Ceiling Fan - Sell Motor or Scrap for Copper?

Ceiling fans are a good source of scrap copper.
I take a look at the difference in value between selling the motor as scrap or scrapping it out for the copper.
Not a huge difference in value but if copper is what your after to melt into ingots then it's well worth scrapping out, easy & fun.
Scrapping tools, safety gear, metal melting furnaces, crucibles and ingot moulds that I use or recommend.. www.amazon.com...
Keep scrapping & have fun!

[@Archangel4500000]

Here in the usa(at least where i live) the prices are a bit different- the yard i go to gives me $0.10 per pound for electric motors so that fan would net me $0.70. Taking it apart the 6.7lbs of steel nets me $0.335, and the .66lbs of copper nets me about $1.55. So selling it as a motor gets me $0.70 and taking it apart gives me about $1.89(more then 2x the price of just the motor). It may not be worth it time wise but if I do it as a hobby my time is worth whatever i want it to be.

[@CovidConQuitTheCensorship]

@Archangel4500000 - your choice how you choose to spend your time but come on, for $1 ?? In the time it takes to fuck around stripping this down, I can pick up $300 worth of stuff off the verge. You'd have to be stupid to think it was a good use of time to work for $2 per hour lol

[@-ChrisD]

Your comment is on point and you're right, Archangel....Overall this was a very good video on the comparison and you're right that prices may vary.

[@just-a83-ranger68]

I live in the usa and the price for electric motors is 15 cents

[@carmineredd1198]

Mr Scrappity channel and now here

[@carmineredd1198]

if you are homeless you can strip one out at your leisure whilst smoking and sipping and that extra nickel will buy a loaf of stale bread back when nickels were made of silver ( 1942-1945 35% silver nickel @ 18.56 spot sept 23 2019 is $1.0442 ) Some bread cost more than a dollar though

[@bobferranti5222]

I 'm retired and living on disability so I have plenty of extra time on my hands, scrapping it for copper and steel and aluminum is worth my effort in the long run.

[@jjjghbbh7646]

The time you waste doing it could probably find 34 Penny's laying on the ground

[@bonniebabyboo3095]

I like scrapping, especially extracting copper, as a hobby with benefits.

[@thekwoods7234]

You get faster I can do alot in an hour

[@teamkiwigaming8760]

He did pick the world’s smallest ceiling fan.

[@aluminumcantheif6557]

@@bonniebabyboo3095 :)

[@ScrapVulture111]

A great pleasure to watch a popular KZbin video tell the truth to people!!!!!!!!! Good job Ben!!

[@bullshitstomper9417]

Just tougher in oz

[@aluminumcantheif6557]

WHOOOOO!!! VV!!

[@alexcantlow2920]

I find it so cool that components look so much better than the actual product

[@frelnc]

Thanks so much for this demonstration. I'm new to scrapping and this was very helpful as a way to determine if it's worth my time to break down these motors or leave them whole.

[@Drewsroofingandhomerepair]

I scrap all my fans. I love copper

[@fakenoobyup5492]

Thanx Ben for taking care of your Fans !

[@eatiegourmet1015]

What are they paying for brass at your scrap yards? Here, today, May 15, 2018, they are paying $1.70 USD. (Just to note prices, here, today, in USD: #1 Cu - $2.70/lb; #2 Cu - $2.25; Al cans - 0.30/lb; Steel (generic/not specified) $8.50/100 lb; Stainless steel - 0.25/lb.) Since I had the day off from work, but much to do outside, I thought, 'well, when it starts to rain, maybe I'll go online & hope eWaste Ben has something new...' I like you & your videos. I am extremely small-fry compared to you, but I always learn something from you! Thanks!

[@davida.2623]

What kind of side cutters are you using. I doubt mine would cut through them. I have a pair of knipex to but they won't open that far. My electric 4.5 " cutoff tool would,but it makes a dusty mess from the copper. Thank you you opinion matters ☺️ David

[@bonniebabyboo3095]

Thanks 4 the demonstration. I have a ceiling fan I will use what I learned just for the "fun" of it because I "love" taking scrape metals apart as I find si many very challenging. Agan, thanks.

