Identify the cable beneath the armor
Armored cable combines insulated conductors with a protective metal covering. Jacketed armored cable adds an outer polymer jacket over that covering. The jacket can hide the armor construction, so a black cable on a reel is not enough to identify the product.
We buy new, unused, leftover and used cable on full reels, partial reels, boxed coils and in cut lengths or mixed lots. This category includes industrial armored power cable and Type AC building cable. Our wire and cable buying categories cover other constructions that may be stored alongside them.
The terms MC-HL, TECK and AC/BX are not interchangeable. A listing tells us more than the general word “armored.” Keep the original tag with the cable, especially when several similar-looking reels came from different purchase orders.
Common constructions and listings
These examples show why we ask for the exact product number. Ratings and available conductor sizes vary by product.
| Cable family | Construction to identify | Listings and rating details |
|---|---|---|
| MC-HL industrial power cable | Insulated power conductors, grounding conductors, metallic sheath and an outer jacket. Southwire's cited example uses copper XHHW-2 conductors and continuous corrugated welded armor. | The cited 600 V product references UL 1569 and UL 2225. Its normal conductor rating is 90°C in wet and dry locations. |
| TECK90 | The cited Nexans family has RW90 copper conductors, an inner jacket, interlocked aluminum armor and a PVC outer jacket. | This family is rated 1 kV and references CSA C22.2 Nos. 131, 239 and 174. Its HL marking is tied to the CSA hazardous-location standard. |
| Type AC, often called BX | Atkore's cited AC-90 product has copper THHN conductors individually paper-wrapped, interlocked steel armor and an aluminum bonding conductor. | Type AC references UL 4. This example is rated 600 V and 90°C dry, with two, three or four insulated conductors from 14 AWG through 1 AWG. |
For AC cable, the armor and bonding conductor work together as the equipment grounding path. That small aluminum bonding conductor does not make it aluminum power cable. Likewise, TECK90's aluminum armor does not identify the metal of its insulated conductors.
Standard MC cable coils belong to a related category, but do not call them MC-HL without that marking. An outer jacket alone does not establish suitability for a hazardous location.
Sizes, conductor metals and voltage ratings
We review copper and aluminum surplus electrical wire and cable with conductor sizes from 14 AWG through 1000 kcmil. That is our overall buying range, not a claim that every armored family comes in every size or metal. The AC and TECK examples above use copper power conductors.
For smaller branch-circuit lots, identify whether you have 14, 12 or 10 AWG conductors. For heavy industrial feeders, record the size of each power conductor, including 250 through 500 kcmil cable, plus the grounding conductor arrangement.
Send 600 V and 1 kV armored cable details with the rating exactly as marked. If an armored reel is rated in the 5 kV to 35 kV range, include the shield and insulation information needed for medium voltage cable review. Do not assign voltage from cable diameter. A larger overall diameter can reflect armor, jackets, conductor count or insulation thickness.
Read the jacket print and reel tag
Photograph a complete repeat of the print line. For unjacketed AC/BX, focus on the package label, reel tag and visible identification marks on the armor. Do not remove the covering just to look for markings.
| Field to capture | What it tells us |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer and product number | The exact construction can be checked against a specification sheet. |
| Type letters | MC-HL, TECK90 or AC identifies the family. Copy additional designations rather than shortening them. |
| Size and conductor count | AWG or kcmil size and the number of insulated conductors define the power or control configuration. Record ground sizes separately. |
| Conductor metal and insulation | Capture CU or AL where present, along with insulation designations such as XHHW-2 or RW90. |
| Voltage and temperature | Include the voltage, conductor temperature rating and any separate jacket or cold-temperature marking. |
| Listing and use markings | Show UL or CSA marks and any HL, sunlight-resistance, direct-burial or tray-use wording. Do not infer an absent rating. |
| Length and traceability | Capture footage or metre marks, original reel length, reel number and any date or lot code. |
Print layouts differ by manufacturer. Some lengths are marked in metres rather than feet, and a tag's original length may no longer match a partial reel. State the units and explain how you estimated the remaining length. Our reel tag and jacket print guide explains how to keep those details together.
Photos that help us assess an armored reel
Send photos of your actual material, not catalog images. We need to see both identity and physical condition.
- A readable reel tag or coil label, including the product and reel numbers.
- The full jacket print sequence, with extra close-ups if glare hides small listing marks.
- The whole reel from both sides, showing flanges and how the cable is wound.
- An existing accessible end, showing conductor count, jacket layers and armor without making a fresh cut.
- Any dented armor, flattened section, jacket split, exposed metal, water exposure or damaged packaging.
- The complete lot, with each reel matched to its own inventory entry and estimated remaining length.
Keep factory end protection in place. If a defect is visible only on one section, show where it sits relative to the accessible end. Do not hide it underneath another wrap.
What affects an offer
Continuous lengths, matching reels and readable listing marks affect the offer. Product numbers and purchase records are especially useful for specialty industrial cable because similar jackets can cover different grounding or shielding designs.
Flattened armor, sharp kinks and torn jackets also affect the offer. The outer jacket may look intact while the metal covering beneath it has been crushed. Tell us about any pulling attempt, reel fall or tight bend rather than relying on one clean-looking photo. We buy used cable and cable with damage; send clear photos so we can assess its condition.
Missing tags and uncertain lengths affect the offer too. Manufacture dates, brand, sun exposure and water exposure also affect the assessment. For older reels, include storage history along with the date. Describe the condition and footage of each item in a mixed lot.
Use Get an Offer to send the lot details for a written offer. We confirm who is selling and keep simple paperwork, such as an invoice, purchase order, job closeout paperwork or company letter, plus the name of the person releasing the material.
Arizona industrial leftovers and mistakes to avoid
Unused armored reels can remain after feeder routes change, equipment layouts are revised or project allowances exceed installed lengths. Arizona's mining and manufacturing work provides relevant settings for those leftovers, not proof that a particular site has cable available.
Freeport-McMoRan lists Arizona operations at Morenci, Bagdad, Safford/Lone Star, Sierrita and Miami, including a Miami smelter and rod mill. Sellers handling unused mining-operation cable can send fixed armored feeders, flexible trailing cable, spare reels and used cable together. Identify each type and its footage so we can review the whole lot.
Intel describes new factories and modernization at its Ocotillo campus in Chandler. For semiconductor and manufacturing project cable, retain the specified part number and closeout records. Do not assume every cable from a fabrication plant carries a hazardous-location listing.
If you want to sell MC-HL or TECK cable intended for a classified area, send the actual listing marks. Suitability depends on the cable, location classification and installation requirements, including fittings. Do not relabel TECK90 as MC-HL, combine separate cuts into one reported length, or strip armor to identify conductor metal. Keeping the manufactured cable intact preserves the information needed to evaluate reuse.