Should You Strip Copper Wire?

Stripping pays when three things are true: the wire is heavy (thick copper per foot), the insulation is thin relative to the copper, and you have quantity. Heavy THHN, large feeders, and DLO check all three boxes. Thin comms wire, coax, and extension cords fail the first two — the copper per hour of labor is tiny. When in doubt, sell it insulated: that is a legitimate, buyer-ready category, not a consolation prize.

• Heavy THHN and single conductors — thick copper, thin insulation.
• Large feeders (1/0 and up) — outstanding recovery per foot.
• Welding and DLO cable — heavy copper under one jacket, strips cleanly.

A mechanical stripper turns these from a chore into a production line — and buyers like us will still buy them insulated if you would rather skip the work.

• Romex / NM-B — sheath plus conductor insulation; usually sells best intact.
• Communications wire — 23–24 AWG; the labor dwarfs the copper.
• Coax — layered construction fights you the whole way.
• Extension cords and portable cord — thin copper in heavy rubber.
• Christmas lights — the extreme case; never strip them.

Burning insulation off wire is restricted or prohibited in many areas, the fumes are genuinely toxic, and it destroys the grade — burnt copper is pitted, oxidized, and downgraded by every buyer. Mechanical stripping only: a knife, a stripper, or a machine. If a wire is not worth stripping mechanically, it is worth selling insulated — never worth a match.

Photograph what you have — the wire, any jacket markings, and the overall quantity — and send it to Ironcrest for today’s offer. We buy nationally and coordinate pickup from your site.

Sell your copper to Ironcrest →  |  Call or text 312-880-8174  |  Send photos →

See also: Building wire guide  |  Heavy flexible cable  |  Copper wire grades guide (canonical)

Is it worth stripping copper wire?

Sometimes — for heavy wire with thin insulation in real quantity: large THHN, feeders, welding and DLO cable. For thin wire (comms, coax, cords, Romex), the labor exceeds the gain and selling insulated is the right move.

What wire should I never strip?

Communications wire, coax, extension cords, and Christmas lights — the copper per hour of stripping is tiny. Sell them insulated; buyers purchase them by the category.

Is burning wire to strip it illegal?

Burning insulation off wire is restricted or prohibited in many areas, produces toxic fumes, and downgrades the copper — burnt wire is pitted and oxidized. Strip mechanically or sell insulated. There is no scenario where burning helps.

Do stripped wires pay more than insulated?

Yes — stripped copper grades as bare bright or #1 copper, the top categories, while insulated wire grades by recovery. The question is never the price gap; it is whether your labor earns more than the gap pays.

Should I invest in a wire stripping machine?

If you strip regularly and handle heavy wire in volume, a machine pays for itself quickly. If you strip occasionally or mostly thin wire, it does not — sell insulated and skip the equipment.