Category 03 — armored, tray and drive cable
We buy surplus MC, AC, tray cable and VFD cable
Armored and tray cable moves through Mississippi industrial work quickly, and surplus tends to pile up in coils rather than reels. A plant standardization project leaves 800 feet of 12/2 MC. A skid build changes drive vendors and strands three coils of shielded VFD cable. A distributor discontinues a PLTC color and the partial spools sit on the top rack.
We buy those lots, armored or unarmored, shielded or not, in the constructions below.
Armored cable: MC, AC and HCF
MC cable has an interlocked metal armor and a separate grounding path; AC cable has a bonding strip and a different armor construction; HCF is the hospital-grade variant used where redundant grounding is required. All three are bought in copper, in the standard branch-circuit configurations, and in the larger feeder-style MC used for risers and equipment connections.
Coils that have been cut and re-taped are normal. What matters is that the armor is not crushed over a long run and that the conductor count and size are legible on the print or the tag. Include a photo of the cut end — the conductor colors and ground configuration confirm the type faster than any description.
Tray cable, TC-ER and PLTC
Tray cable is the workhorse of industrial power and control in Mississippi plants, and TC-ER ratings matter because they allow exposed runs without conduit. PLTC is the power-limited cousin used for instrumentation and control circuits, typically 300V with smaller conductors and more pairs.
| Construction | Typical rating | Notes for a quote |
|---|---|---|
| TC / TC-ER | 600V or 1000V, multiconductor | Conductor count, AWG, shield type, footage |
| PLTC / PLTC-ER | 300V, power-limited | Pair count, shield, jacket material |
| VFD cable | 600V or 1000V, shielded, symmetric grounds | Shield construction, ground count, drive rating |
| Instrumentation cable | 300V or 600V, individually or overall shielded | Pair/triad count, shield, jacket |
| Solar / PV wire | 1000V or 2000V, sunlight resistant | Size, insulation type, footage |
VFD cable specifically
Variable frequency drive cable is bought when the shield, drain wires and ground conductors are intact. Drive cable that has been pulled hard around tight bends can have a deformed shield, which affects both performance and value. Tell us the drive application, the voltage class and whether the cable is the symmetrical-ground type; photos of the jacket print usually answer the rest.
Cut coils and short runs
Armored and tray cable is often left in 50- to 300-foot coils rather than on a reel. Those are welcome, especially in quantity. If you have a rack of partial coils from several jobs, photograph the tags together in one frame and list the configurations; we would rather review twenty coils in one pass than twenty separate emails.
Questions
MC, AC & Tray Cable questions
Do you buy MC cable in short coil lengths?
Yes. Leftover coils of 25 to 300 feet are common and are bought when the armor and conductors are sound. Group them by configuration — for example 12/2, 12/3 and 10/2 — and include the footage for each coil.
How do I identify VFD cable if the tag is gone?
Look at the jacket print and the cut end. VFD cable is shielded, usually has three symmetric ground conductors, and the print will show the voltage class and sometimes the drive rating. A photo of both ends and the print is usually enough for us to confirm it.
Is tray cable with a damaged outer jacket still bought?
Often yes, at a reduced value, if the inner conductors and shield are undamaged. Describe where the damage is and how long the affected section runs. If the damage is localized, the rest of the reel can still be a solid lot.
Coverage
Where we buy it
These lots come from across Mississippi. Pick the closest region to see how surplus builds up in that local economy.
Quote request
MC, AC & Tray Cable quote request
Tell us what the wire is and how much there is. Photos of the reel tag and jacket print do more than any description.
Request a mc, ac & tray cable quote
Tell us what the wire is, how much there is and where it sits. Photos of the reel tags and jacket print speed up the review more than anything else.
Ready to move that surplus wire?
Send the reel details and photos. No cost to submit, and no obligation to accept a quote.