[@bucksmith9035]

good honest truth been there done this worked for an auto wrecker and used to strip starters and alternators during the winter months

[@LeslieIsgrigg]

It was informative and I do appreciate the extra input. Keep up the good work thank you

[@williammeeks1283]

Great video. Very informative. I always scrap my stuff out I find it enjoyable and it gives me the best value.

[@nzwotb2525]

Hey Ben yesterday I scrapped a crt TV outside my high school and every one there saw me and they now call me the scrapper and some of them give me cords from there old appliances at home

[@-ChrisD]

And that's one of the ways it all begins:) I did something similar and before long I was making more than my hourly job. Now I have my own business and make way more. One KEY THING to work on when recycling metals, is time management and knowing what is worth your time. Good luck!

[@CovidConQuitTheCensorship]

@Chris D - yes time management is absolutely crucial and I think where many fall down. I scrap and sell but don't have a lot of storage space so I also have to factor that in. Is it worth my time and the space until I cash it in? Or do I carry on and find something worth a lot more money that I can easily flip. So I balance or swing between the two. Scrap is secondary or extra play money. But I also see people repairing and painting furniture to sell at the markets. I might sell a small side table or such for $5 in need of work. They sometimes buy off me, then repair/repaint and would only then get $10 or $15 at best. Not a good use of time IMO Quick flips or turnover works for me

[@-ChrisD]

@@CovidConQuitTheCensorship Very true....I deal with regular customers as well as estate sale clean outs and it is absolutely CRUCIAL that I manage time and space appropriately..I deal with tons, weekly and it can definitely be overwhelming.

[@bobstone1746]

Here's a lil tip. I am a contractor and do alot of business at lowes so everytime I go i peek in the blue bin somewhere near the doors where people put light bulbs and shot for recycling. There is another bin for batteries. If i see the square "power wheel " batteries i grab em on my way.....there is usually 1 or 2 which is a buck or 2

[@danielmeecham464]

Thanks again for the great video Ben! I won't be driving by any more ceiling fans. I'm looking forward to more of your great videos! Best regards, Daniel

[@leonmarut917]

i am a fan of your work

[@otbkilo2001]

ha

[@jmdavidson1420]

😂

[@keylay9453]

Leave. Now.

[@ethangerrits5676]

I love you

[@aussiescraphunter7808]

Pardon the pun

[@billygagne2139]

Great video, E waste Ben You have excellent videos I didn't know a ceiling fan had that much copper in it Pretty cool sir... Thank you have a good Day I'm on the other side of the world

[@UnauthorizedExpression]

Bet you could sell that fan strator on ebay for more than scrap value. Very useful for ppl who are looking to make wind generators.

[@faithfultheology]

Iam a electrician so I have a scrappers dream job

[@MIGASHOORAY]

hi Ben thats the first time i,ve actually seen whats in a fan motor very interesting.

[@andrewpeterson7633]

The ha near the end is enough for most, however if you are not pressed for time and the need for money plus have enough room to store things that take awhile to get to the desired end (more copper) then it is entirely up to you if you go ahead with the dismantle process. This is the second video I have watched on this subject, will continue to pop the copper out as I have a load of copper bearing motors put aside from various points of collection that are worth stripping. I make money from other sources which are more abundant, so in my spare time I shall pop a few more pieces out. Again money versus time. Time is a commodity so use it wisely on the more abundant projects you have going. Copper prices will vary.

[@fishmut]

in my spare time and only sometimes i might go fossicking for gold,i use to not worry about a few grains of gold but another fossicker said to me every grain adds to a gram and every gram adds to an ounce so keeping even the tiny bits will add up, so it is worth it even as a scraper.

[@flutegene]

The blade brackets are generally zinc so worth saving.

[@fungusenthusiast8249]

I found this out just a few days ago, why are they made of zinc? I had a bar melted from the brackets and it felt unusually heavy, it doesn't make much sense to use zinc instead of, say, aluminum.

