Break It Down When
The motor is copper-wound, you have ten minutes and basic tools, and you handle motors regularly. The windings are the value — everything else is steel you were going to sell anyway.
THE TEARDOWN MATH • COPPER VS ALUMINUM • WHAT NEVER TO CUT
SHOULD YOU STRIP AN ELECTRIC MOTOR?
One scrapper documented the whole thing: a 12-pound condenser motor bought as-is for $2.40, broken down in ten minutes into $8.29 of separated copper and steel. That is the strip-a-motor question answered with real numbers — and the same math tells you when to leave the motor whole.
The 10-Minute TestCopper vs AluminumSealed Units Stay ShutTransformers & Alternators
THE WORKED EXAMPLE
$2.40 whole. $8.29 stripped. Ten minutes.
A working scrapper posted the full teardown of a 12-pound condenser motor: $2.40 as-is at the yard, versus 2.25 pounds of #2 copper plus the steel after ten minutes with hand tools — $8.29 total. That is roughly $35 an hour for the labor. Not every motor works out this well, which is exactly why the decision framework below matters.
Sell It Whole When
The windings are aluminum, the unit is sealed, or it is a one-off small motor. Your ten minutes are worth more than the upgrade. Ironcrest buys whole motors as-is — no teardown required.
Transformers Are Different
Never cut open a sealed transformer yourself. Old units can hold oil, and the windings sit under tension in a steel case. Sell transformers whole — always.
THE DECISION FRAMEWORK
Strip it or sell it whole
- Check the windings first: scrape a winding where it is cut — copper shows reddish-gold, aluminum shows silver-white and feels noticeably lighter. Aluminum-wound motors are common in cheap appliances.
- Copper-wound + hand tools + ten minutes = strip it. The math in the example above is typical, not exceptional.
- Sealed, potted, or tiny motors = sell whole. The labor to open them exceeds the copper inside.
- One motor a year = sell whole. Ten motors a month = learn the teardown; it becomes a ten-minute routine.
- Burnout motors still count: the copper does not care that the motor died. Windings are windings.
- When in doubt, send a photo. One picture of the motor's rating plate and size gets you a straight answer on whole-vs-stripped.
10 MINTypical teardown
End bells off, windings cut on one side, pulled through the other.
$35/HRDocumented equivalent
The 12-lb example: ten minutes for about six dollars of upgrade.
WHOLEAlways an option
Ironcrest buys electric motors as-is. No teardown required, no minimums.
KNOW BEFORE YOU CUT
Three checks before the first bolt
Ninety percent of bad teardown decisions come from skipping these checks.
- WINDING METAL — Copper is reddish-gold where scraped; aluminum is silver-white and lighter. Only copper windings justify the work.
- SEALED UNITS — Potted or hermetically sealed motors and transformers stay shut. Sell them whole.
- OIL — Old transformers can contain oil — some very old ones contain hazardous compounds. Never open one yourself.
- TOOLS — Basic hand tools are enough: wrenches, a hacksaw or angle grinder, and a punch. No specialty equipment needed.
THE TEARDOWN
Break down a motor in four steps.
Remove the End Bells
Unbolt or pry off the end caps on both sides of the motor. They are usually held by through-bolts or a press fit. Set the hardware aside — it is steel either way.
Cut the Windings on One Side
With a hacksaw or angle grinder, cut through the copper winding bundle on one end of the stator, just past the steel core. You are cutting the loop so the other side can pull free.
Pull the Copper Through
From the uncut side, grip the winding bundle with pliers and pull it through the stator slots. It comes out as a solid hank of copper wire. This is the satisfying part.
Sort What Came Out
Copper windings in one pile, steel housing and end bells in another, shaft and rotor in the steel pile. Three piles, ten minutes, done.
RELATED EQUIPMENT
Transformers and alternators, briefly.
Transformers: sell them whole, always. The copper is inside a sealed steel case, sometimes in oil, and the case fights you. Buyers grade whole transformers by size and type — no teardown needed, and none advised.
Alternators and starters: same logic as motors. They hold copper windings in a compact package. Worth breaking down if you do it regularly; as one-offs, sell them whole. Ironcrest buys alternators, starters, and transformers as-is, with no minimums.
WHY IRONCREST
Strip what pays. Sell the rest whole to Ironcrest
- No minimums: one motor or a pallet of them, every lot gets a straight answer
- We buy whole motors as-is: teardown is optional, never required
- We buy the separated copper too: windings, housings, all of it
- Fast quotes from photos: motor size and rating plate is enough
- Quick payment after settlement: check, wire, or cash
- One direct contact: Sonny Johns at 312-880-8174
ONE DIRECT CONTACT
Talk to Sonny, not a department
Every quote, pickup, and payment runs through one person who answers the phone: Sonny Johns at 312-880-8174. No portals, no ticket queues, no waiting on a committee.
- FAST QUOTES — Send photos and get a number back quickly.
- QUICK PAYMENT — Paid promptly after settlement by check, wire, or cash.
- US ONLY — Your material never leaves the United States.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Asked by people holding wire and motors.
Should I strip an electric motor for copper?
If it is copper-wound and you have ten minutes: usually yes. A documented teardown turned a 12-pound condenser motor from $2.40 as-is into $8.29 of separated metal after ten minutes of work. If the windings are aluminum, the unit is sealed, or it is a one-off small motor, sell it whole.
How can I tell copper windings from aluminum?
Scrape or look where the winding is cut: copper shows reddish-gold, aluminum shows silver-white. Aluminum windings are also noticeably lighter for the same size motor. When in doubt, send a photo — a buyer can identify it at a glance.
Should I cut open a transformer to get the copper?
No. Never cut open a sealed transformer yourself. Old units can contain oil, the windings sit under tension in a steel case, and the labor is dangerous for the value inside. Sell transformers whole — buyers purchase them as complete units.
What about alternators and starters?
Same logic as motors: they contain copper windings and are worth breaking down if you do it regularly. As one-offs, sell them whole. Ironcrest buys alternators and starters as-is.
How long does it take to strip a motor?
About ten minutes with basic hand tools once you have done a few: end bells off, cut the windings on one side, pull them through from the other. The first one takes longer; by the fifth you will have the rhythm down.
Do you buy motors that are already stripped?
Yes — separated copper windings, steel housings, all of it. And if you would rather skip the work entirely, we buy whole motors too. No minimums either way.
OR SKIP THE WORK
Sell it whole.
Or skip the work — sell it as-is. Ironcrest buys insulated wire, whole motors, and mixed lots. Call 312-880-8174.