Cable pulling surplus buyer in Rochester

Why tension records change what a length is worth

A cable pull has a calculated maximum tension, set by the conductor size, the insulation, the jacket and the number of bends. The pulling record states what tension was actually applied and, on a good record, the sidewall pressure at each bend. A length installed and removed within those limits has a defensible history. The same length without a record has only an appearance, and appearance does not show stretch or insulation damage.

That is why pulling records matter more than reel tags in this category. A tag tells you what the cable is; a record tells you what was done to it. Where a record exists, note the tension, the lubricant used, the duct route and the reason the cable came out. Where it does not, say so plainly, because the buyer will assume the worst and price accordingly.

The visible signals are worth photographing too. Footmarks from a pulling grip, scoring where the cable ran over a rough duct mouth, a jacket flattened at a bend, and any section that was cut out on site all indicate how the pull went. A cable with a clean jacket, no footmarks and a stated tension is a reuse candidate; one with all three problems is copper and aluminum by weight.

• Pulling record stating calculated and actual tension
• Sidewall pressure at bends, and the lubricant used
• Photographs of jacket at the pulling eye and at each cut
• Reason the cable was removed or abandoned
• Whether any section was cut out and why

Cable and gear are two separate sales

The equipment is usually where sellers leave money on the table, because it gets bundled into a cable price. A cable tugger, a bull wheel, a set of sheaves, pulling rope in good condition, swivels, rollers, duct rods and a hydraulic puller are each valued on make, model, capacity and condition, which is a different exercise from pricing a reel of 15 kV cable.

Rope is a good example. Pulling rope has a service life measured in cycles and a condition that can be judged by inspection, and a sound length of the right rope has a buyer. Rollers and sheaves are straightforward once the size and type are known. Tuggers and pullers need the nameplate, the capacity and any service history, and they are worth more with their controls and documentation than as a bare unit.

Cable, meanwhile, is priced on construction, size, length and condition, with the pull history as the multiplier. A part reel that was never installed is the best of both worlds: new cable with no pull history to defend. A pulled length with a record is next. A pulled length without a record is a materials sale, and should be quoted as one rather than argued about.

Keep the two lists separate from the first conversation. It takes ten minutes to write an equipment list and it changes the shape of an offer completely, because a contractor's surplus is often worth more in gear than in cable.