[@davescraperanddiy2535]

I always thought they were cast al

[@fungusenthusiast8249]

@@davescraperanddiy2535 so did I, but apparently they're often not. If you're around aluminum a lot, you get a general idea how much a certain volume of aluminum should weigh, and the blade brackets are definitely a lot heavier than they should be if they were made of aluminum.

[@christopherleubner6633]

Yup. Don't forget those.

[@soulfoodqueennet]

Ceiling fans motors are great!!! thank you for sharing Like #53

[@BitGridTV]

I do micro srapping for gold pins and silver from switches/relays and stuff. everything else goes to the scrap yard as it is. motors+transformers etc, cables. but when it comes to motherboards, modems network-plugs etc I pull out every golden tooth ;) a tin can for all of these gets me about 100bux via ebay sellings. AND I can treat these "teeth" during my regular job

[@danielholtzapple7124]

If you buy a cutting blade for a angle grinder its easier to zap that first side off. Makes it easier to pull or hammer the rest of the copper through. Thanks for the video

[@duhamellchannel]

Ben do you keep all you nuts and bolts and screws them are a good source of money when you have a few buckets full

[@wolfcry8968]

Worth it to do the work for me. I'm just a casual scrapper piling it up until some day the price of copper will be through the roof in higher demand.

[@aussiescraphunter7808]

The different colour is the varnish used on the copper, different coloured varnish relates to high temp v low temp

[@ScrapVulture111]

what brand of snips is that? or do you have a hydraulic elbow rigged up?

[@eWasteBen]

They're max-leverage pliers, Irwan makes a version for the States, they have 2x snipping power so you can cut through a lot more

[@mlawson41102]

ScrapVulture lmfao!

[@alexcantlow2920]

Best pare of cutters I got were 6£ from machine mart uk I found his bigger bro in my flat this morning happy boy

[@user-kz4bs9sf5b]

Scrap vulture😊😍👏

[@dparker9734]

What up SV, it was nice to see ya on EWaste Ben, hes an Awesome guy as well, a lot of knowledge on scrapping too!!! What's up EW Ben love you vlogs my man!!! Keep up the great work!!! ❤Di

[@scrapprepperboss8414]

wow those look like nice snips you use

[@mattdykhouse]

Screw gun at hand...uses screw driver...priceless :) Good vid thanks.

[@joselbazcom4221]

eWaste Ben, thanks a lot for the info.

[@ericeddy02]

It's not worth it on a small scale, but if you have dozens of motors, it may be worth it. Nice vid.

[@davida.2623]

Good information!!

[@alanwilliams3203]

And you can save them for when your stuck at home during bad weather you have them to scrap

[@waltwood4113]

I'm just seeing this video, normally I just scrap out the fans as electric motors, great info on this all depends on the time you have and the scrapper doing it.

[@stevespenceroz]

I'm just bringing it up to date re the decision to scrap the motor as is or remove the copper... As at Feb 8th 2022, in Brisbane, motors are roughly $1/kg and #1 copper is roughly $12/kg. So for the motor weight of 3.3kg, that's $3.30. And for the copper weight of 0.3kg, that's $4. Plus there's the negligible scrap steel - currently 35c/kg ie peanuts. So removing the copper from the motor gets you an extra 70c. Let's call it a dollar. Is it worth the time and effort just for one dollar? Personally I wouldn't, no. So I'm going to stick to just leaving all my motors and transformers whole - but it was worth watching this video to see. Plus, there's always the risk that you open up a motor to find that the windings are actually coloured aluminium wire, not copper, so then you have to part put the motor back together again to add weight 🙂 Irrespective of what you decide to do with a fan motor, don't forget that when stripping a fan down to the motor you will always get some wires, sometimes aluminium blades (tin snips to cut them off the steel holders) and sometimes a cast aluminium motor housing exterior..

[@havingfun8237]

Thanks Ben for the information . its fantastic to see your living the dream, keep up the vids yours truly Adelaide

[@imunique7469]

Ben I had a ceiling fan that had a big motor and good copper, but I had a hard time getting it out, so I had to leave as is and hopefully my scrap yard classifies it as a motor most likely they will say it's steel. Thanks this video was helpful. Dolores from Kansas

[@sukru6797]

Mine yard, in Alabama, doesn't have motor category, it goes as scrap for a whopping $.06/lb! However, sitting here for over 30 minutes getting frustrated at this fan...it is worth scrap price to me right now. 😀 Perhaps the next one I pick up will be easier. Thanks, Been, for the breakdown in price; I won't give myself such a hard time at failing to get the copper out.

