We buy mid-size feeder and equipment wire from California sellers who want to sell 6 AWG wire or other sizes from 8 through 1 AWG. We evaluate unused copper and aluminum inventory separately, and also buy scrap copper from pulled or cut cable.
Sell 6 AWG wire with its full construction identified
This size range sits between small branch wire and aught-size feeders. It appears in subfeeds, HVAC and equipment connections, EV station supply circuits and grounding inventory. Those applications help describe where a lot came from; they do not establish what any unidentified conductor is approved to do.
A green 6 AWG spool, a bare 6 AWG coil and a multiconductor 6 AWG service cable need different descriptions. Start with the marked type and metal. Then record whether you have single conductors, a factory cable assembly or separate scrap pieces.
The complete wire-size buying chart places these gauges on the larger scale. Do not omit 3 AWG from an inventory just because surrounding stock uses the more familiar even-numbered gauges.
Mid-feeder sizes and common constructions
The nominal areas here are rounded circular-mil conversions. The type examples show products encountered within each size, not a promise that all brands supply every combination. None of these entries is an ampacity selection chart.
| Gauge | Approx. circular mils | Typical conductor construction | Examples to identify |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 AWG | 16,510 | Stranded insulated; solid/stranded bare | THHN, NM-B, SER, pump cable |
| 6 AWG | 26,251 | Stranded copper/aluminum; solid bare copper | XHHW-2, THHN, USE-2, grounding |
| 4 AWG | 41,741 | Stranded feeders; solid/stranded bare copper | THHN, XHHW-2, pump, welding |
| 3 AWG | 52,635 | Typically stranded building wire | THHN, XHHW-2 feeders |
| 2 AWG | 66,371 | Stranded power cable; bare variants exist | Feeders, URD, grounding, welding |
| 1 AWG | 83,693 | Typically stranded insulated power wire | Building-wire feeders, industrial power |
For insulated copper, Southwire's THHN construction table documents stranded conductors throughout this range. That supports describing stranded feeder stock as typical. It does not justify calling every conductor above 8 AWG stranded.
Bare copper is an important exception. Solid grounding products include familiar 6 and 4 AWG stock, and broader manufacturer ranges extend farther. Keep solid bare coils separate from insulated feeder reels even when both carry the same gauge.
Copper and aluminum need separate inventory lines
Copper weight per foot increases as conductor area increases. These sizes can combine useful continuous lengths with meaningful copper content, supporting evaluation as surplus before treating them as recovery material. The result still depends on exact type, condition and demand.
Aluminum feeder wire belongs on its own line. Modern AA-8000-series building-wire alloys differ from utility aluminum constructions. Photograph AL and alloy markings rather than describing all silver-colored conductors as the same metal.
We discuss these product families on our aluminum wire buying page. The same marked AWG copper and aluminum conductors have the same nominal size designation, not the same weight or automatic installation interchangeability. Tinned copper also needs correct identification before it is mistaken for aluminum.
Match feeder, service and grounding products correctly
Insulated single conductors
THHN and THWN-2 wire often appears as leftover equipment-pull stock in this range. Record the actual dual ratings, voltage, color and continuous footage. A shop note saying only '6 gauge feeder' leaves too much unresolved.
For USE-2 and RHH/RHW-2 conductors, include every printed rating and the voltage associated with it. Underground-project origin alone does not establish an indoor building-wire listing or a PV Wire rating.
Factory cable assemblies
SER and SEU service cable can include gauges within this group. Preserve the full size string, including neutral and grounding details. The outer jacket diameter cannot identify those internal conductor sizes reliably.
URD also appears in mid-size aluminum inventory. Identify all phase and neutral sizes, not just the largest conductor. Utility codewords and project paperwork help identify the product and its lawful source; they do not replace the actual specifications.
Bare and green grounding stock
Our bare copper and ground-wire page covers solid and stranded material, temper and tinned constructions. Bare wire has no standalone insulation voltage rating. Green insulated wire retains the type and ratings actually marked on it.
Reel footage and value in this size band
Original 500 ft and 1000 ft feeder packages are common, with longer master reels and custom cuts also encountered. Wood reels become more common as package weight rises. No single reel diameter proves the length or the metal quantity remaining.
A partial reel can retain product value when its identification and continuous footage are clear. Separate pieces totaling the same length may serve different needs. Report whether remnants were rewound, joined or collected from several pulls.
For scrap copper, insulation and jacket weight affect recovery. Bare coils, insulated single conductors and sheathed assemblies should not share one assumed copper content. Do not cut identifiable surplus solely to fit a scrap container before we have reviewed the lot.
Details that make a mid-size offer usable
For equipment and service leftovers, the missing information is often construction rather than gauge. Give each package a simple inventory reference so photos and quantities stay matched.
- Copy every gauge, including 3 and 1 AWG when present.
- Show CU, AL, alloy or tinned-copper descriptions on original records.
- Photograph THHN, XHHW-2 or USE-2 legends with their voltage markings.
- List all conductor sizes for SER, SEU or URD assemblies.
- Identify solid versus stranded bare copper and any known temper.
- Separate factory green insulation from field-applied identification tape.
- Give continuous footage per remnant and disclose unknown or estimated lengths.
- Describe the California site, reel access and any available loading equipment.
We issue written offers before pickup and confirm payment arrangements in writing. For scrap purchases, California seller-record and payment rules apply where covered; this is a summary, not legal advice. Ownership records are particularly important when equipment-room or utility-related material is included.
Common questions
Is every 6 AWG conductor stranded?
No. Stranded construction is typical for insulated feeder wire, but solid bare copper is available in 6 AWG and larger sizes. The construction must come from the tag, specification or visible conductor, not a rule based only on gauge. For an uninsulated coil, tell us its temper and solid or stranded construction along with the size and length.
Do I list 2-2-2-4 service cable as 2 AWG wire?
Keep the complete size string and the cable's style designation. That description identifies an assembly with different conductor sizes, not a single 2 AWG conductor. Tell us whether the metal is copper or aluminum and photograph the original label. We also need the remaining assembly length; adding the lengths of its internal conductors would misstate the cable footage.
Is copper-colored 4 AWG cable enough to identify it as solid copper?
Surface color is only a clue. Copper-clad material can look copper-colored, while tinned copper can look silver. Manufacturer markings, the original product description and existing exposed ends help establish the conductor material. Send those details without removing identifying labels. Unknown metal should stay identified as unknown until the actual construction can be checked.