Is it actually worth my time to pull the copper windings out of a motor before selling it?
Short answer: For larger motors with a meaningful amount of copper, pulling the windings yourself is usually worth it if you have basic tools and some time, since separated copper and steel each sell at their own material rate rather than a blended whole-motor rate — for small motors with only a modest amount of wire, the time cost often isn't worth the marginal price gain.
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List Free →The basic trade-off
Selling an intact motor is fast but priced conservatively as mixed material. Pulling the windings takes time and some manual effort but lets the copper and steel each be sold at their real, separate rates — the question is whether the extra money is worth the extra labor for your specific motor.
When it’s usually worth it
Larger motors — industrial units, larger pump or compressor motors — carry enough copper weight that even a rough pull, taking twenty or thirty minutes, typically nets more than the intact motor price would have. The bigger the motor, the more the math favors pulling it apart.
When it’s usually not worth it
Small appliance motors, like those from fans or small pumps, often contain a modest enough amount of wire that the time spent pulling windings isn’t worth more than the extra few cents you’d gain per unit — for these, selling intact in volume is usually the more efficient choice.
How ScrapTrade Makes This Easier
If you’re processing a volume of small motors, listing them intact as “mixed small motors” on ScrapTrade in bulk can be more efficient than pulling windings on hundreds of individually low-copper units.
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