[@BruceLee-hb3qd]

Thank You Sir, As always enjoyed your video.

[@Highdealist]

Very valuable video thanks

[@Jackscrap]

Hey Ben, new to your channel. I was wandering if you ever go dumpster diving for ewaste? I've seen you do kerbside, but have you ever gotten anything from a store dumpster?

[@bobstone1746]

Idk if aldi grocery stores are where you live but they throw alot of goodies away when they discontinue an item. Also they throw out tons of produce (chicken and pig food yo me)

[@J_Braz_]

I took one apart the other day. Just like the one you have. Only 13 ounces of copper in it.

[@jpm8942]

This might be a stupid question but why does scrapyards pay $0.50/kg for electric motors? Is it because of copper? And do they pay for any kind of electric motors?

[@eWasteBen]

yep they buy all electric motors as copper baring material, transformers too

[@ScottWisniewski-mh1oo]

Though it's a good idea to see what the difference in price is, the time involved I don't think it's really worth doing unless copper is going for 6 dollars a kilo then it's worth it. But having watched your videos you can probably knock out a PC in about the same time.

[@CaitGoin]

what clippers did you use while cutting the copper?

[@mickeysummers238]

The light socket with the 2 wires attached you should save. Any carpenter would give you a few dollars a piece for.

[@richardburgess5215]

Horse hair plaster was used in the US in the 1800s and early 20th century in some areas.

[@susansibborn4523]

i liked this video it's good for me only been able to scrap small thing's i just save the copper until it billds up

[@onefixitman]

There is still a small amount of insulated Copper Wire(ICW) you did not include. It probably rated at copper #3.

[@pierreqiu8147]

Hi Ben when you say 55cent a kilo, is that Australian dollar or US. By the way you are a great scrapper

[@pavlovssheep5548]

when you making copper ingots, have you considered adding either 10% elemental tin (sn) or pewter, and making bronze, would get a higher price, . or could add ferro silicate (would have to look up percentage) to make silicon bronze, could try it as a one off test, and see what results you get, . as bronze casts in finer detail than copper could cast decorative ingots , medallions , or something more complicated such as a skull

[@bevsman3284]

Correct, they usually are zinc. I just throw them in with my cast aluminum and my scrap yard buys them.

[@judybeckner5623]

Thanks for sharing Ben

[@davida.2623]

Copper no1 is over $3.00/lb. now here in philadelphia.

[@powerx64]

I recommend you keep the fan because it is vintage and worth saving. It really depends on how old it is. The older the better.

[@ScottWisniewski-mh1oo]

Sure if you've managed to accumulate say 30 or 40 of them, but otherwise it's time vs money. If you have two three wheely bins full of fan guts it still might not be worth it because your going to spend 5-10 minutes taking it all apart then separating the steal from the copper then taking it to the scrap yard. And in all that time you could probably scrap out a bunch of pcs. Sure you can stockpile copper but by the time you want to sell it in ingots the price can drop by 20- 40 percent and instead of making something for your time and effort you end up losing ,but good thought otherwise.

[@JunkDobber]

Wow! I was fixing to micro scrap a few ceiling fans I have but now I am not so sure I want to that

[@dr.a006]

Depends on what mood I’m in, or if I’m have something better to scrap, I’ll usually throw them in the motor bucket. If motors and transformers are semi easy to tear apart, I’ll do them. Some fans are more cuts and scrapes than they’re worth!👍

[@quantumstudios7944]

Might be worth it depending on were you scrap

[@kensmapleleafretirement]

Good job on the video. Thanks for sharing......

[@phillgoodall8838]

Half the fun is working out how to get it apart! Mandela's for tradies.

