Everything here traces to one run: a 21 × 16 × 12 in carton at 26 lb, FedEx Ground Economy $49.89, on the lane described further down.
A real quote: Toshiba 0.9 cu ft countertop microwave oven
We handed the calculator “Toshiba 0.9 cu ft countertop microwave oven” on 2026-07-24, origin Hartford, CT 06103, destination Helena, MT 59601. It sized the carton, estimated the packed weight, and returned four prices, none of which have been touched since.
What we typed
Toshiba 0.9 cu ft countertop microwave oven
Naming the capacity alongside the brand keeps the sizing tied to one real oven. Type only the word microwave and the tool has to average across dorm units and over-the-range models alike.
Packed box it returned
21 × 16 × 12 in
52.6 × 41.9 × 31 cm
Packed weight 26 lb (12 kg).
Route
Hartford, CT 06103
to Helena, MT 59601
Hartford to Helena sits near the far end of the domestic zone chart, and that stretch does more to the total than the oven does.
The cube edges out the scale on this one. Running 21 × 16 × 12 ÷ 139 gives roughly 29 lb against the 26 lb weighed, so what follows is priced off the carton. Take an inch off each face and the billed figure comes down with it.
| Carrier | Service | Price | Estimated transit |
|---|---|---|---|
| FedEx | Ground Economy | $49.89 | 8-9 business days |
| UPS | Ground | $51.05 | 8-9 business days |
| UPS | Ground Saver | $67.40 | 7 business days |
| FedEx | Ground | $76.04 | 8-9 business days |
What the table shows is the checkout total, label and SMKlog's cut in one figure, with nothing invoiced afterward. FedEx Ground Economy took this run at $49.89. Rate cards shift and your two ZIP codes are not these two, so read this as one documented run and put your own pair through the tool.
Typical packed size
Around 24 × 20 × 16 in boxed. The turntable plate travels wrapped and on its own, because loose glass rattling inside the cavity is how these arrive broken. Factory carton with its foam if you kept it, otherwise double-wall with 2–3 inches of padding against every face.
Packed weight
25–40 lb once boxed. The charge follows whichever runs higher, weighed pounds or cube pounds, so a carton with slack in it costs you even when the oven itself is modest.
What moves the price
Zone distance, how fast you want it there, and the size of the sealed carton. Hartford, CT to Helena, MT covers most of the map; the same box moving one state over lands under every row above, and an air service lands well over it. That single run spread from $49.89 to $76.04. A gap that wide is why any published average is fiction, and why the tool asks for both ZIP codes.
Shipping a microwave: common questions
What box size do I need to ship a microwave?
Plan on roughly 24 × 20 × 16 in packed. The glass turntable plate comes out first and gets wrapped by itself, since it is the part that most often arrives in pieces. Use either the factory carton with its foam inserts or a double-wall box holding 2–3 inches of cushion against every wall.
How much does a microwave weigh packed for shipping?
Usually 25–40 lb packed. Billing follows the larger of scale weight and dimensional weight, which is length times width times height over the carrier divisor, so weigh and measure the sealed box before you ask for prices. Understate it and the carrier corrects the charge once the parcel has landed.
What breaks when a microwave ships badly?
Mostly glass. The turntable plate goes first, which is why it rides wrapped and separate, then the door panel, and a hard enough drop can shift the magnetron mounts behind it. Pad all six faces and note on the outside which side the door is on so that face gets extra.
Is an old microwave worth the shipping cost?
Worth checking before you list it. A 25–40 lb box crossing the country can eat a real slice of what a mid-range oven resells for, and the calculator returns that figure in a few seconds. Better to know the number going in than to find it after a sale.
How much does it cost to ship a microwave?
Carton size leads. A 24 × 20 × 16 in box computes to 55 lb of dimensional weight through L × W × H ÷ 139, and since the charge follows the greater of that and the roughly 30 lb the oven actually weighs, you pay as though you shipped 55 lb. Distance and chosen speed then build on top. Feed your route and packed measurements to the SMKlog calculator and it returns live USPS, UPS, and FedEx pricing.
What is the cheapest way to ship a microwave?
For a box this size, UPS and FedEx ground normally beat USPS, which starts applying dimensional weight above one cubic foot and seldom wins on large cartons. Cut inches wherever the packing allows, since every inch removed pulls that 55 lb dimensional figure down with it, then buy online at commercial rates instead of at a counter, which usually saves 20–40%.