We buy bulk portable cord and scrap copper cord from California shops, contractors and equipment owners. To sell SOOW cord, start with the printed designation, gauge, conductor count and remaining length. Include SJOOW, SEOOW or heavy portable power cable as separate entries instead of calling everything 'SO cord.'
Decode the letters before sorting your cord
Portable cord is flexible cable for movable tools, machinery and temporary equipment. Common rubber-family constructions use fine-stranded bare copper, elastomeric conductor insulation and a tough outer covering. Their service designations describe more than how the cord feels in your hand.
| Marking | Meaning to record | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| S | Service cord designation | SOOW is commonly 600 V |
| J | Junior service | SJOOW is 300 V, not 600 V |
| E | Thermoplastic elastomer construction | SEOOW differs in material from SOOW |
| OO | Oil-resistant insulation and outer jacket | Both layers are addressed |
| W | Wet/outdoor suitability under the listing | Not unlimited submersion or burial permission |
Keep SO, SOOW and SJOOW markings exactly as printed. Do not add missing letters because an older cord looks similar to newer stock. The voltage and temperature on the actual product remain part of its identity.
SEOOW and SJEOOW are related thermoplastic-elastomer products. For example, Southwire's SEOOW specification lists Class K copper with TPE insulation and jacket. That material description should not be copied onto an unidentified rubber-covered cord.
Our broader wire and cable buying catalog separates portable cord from fixed wiring products. Flexibility and outdoor markings alone do not make one cable a substitute for another.
Sell SOOW cord with the gauge and count together
Representative SOOW products run from 18 AWG through 2 AWG, while SJOOW commonly spans 18 AWG through 10 AWG. Two through five conductors are familiar constructions, with other counts available in particular product lines. These ranges describe families, not guaranteed listings for every size.
Descriptions such as 16/3, 14/3, 12/3, 10/4, 8/4 and 6/4 are useful starting points. The first number is conductor gauge; the second identifies conductor count in the stated assembly. Add the cord type so '10/4' does not become an incomplete inventory entry.
Conductor colors can help document a cut end, but they do not establish voltage or a finished assembly's suitability. Capture the complete manufacturer legend, temperature range and certification information as well. For larger SOOW, verify the specific listing instead of assuming the whole manufacturer's range shares it.
Put-ups commonly include 250, 500 and 1000 ft reels. Coils and ordered cuts are also routine. A factory 500 ft tag does not establish that an opened reel still contains that footage.
Type W, G and G-GC need separate line items
Heavy portable power cable serves mobile equipment, mining, entertainment distribution and demanding industrial work. Type W can be single-conductor or multiconductor. G and G-GC designs include specified grounding arrangements, with a ground-check conductor in the GC construction.
A representative family range is 8 AWG through 500 kcmil (MCM), often rated 2000 V. Flexible copper, EPDM or EPR insulation and CPE jackets are common constructions. Some products have additional RHH/RHW ratings, but those must be established from the exact cable.
Record every power, ground and check-conductor size rather than using one gauge for the whole assembly. These products are often cut to order, with reel length governed by size, weight and handling limits. An old mining or rental-yard description does not replace TYPE W or G-GC identification.
Separate single-conductor leads that are actually welding or DLO cable. A connector, color band or shared temporary-power application does not make them the same portable-cable type.
California cord lots come from different kinds of work
Event contractors and film crews can have surplus bulk cord after temporary distribution layouts change. Equipment shops may hold spare reels that no longer match their machines. Industrial maintenance cleanouts can include both untouched inventory and cord removed from service.
Our Los Angeles wire buying coverage includes the region where film and live-event power work creates these categories. Identify bulk stock separately from complete cord sets, and list each set's own length. A collection of short assemblies is not equivalent to a long uncut reel.
Agricultural equipment, portable pumps and food-processing work can produce flexible-cord lots in the Central Valley. However, a cord used near a pump is not automatically a submersible-pump cable. Preserve the actual type marking in the description.
For contractor or rental-company material, show who owns the cable and who may authorize its sale. We arrange pickups within California only. Any access restrictions, equipment-removal deadlines or shared-yard ownership issues should be identified with the lot.
Bulk reel value and the limits of used cord sets
Original bulk reels usually offer clearer traceability than unlabeled used assemblies. Useful continuous length, conductor size and count, listing and storage condition drive the reusable assessment. Bulk packaging alone does not make damaged cord reusable.
Show cuts, flattened sections, hard or cracked coverings, exposed copper and repaired areas. End users must verify any cord or cord set before service. We do not treat a photograph of a clean plug as a condition test.
Material unsuitable for resale may be considered as insulated scrap copper wire. Plugs, fillers and heavy jackets add weight that is not copper, so gross pounds do not determine recoverable metal. Covered scrap transactions follow California documentation and payment rules; this is a summary, not legal advice.
We confirm the offer, payment method and payment timing in writing before pickup. Sorting by product and condition helps keep a usable SEOOW reel from being lumped together with worn extension leads.
What to send us about your portable cord
- Close-up print identifying SOOW, SJOOW, SEOOW, Type W, G or G-GC without abbreviating it.
- AWG and total conductor count for each bulk cord product.
- Separate phase, ground and ground-check sizes for heavy portable power constructions.
- Voltage, temperature and package certification labels, including the maker and stock number.
- Current continuous footage on each reel, or individual lengths and quantities of cord sets.
- Both connector ends and any factory assembly label on completed cords.
- Visible wear, repairs, jacket cracking, crushed spots and known service or storage exposure.
- Pickup city in California, package weights if known, loading access and proof of ownership.
Leave readable labels attached and keep bulk stock apart from connected assemblies. Record uncertainties as unknown rather than assigning a rating from the appearance of another cord nearby.
Common questions
Is 12/3 SOOW the same construction as 12/2 with ground building cable?
No. In a typical 12/3 cord description, three identifies the total insulated conductor count, including an insulated grounding conductor when provided. Building-cable descriptions often count grounds separately. We check the manufacturer's construction rather than translating one shorthand into the other. A photograph of the original tag prevents a conductor-count error when the two products share a lot.
Will attached plugs make my cut portable cord more valuable?
Not automatically. Connector type, cable condition, continuous length and the history of the assembled cord all matter. A plug does not prove the assembly is usable or properly rated. Send pictures of both ends and any assembly labels. Worn cords with connectors can still be evaluated for scrap copper rather than as reusable cord sets.
Does the GC in G-GC mean another full-size power conductor?
GC identifies a ground-check feature in the specified cable construction. It should not be counted as another full-size phase conductor. We need the power, grounding and ground-check sizes separately, together with the voltage and manufacturer. A total conductor count without those distinctions can overstate the main copper construction and misidentify the portable power cable.