[@mikepaul9176]

What I do is save the copper until the price rises a lot higher. I'll save over 1,000 lbs of good clean #1. As far as the steel, same thing. I'll go out and collect what I can and hang on to it all until the price makes it more worth while. And since I'm on disability and during the winter I haven't much to do??

[@filoIII]

Steel is only .08/lb where I am.

[@CovidConQuitTheCensorship]

5c kg where I am. Who in their right mind would save steel?

[@billysmith6131]

Just saw this from a time ago. I do scrap copper and I've got about 100 lbs now. I'm looking into pouring 5lb copper bars

[@thekwoods7234]

I've always wondered why one would melt there scrap I really enjoy scrapping but haven't figured it out yet is it a hobby? Or doez it make it more valuable? Thanks stay safe God bless and happy scrapping!

[@stevespenceroz]

@@thekwoods7234 I'm wondering the same question too...

[@filoIII]

How does brass look on the inside compared to copper?

[@aussiescraphunter7808]

I wonder about the comparison when the copper is melted and put into an ingot, given the price you got for ingots represents about a ten fold increase against the value of the copper alone

[@stevespenceroz]

Confused...why would bright copper wire melted into ingots have a higher price than raw bright copper wire?

[@aussiescraphunter7808]

@@stevespenceroz people buy ingots to stack and keep as an ingot and they pay a premium for them, or they did when this video was made but now there are a lot more people trying to sell ingots and the value has dropped accordingly (so has the quality of the finish of the ingots when compared to Bens

[@stevespenceroz]

@@aussiescraphunter7808 thank you. So it's not the scrapyard price thats higher for ingots, it's selling on ebay to individuals. Obviously there's a weight issue so surely postage is out and pickup only...? Also, how do you know someone unscrupulous has not put a lump of heavy steel or lead in the middle of the copper ingot during the ingot creation? I'm sure scrapyards have the uv or laser tech to tell, but individual buyers wouldn't surely...?

[@aussiescraphunter7808]

@@stevespenceroz well you don't, you have to take the seller at their word, l haven't checked for a good while but I'm not sure they are still selling very well

[@mr.hanger]

Great video, however I kept thinking you were going to put that screwdriver into your hand

[@huckstirred7112]

my scrap yard in Missouri would not have called it a motor until 9:22 .Before that it would have been called scrap steel . They will not pay for scrap steel until you have 500 pounds

[@shaneyork300]

That's a lot different style guts than most of the ceiling fans I've come across. Not a lot extra, but like you said for those that want the copper. I have yet to take any copper to the scrap yard yet. Thanks for the vid!!!

[@getdatscrap2945]

For the average scrapper sell as a motor if collecting copper to smelt in coins or ingots its worth it to get the copper out of the motor 👍👍💯

[@EmeraldEnchantments]

Being worth it always comes down to two things. Hobby yes, job no. Or how much volume you go through. If you move alot of material then don't take it apart. You will make more money taking in buckets of copper motors vs a few hand fulls of #2 copper wire.

[@arkatub]

copper wire is like 25p/meter on ebay (for the thick stuff), see for yourself, there is probably £30 here if you sold it like that.

[@slimmyhendrix4067]

I had a neighbor that used to raise Horse Hair when he was Plastered.

[@kylestowe8824]

What scale did you use?

[@kdscrapping4452]

You take the fan down so you can change the light bulb!!! L O L !!! Great job.I think I need a pair of those snips,they look easy to use than regular snips!

[@joshuajett890]

If you don’t remove the housing from around the motor in the U.S. they will only give you shred value for the motor so for me it worththe time to take the extra steps to remove the copper

[@slamdancer1720]

stripping the wires would make some difference as well

[@tickpicker2001]

Thanks for the vid and showing us the $$ it all helps us manage our time and as U know time is $$$

[@mikesuniverse1789]

wouldn't the copper be more valuable as a winding? isn't the EM power of copper what makes it valuable?

[@oldhamegg]

Will we be seeing a buffet of some sort this video?

[@pierreqiu8147]

Do they tax you selling scrap in Australia.

