Electric Motor Scrap Prices
On September 2026 yard boards, small electric motors sold whole were bringing about $0.20 to $0.40 per pound, or $0.44 to $0.88 per kg. Yards buy a motor as a unit: a steel shell around copper windings. The figure is a flat band from posted boards, so it doesn't move with the live copper price, though motor prices do track copper loosely.
Every metal and grade is on the scrap metal prices hub.
What yards pay for electric motors
- Per pound
- $0.20 to $0.40
- Per kilogram
- $0.44 to $0.88
Flat band from September 2026 yard boards (mixed-metal unit price). Ranges cover the spread between yards.
Estimates checked against posted yard boards on September 18, 2026.
Electric motor calculator
Enter the weight. The estimate uses the per-pound range in the price card above. Add a yard's quote to see where it lands in that range.
Estimated payout
$2.00 to $4.00
At $0.20 to $0.40 per lb.
Yards pay on their own scale after grading, and boards differ by region, so use the range to judge a quote.
What yards mean by electric motors
Bought by the pound as a unit: a steel shell around copper windings. Taking them apart yourself usually does not pay at small volumes.
Fan, pump, appliance, and power tool motors are the common ones. Alternators and starters have denser copper windings and sell on a higher line, about $0.45 to $0.60 per pound. Refrigerator and AC compressors are sealed units, about $0.25 to $0.35 per pound, and they must be drained of oil first; some yards also want proof the refrigerant was recovered.
Taking a motor apart for the copper usually doesn't pay at small volumes. The windings are enamel-coated magnet wire, which yards usually buy as No.2 copper, and the steel shell goes with the steel. Unless you have a lot of motors and the tools, sell them whole.
What lowers the price of a motor
- 1Alternators and starters in the motor bin. They pay more on their own line ($0.45 to $0.60 per pound). Mixed in with motors, they're likely to be paid at the motor rate.
- 2Compressors mixed in. Sealed units are a separate line and have to be drained of oil first.
- 3Steel bolted to the motor. Brackets, frames, and pump housings are steel or iron. Unbolt what comes off easily, or expect the yard to deduct for it or grade the piece down.
Related grades
Nearby grades and what they bring per pound. The full board is on the scrap metal prices hub.
Where this estimate comes from
The flat cents-per-pound band comes from these public yard boards and was last checked on September 18, 2026:
- Rockaway Recycling (New Jersey), posted board of September 18, 2026
- Central Metal Recycling (Chicago), posted board, mid-September 2026
- MetalRecap national price survey, September 17, 2026
- ScrapMonster North American grade spreads, June 2026
Published by MetalCharts, a free precious metals resource providing real-time prices, interactive charts, educational guides, and portfolio management tools. All market data sourced from COMEX, LBMA, and LME.
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