts with loaded height, width, length, gross weight, and axle spacing. Those measurements support the permit application and proposed route.
Bridge checks can rule out the shortest road, while overhead wires, railroad crossings, and tight intersections can eliminate an otherwise workable route.
Permit processing and route review add schedule time, especially when bridge evaluation or route revisions are needed. Escort requirements and travel restrictions depend on the authorized movement.
The carrier must reconcile the permit with pickup readiness, crane scheduling, weather, and receiving access before committing the loaded rig to departure.
On the ground
When rail beats a lowboy
Rail deserves evaluation when transformer weight, road restrictions, or distance make highway movement difficult. A usable siding can reduce long road-haul exposure, but transfer lifts remain part of the plan.
Around Hamlet and Rocky Mount, siding suitability must be verified with the railroad and the owner of the specific track.
A siding near the site is not enough. Track condition, clearance, car suitability, securement requirements, switching arrangements, and unloading access all need confirmation. Rail can lose its practical advantage if the transformer needs two difficult transfers or a lengthy final road leg.
The complete movement matters more than the rail segment.
Local reality
Access problems and how we solve them
A pad behind a hospital service building may have room for the transformer but not for crane outriggers or a lowboy turn. Access planning measures gate openings, turning space, slopes, and overhead clearance.
Temporary fence removal or a different crane position can help, provided the site approves the change.
Soft shoulders and buried utilities can stop a pickup before the hook reaches the lifting lugs. Ground protection mats, engineered support, or a revised approach may be needed.
At demolition sites, the removal sequence must preserve access until the transformer leaves; rubble piles and severed drainage can make yesterday’s route unusable.
Around the site
Who pays for what
The pickup agreement defines which party arranges the crane, carrier, permits, escorts, and site preparation before equipment is dispatched. It also identifies responsibility for disconnection, oil handling, and removable components.
For transformers we buy, these assignments should be explicit rather than left for the crane crew to resolve at the gate.
Changes need written confirmation when actual conditions differ from the plan: damaged lifting lugs, an inaccessible pad, unexpected dimensions, or a route restriction. The site representative and pickup coordinator should document the revised scope before work proceeds.
Release paperwork and the carrier’s receipt establish what equipment left and when custody changed.
Local reality
What the truck needs from you
A lowboy needs a run of hard standing, a turning circle and a gate it can pass through without folding a mirror. If the pad is behind a building, tell us which side the trailer can approach from and whether there are overhead lines.
For anything over about 20 tons we survey the route before the day, including bridge limits and any residential streets that will not take a multi-axle trailer. That survey is part of the offer.
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
What information is needed before scheduling transformer pickup?
Provide nameplate photographs, dimensions, weight documentation, and pictures of the pad, lifting lugs, and access route. Include known oil leaks or structural damage. An outline drawing helps establish the lifting arrangement and shipping envelope, particularly when radiators or bushings may need removal.
Service area
Can a leaking transformer travel on a lowboy?
A leaking tank needs assessment before loading. The pickup plan must address containment, the condition of the tank, and applicable transport requirements. A trailer deck is not spill containment. Oil handling or corrective work may be necessary before the carrier can accept the transformer.
Payment
Does a nearby rail siding guarantee rail pickup?
No. A siding near Hamlet or Rocky Mount still needs railroad and track-owner approval for the proposed movement. Track condition, clearances, railcar suitability, transfer access, and switching arrangements determine whether it can support the shipment. The final road leg also needs review.
Logistics
Crane sizing: what should a seller know?
A crane is selected from its load chart at the actual lift radius, not its advertised maximum capacity. Transformer weight, rigging weight, boom configuration, and the distance from the crane centerline to the trailer all matter.