[@JunkDobber]

That is kind of a strange fan, I haven't seen one like that before

[@adventureswithttfncachn3967]

Here in the states, since the embargo with selling scrap to China is in effect, those electric motors have to be clean. To many motors now have aluminum windings and the plants in the states are loosing out.

[@donniebrown2896]

Well I finally found my headphones! Wife gives me this "look" when I turn the volume on.lol ok, Ben you have me totally confused. Is it copper or coppah. Just kidding love your presentation as usual.

[@curtispederson9390]

Good scrapping for our envirement shouldnt just be about time and money .im retired and do it for entertainment and learning.

[@azrielmateria8050]

.10 here in the US for motors. 3.80/4.00 Per lb of copper earth day coming. Extra gains.

[@georgetucker336]

Build up copper if not in a hurry. Then try to sell at the highest day price if there is a way to check prices.

[@XiaosChannel]

Wow that's a lot of work for the copper

[@E150GT]

I wouldnt do it if I were a full time scrapper. I am not however so I break it down. The last fan only netted me 150g of copper.

[@jeffmartin1407]

An angle grinder and a pair of heavy needle nosed pliers will make short work of that job. cut as you would with cutters, go to other side and pull loop of copper out.takes 5 minutes to clean all that copper off.

[@walterarndt5840]

whats the point of melting down the copper isn't that costly

[@michaelwillcutt2619]

Never seen anyone get a pair of pliers to grip using them backwards

[@gianbattista]

che genio ci hai fatto capire un mondo nuovo, sai romper con molta difficoltà ,un ventilatore da soffitto bravo ma secondo me tu sei un farmacista

[@sarbjitsingh2834]

Nice cutting pliyer

[@davidg813]

Cut the copper loops with a die cutter and use pliers to pull out the copper.

[@RafalScrapper]

cool vid i enjoyed thanks

[@LordPadriac]

Wow. Watching this in 2020 the most shocking thing about this video is that there was an incandescent bulb still in use somewhere in 2018.

[@Notquitecomplete]

Very rare to find value of copper at that price normally sits around $4 mark

[@random_kidd_2232]

Where can i get a scale like that

[@christopherleubner6633]

The old ones are worth it, but the newer ones have aluminum wire inside.

[@americanrebel413]

Thank you for sharing Ben, There are better and faster ways to get that copper off of their, Which I'm sure you are aware of, The line of work that I did for almost 40 years Was ceramic tile, marble and stone work, I had a side grinder with a diamond tile blade on it, a dry cut blade, I had one dedicated for cutting anything that need to do to be cut, And I cut nails, wire, rebar, And even plate steel believe it or not and it would cut right through it, The darn thing lasted forever seemed like, I still have it. But the dry cut diamond blades 4 or 5" on a side grinder Would rip right through one side of that,(I believe it's called an armature,) in seconds, Well, enough blabber, thanks again for sharing.

[@donniebrown2896]

AMERICANREBEL ! Man oh man, you gave me a scare, thought I had posted already! Retired tile setter with more than 20 years. Still have my 40 in. Bridge saw, small 14. And 2 side grinders. Started using one of my "worn out" 4 in blades and it's like you said still cut through 3/16 like butter. Remember, old tile men do it best on the floor.

[@markthomas625]

... these wise gentlemen know how to get things done.

[@americanrebel413]

donnie brown, Hello brother from another mother! Long hard work, that's what tile work is, It'll wear you out in a heartbeat, My whole body is worn out from doing tile marble and stone, But I'm sure you can understand what I'm talking about, It's good to meet you my friend. E waste Ben, Hes awesome isn't he?! Those little side grinders worn out tile diamond blades are awesome Aren't they?! The 1st time I tried cutting some nails off that were in the way I noticed the saw blade me right through them with no problems, What a sparks but oh well, Never started a fire at least LOL! One thing I have found out though, Scrapping is not easy! Kind of like Tile work Still got some heavy lifting, and bunch of other stuff. But anyway, I blame Ben For getting into scrapping, Which is not a bad thing! I find it exciting, Demanding, And I've made a whole lot of new friends! I live in Middleburg Florida, That's just South of Jacksonville and Orange Park Florida, Is there any way you and I can be in contact other than here?