We Buy Surplus Insulated Copper Wire Across Ohio
Insulated copper wire is the most common thing sellers ask us about. Plants and contractors hold partial reels of THHN, XHHW and machine tool wire after a job closes out. We buy that surplus by the reel, spool, coil or carton. Send the jacket legend and the footage, and we will tell you whether it fits what we buy.
Constructions We Sort By
Most insulated copper we see is building wire: THHN or THHN/THWN-2 with a nylon jacket over PVC insulation, rated 600 volts. XHHW and XHHW-2 use cross-linked polyethylene insulation and turn up where moisture, heat or corrosion is a factor. The small sizes come solid or stranded, and the large sizes are always stranded. We separate them before we weigh anything, because the type decides where a reel can go.
Then there is equipment wire. MTW machine tool wire is finely stranded and oil resistant. Lead wire and hook-up wire are single conductors carrying AWM styles, usually 18 through 10 AWG, often on small spools. Read the legend before you assume a spool is building wire. A 50 foot spool of 18 AWG hook-up wire and a 50 foot coil of 18 AWG THHN are not the same product.
- THHN and THHN/THWN-2, 600V building wire
- XHHW and XHHW-2, cross-linked polyethylene
- MTW machine tool wire, oil resistant
- Lead wire and hook-up wire on small spools
The Legend Outranks the Label
Every foot of building wire carries a surface legend: type letters, gauge, voltage rating, temperature rating and the listing mark. A reel tag adds footage, factory and date. Photograph both, close enough to read. One clear photo of the print answers questions that three emails cannot.
Dual ratings matter. THHN/THWN-2 is not the same as plain THHN once a reel has been stored wet, and the second set of letters is what we read first. If the print has worn off, measure a conductor and count the strands. We will work from the wire itself rather than from a faded tag, but a readable tag is always faster.
Gauge, Footage and What Condition Does
Sizes run from 14 AWG to 4/0, then 250 through 1000 kcmil. A full reel is simple to review. A partial reel with 40 feet left is a different conversation, so send approximate footage rather than the reel size. List coils and cut lengths as their own line items, with a count for each.
Condition affects whether a lot fits what we buy. Sun-faded jackets, water inside a reel, crushed flanges and missing tags all change the picture. None of that rejects a reel by itself, but we need to see it. Photograph the worst reel in the stack, not the best one.
Quote this material
This form is routed with the category already noted, so the buyer knows what they are looking at before opening the photos.
Full reels, partial reels, coils and cartons are all reviewed. Condition changes the number, not the eligibility.
Quote Insulated Copper Wire
Tell us what you have and attach photos of the reels, tags and jacket legends. Fields marked * are required.
Insulated Copper Wire questions
Do you buy partial reels of THHN?
Yes, if the remaining footage and the condition work for the lot. Tell us the approximate footage left on the reel rather than the original reel size. Send a photo of the jacket legend with it.
What if the print on the jacket has worn off?
Measure a conductor, count the strands and note the insulation if you can. A reel tag or a carton label often settles it. We will work from whatever identification survives on the lot.
Do you take copper wire that has already been in service?
Sometimes. Removed wire is judged on condition, remaining length and how it was handled during removal. Photograph the cut ends and any damaged sections so we can see what is actually there.
Selling insulated copper wire?
Send the wire type, footage, condition and photos of the reels and tags. We review it and come back with pricing and pickup logistics.