Sell 350 & 400 MCM Wire in Ohio

You can sell 350 MCM wire and reusable 400 MCM surplus to Ohio Wire Buyers, which buys electrical wire and cable from businesses anywhere in Ohio for resale and reuse, not as scrap by the pound. Send photos of the reels, tags, jacket print and cut ends with a footage list or estimate; we review the material for a written offer before pickup.

0100 FTWhat matters when you sell 350 MCM wire?

Size alone is not a complete inventory description. Identify copper or aluminum, insulation type, color and continuous footage for every reel or coil. A long unused aluminum feeder and short removed copper pieces require different evaluations even when both carry the same size marking.

MCM and kcmil mean the same thing: thousands of circular mils, a measure of conductor area. Neither tells you the overall cable diameter. Keep 350 and 400 kcmil material separated instead of judging size by how thick the jacket looks. Our wire-size overview helps place these conductors alongside smaller AWG sizes and larger feeders.

0200 FTWhich wire types come in these sizes?

Copper THHN/THWN-2 is a useful starting point. Southwire specifies PVC insulation with a nylon sheath, a 600 V rating, and use for commercial or industrial services and feeders. THHN covers dry-location use at 90°C; the THWN-2 marking adds wet-location use at 90°C, subject to the manufacturer's application limits. Photograph the complete legend, not just “THHN.”

Surplus THHN/THWN-2 wire should be listed separately from XHHW-2 feeder wire. Southwire's aluminum XHHW-2 specification includes both 350 and 400 kcmil, compact-stranded AA-8176 aluminum alloy and cross-linked polyethylene insulation. It lists 600 or 1,000 V constructions and 90°C wet-or-dry use. Read the actual product marking before assigning a voltage rating to an older reel.

0300 FTWhat are the 350 and 400 kcmil ampacities?

These values are from NEC Table 310.16, 2023 edition, as reproduced in HELUKABEL's NEC ampacity tables. They apply to not more than three current-carrying conductors in raceway, cable or earth, based on a 30°C ambient temperature. All values below are amperes, not service-size recommendations.

Terminations and conditions of use govern the actual rating. Ambient-temperature correction and conductor-count adjustment can reduce usable ampacity, and a 90°C insulation marking does not automatically permit loading to that column. The familiar description “350 aluminum for 250 amps” reflects the 75°C table value, not approval for every installation.

0400 FTHow much do copper THHN reels weigh?

Do not confuse copper content with the weight of the insulated product. Southwire SPEC10000 lists both. The following approximate weights are per 1,000 feet of a single conductor; the wooden reel is excluded.

The put-ups come from Encore's copper THHN specification, not a promise that every manufacturer packages wire identically. Encore's approximate net weights also differ slightly from Southwire's. Use the specification for the actual wire when estimating footage or planning handling, and distinguish net wire weight from gross shipping weight.

0500 FTWhat about parallel sets for a 400 A service?

A reel marked “400 MCM” is not automatically a conductor rated for a 400 A service. The size designation and current rating are different measurements. Parallel conductors may be part of a service design, but adding table values does not establish compliance: terminations, conductor arrangement, load and applicable adjustments still matter.

Mike Holt's discussion of the 2023 NEC explains that parallel conductors must match in length, conductor material, insulation type and termination manner. For selling, record the individual lengths that were prepared for the same pull. Do not describe unequal leftovers as a ready-to-install parallel set. Include any 250 or 300 kcmil leftovers or 500 MCM reels on separate inventory lines rather than combining them into a single feeder total.

0600 FTAre partial reels and cut lengths worth submitting?

Yes—Ohio Wire Buyers reviews full reels, partial reels and cut lengths when the wire remains reusable. Keep continuous lengths intact. Cutting a feeder into short pieces removes information about the original pull length and can limit the applications for which someone could reuse it.

A full-looking reel is not evidence of full factory footage. Preserve pull tickets and remaining-length notes, and label estimates as estimates. Encore specifies sequential footage markings on its 250 kcmil and larger THHN, including these sizes. Where markings are accessible, photograph them without unspooling a heavy reel just for an offer; our remaining-footage guide explains measurement options.

Disclose crushed insulation, damaged nylon, splices, corrosion, exposure history or attached lugs. Used cable is considered only if still reusable. A removed feeder needs more condition information than untouched warehouse stock; read the reuse-versus-scrap guide before stripping or cutting questionable material.

0700 FTWhat should you send for a feeder-wire offer?

Build the lot list around continuous footage, not just reel count. Give each reel or loose length a temporary identifier so its pictures can be matched to the inventory. For these sizes, send:

• A whole-lot photograph and a view of each reel's flanges and wound wire.
• Tag and jacket-print photos showing manufacturer, 350 or 400 kcmil, conductor material, insulation type and voltage marking.
• An accessible cut-end photo, actual color and footage for each continuous length, with the basis of any estimate.
• Storage and removal history, known damage, pickup location and available ownership records.

An original tag can describe the quantity shipped rather than what remains. Add the current balance beside it; our reel-tag reading guide explains what the other fields mean. Tell us whether multiple conductors share one reel, because combined footage can hide an individual conductor's shortage.

0800 FTHow is pickup arranged for heavy feeder reels?

We arrange pickup at the seller's Ohio jobsite, warehouse, plant or yard; there is no Ohio office, yard or drop-off address. Mention dock access, available loading equipment, reel condition and any known gross weights. Do not substitute a copper-only weight for the weight of an insulated-wire reel.

We verify the seller and proof of ownership, review the photos and footage, and reply with questions or a written offer before pickup. Payment method and timing are confirmed in writing before pickup, and the count is checked against the written terms. The selling process covers those steps. If material is not reusable, we say so; a scrap recycler may be the right buyer.

To submit 350 or 400 kcmil surplus, request an offer with your reel list and photos, or call 951-403-5738. Keep the wire intact while its identity, condition and remaining footage are reviewed.