We buy transformers, sell us your used or surplus unit

What to send us for an offer

Buyers price a transformer from photographs and a few facts. Maddox, one of the largest remanufacturers, asks every seller for three photos, and so do we. A photo we cannot read means a lower or slower offer.

• The nameplate, sharp enough to read every line. It is usually inside the cabinet door or on the outside of the tank
• The inside of the cabinet, showing the bushings, the tap changer and the terminals. On a dry type, the core and coil
• The outside, showing the cabinet, the tank and the radiators, so the cost of repair and paint can be judged
• Whether it is still full of oil, and whether it was working when it came out of service
• Any oil test, PCB test or electrical test reports you have
• Where it is, with the ZIP code, and whether you can load it onto a truck

What decides the price

A transformer that can be tested, repaired and put back in service sells as equipment. One that cannot sells as metal. Maddox says it can pay up to five times scrap value for a unit it can remanufacture, which tells you how wide the gap is.

Buyers price a unit from the nameplate rating and voltages, its age, the winding metal and the condition of the bushings, taps, cabinet, tank and radiators, which is why Maddox asks for photos of each. A liquid filled unit that is still full of oil is worth more than a drained one, according to Maddox.

PCBs, the first thing every buyer checks

PCBs were added to some transformer oil until the late 1970s. Federal rules sort oil filled equipment into three classes by PCB content, and the class decides whether anyone will buy your unit at all.

Classes from 40 CFR 761.2 as summarized by Okon Recycling and the CustomsMobile copy of the rule.

How old units are treated before testing

Under the federal rule, equipment built after July 2, 1979 can be assumed to be non PCB. A mineral oil unit built before then with no test result has to be assumed PCB contaminated, and a unit whose date and fluid are both unknown has to be assumed a PCB transformer. So a test result is worth getting before you sell anything old, and an oil sample has to be taken before the oil is drained, never after.

Buyers set their own limits below the federal line. Maddox will not buy a transformer with more than 2 ppm PCBs and tests every unit when it arrives. A new transformer carries no detectable PCBs, and the blue under 50 ppm sticker on many units is a label left over from the 1979 rule, not a sign of contamination.

How a sale works

Ask any buyer, us included, what happens if the unit fails its tests and who pays the freight both ways. A good offer answers both in writing.

• You send the photos and the details above
• We send a written offer, usually subject to the unit passing electrical and oil tests when it arrives
• We quote the freight. You load the truck, or tell us if you need a crane and rigging quoted
• The unit is tested on arrival. Maddox says it tests within 7 to 10 business days, and that is a fair benchmark
• You are paid. If the unit fails its tests, the offer drops to its scrap value or the unit comes back to you

Working, failed and scrap units

A failed transformer still has a value, as a core for rewinding or as metal. The scrap value depends almost entirely on the weight of copper or aluminium in the windings, and the core and tank sell as steel. Our transformer scrap value calculator works out what a unit is worth as metal from its weight and the winding metal, so you can judge any offer against that floor.

If you have a site full of equipment to clear, we also buy switchgear and generator sets, and quote them together.

Who buys used transformers

Remanufacturers and dealers who test, repair and resell units, surplus dealers, and scrap yards. A dealer or remanufacturer pays for a unit that can return to service, a scrap yard pays for the metal. Send us the nameplate photo and we tell you which group your unit belongs in.

How much is a used transformer worth

A unit that can go back into service sells as equipment, and Maddox says it can pay up to five times scrap value for one it can remanufacture. A failed or very old unit is worth its metal, mostly the copper or aluminium in the windings. Our scrap value calculator gives the floor.

Will a buyer take a transformer that contains PCBs

Resellers generally will not. Maddox will not buy a unit with more than 2 ppm PCBs. A unit with PCB contaminated oil has to be handled and disposed of under the federal PCB rules. If you do not know the PCB content, a lab test of an oil sample answers it, and it has to be taken before the oil is drained.

Is a transformer built before 1979 sellable

Only once it has been tested. Under the federal rule a pre 1979 mineral oil unit with no test result is assumed to be PCB contaminated. A clean test result turns it back into ordinary equipment.

Do I have to drain the oil before selling

No, and you should not. A unit that is still full is worth more to most buyers, and the oil has to be sampled for PCBs before it is drained.

Who pays for shipping

It varies by buyer. Maddox covers the freight and asks the seller to load the truck. We quote freight in the offer so you can compare it with any other.