Used MCC - how much

Status
Not open for further replies.
dduffee, we have the same problem.

We have to tell our customers they have to buy a whole pump panel if they need a starter or a breaker. Same with MCC's and sometimes panels too, if they need several breakers.
 
zog said:
Should be a law everywhere. They should also require certified test reports to be provided with the equipment to weed out the junk dealers.
Click to expand...

If that is your opinion then all machinery, instruments, etc, not just electric equipment, as well as automobiles, consumer products, clothing and anything you can imagine will only be allowed to be sold as new or refurbished and recertified in some way. Would be real hard on charity organizations like Goodwill or Salvation Army, as well as low income people.

Consumer may/should have the right to know if what they are purchasing is new, used or used and tested, recertified, etc.

Cow said:
dduffee, we have the same problem.

We have to tell our customers they have to buy a whole pump panel if they need a starter or a breaker. Same with MCC's and sometimes panels too, if they need several breakers.
Click to expand...

I always throw in extra items with the order that I know I am needing on an upcoming job or even just extra breakers for the customer the order was placed for because I know they will likely need them at some time. One more breaker doesn't hardly make a difference on the price of a complete panel package but if bought alone from supplier stock, can be 25% of a complete panel sometimes.
 
dduffee260 said:
A bucket is what is commonly the term for a section on a motor control center or MCC. The reason they call it a bucket is because it comes in a packaged setup that just slides into the MCC or switchboard pretty seamlessly. How it got that term I don't know, it's just what they have always called it. I guess it could also be called a module.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I know what it is after your explanation but the term "bucket" never came up where I was exposed to them.
 
Cow said:
dduffee, we have the same problem.

We have to tell our customers they have to buy a whole pump panel if they need a starter or a breaker. Same with MCC's and sometimes panels too, if they need several breakers.
Click to expand...

Sounds like you have been there Cow. Alot of people would just order a starter. You can buy the pump panel for half the price of the starter. One thing I have learned is no matter how much I yell and cry I am not going to change the status quo on this.
 
dduffee260 said:
As far as talking to the wrong people. we ask our suppliers for quotes. We don't know who else to ask. Do you have a magic supplier that will sell us buckets and breakers for less? This is a marketing ploy. It is called making money if your a manufacturer and they have it down pat. Still think I am wrong? Go try this and see what happens.
Click to expand...

No, it is called getting screwed. Next time call these guys http://astrocontrols.com/ for buckets, they stock tons of them both new and reconditioned and they are also in Texas.
 
Last edited:
ptonsparky said:
If you were buying a used 5yr old MCC how much would you be willing to pay? You remove it. How many cents on the dollar? Cost new $5300 per section.
Click to expand...

A lot depends on what kind of price you get from your MCC supplier for new stuff. Some of you would drop dead if you knew how low some MCC suppliers will go.

Most of the time you don't have an immediate use for the thing and when you find a use you end up having to modify it some to get it to fit the new use.

Taking it out, refurbishing, storing and modifying it are all costs you will incur along the way before you can resell it.

Maybe $500 a section. To me, even though it is still usable, it is just scrap mostly, unless there is some project it can be used on in the immediate future without a whole lot of modifications.

There are usually a bunch of MCCs on eBay. take a look and see what they are going for.
 
Lost my chance to edit.

I can tell you from long experience with AB that it is less expensive to buy an entire section with the buckets already in it then to buy just the buckets. Often times by a lot. You just have to order something from the catalog. If you want something that has to go through their engineering department it adds a lot of $$ and time to the process.

And as a side benefit, delivery is often quicker on an MCC section than the individual buckets, although not always.

However, some of this is based on your discount level. IIRC, parts such as individual buckets have a different discount schedule than whole sections. And virtually everyone seems to have a different discount level.

Often your best bet if there is room to do so, is to just buy another section and bolt it on to the end of an existing MCC and leave what is there as is rather than trying to change out buckets in the field.
 
zog said:
No, it is called getting screwed. Next time call these guys http://astrocontrols.com/ for buckets, they stock tons of them both new and reconditioned and they are also in Texas.
Click to expand...

We have used Breaker Brokers also for some things. The problem is with the warranty of the product. I believe if you buy from a reseller the product will not come with a factory warranty. I know we had a reconditioned breaker arrive in the shop about 4 months ago and the local Square D rep was in our shop when it arrived. He informed us that it could void the warranty on the switchgear had we installed it on a panelboard we provided. This breaker was going into an older panel which was out of warranty several years back.

The resellers do a good job with what they have. There are sometimes you have to go back to the mfg for some things and you will pay a price.
 
I have had similar issues with being told by a factory rep, "You'll have to buy the whole switch". I agree sometimes it seems unbelievable, and sometimes maybe it's true. But, I also believe sometimes it's because I don't know the correct resource. The suppliers we generally use are pretty sharp, but nobody knows everything. I posted here about my problem and Almighty ZOG hooked us up in a heartbeat. Another forum member posted shortly thereafter with the same problem. One thing I learned real quick here is YOU guys/gals are one of the best resources available. I know I'll be calling Astro Controls again in the future, that's for sure.
 
dduffee260 said:
We have used Breaker Brokers also for some things. The problem is with the warranty of the product. I believe if you buy from a reseller the product will not come with a factory warranty. I know we had a reconditioned breaker arrive in the shop about 4 months ago and the local Square D rep was in our shop when it arrived. He informed us that it could void the warranty on the switchgear had we installed it on a panelboard we provided. This breaker was going into an older panel which was out of warranty several years back.

The resellers do a good job with what they have. There are sometimes you have to go back to the mfg for some things and you will pay a price.
Click to expand...

And this is no different than replacing parts in your car with aftermarket parts. There is no warranty or a limited warranty usually for the replacement part only. The manufacturer warranty for the entire car may be void or at least a portion of the warranty may be void also. Same with add on accessories that the manufacturer does not approve.


Do listings on a breaker expire after the breaker reaches a certain age?

A breaker that has been in service for 40 years is still listed and certified but one that has been used even just once can not be removed and installed some other place without testing and recertification?
 
ptonsparky said:
Some of you are starting to make me wonder if the fuses I save should be tested for their interrupting capacity before recycling as "used" to a different customer.
Click to expand...

Depends on what type of fuse it is but there are ANSI standards for acceptable resistances for different types. Resistances should be measured using a microhmeter and compared to published manufactures values.
 
dduffee260 said:
We have used Breaker Brokers also for some things. The problem is with the warranty of the product. I believe if you buy from a reseller the product will not come with a factory warranty. I know we had a reconditioned breaker arrive in the shop about 4 months ago and the local Square D rep was in our shop when it arrived. He informed us that it could void the warranty on the switchgear had we installed it on a panelboard we provided. This breaker was going into an older panel which was out of warranty several years back.

The resellers do a good job with what they have. There are sometimes you have to go back to the mfg for some things and you will pay a price.
Click to expand...

That is correct, which is why you need to be careful where you buy. PEARL is an organization that oversees the used electrical equipment market, they ensure thier members recondition products to recognized standards, fully test per ANSI standards using calibrated test equipment. PEARL members are also trained to recognize counterfiet equipment by the manufactures themselves.

If a dealer is not a member of PEARL they are likely just junk dealers and are not following reconditioning and testing standards, which is why they are so cheap.

You should always get a test report and waranty from the company you purchase from.
 
zog said:
Depends on what type of fuse it is but there are ANSI standards for acceptable resistances for different types. Resistances should be measured using a microhmeter and compared to published manufactures values.
Click to expand...

I think he was being sarcastic Zog.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top