An electric motor is copper wrapped in steel, and that’s what sets its scrap price. The steel housing pays close to heavy melting steel rates, while the copper windings inside are worth several times more per kilo. So what your motors fetch comes down to how much of the weight is winding and how much is casing.
That’s why a 10kg industrial pump motor and 10kg of household appliance motors earn different money, and why we quote electric motor scrap per load instead of off a fixed price board. Call 0449 894 456 for today’s electric motor scrap prices in Melbourne, or send us a photo and a rough weight and we’ll come back with a quote.
What Are Electric Motor Scrap Prices in Melbourne?
We set electric motor scrap prices in Melbourne on assessment rather than a flat per-kilo rate, because two motors of the same weight can carry very different copper.
For context, here’s what the copper inside them is worth on its own. Our published rates put bright and clean copper at up to $11.80 per kg and heavy copper at up to $11.20 per kg. Our copper scrap guide puts bare bright copper in the $10.50 to $12.50 range.
Motors don’t pay copper rates, because you’re selling copper still bound up in steel, varnish and insulation that we have to separate. But those numbers tell you why a heavy-wound motor is worth bringing in rather than throwing in the steel bin, where it would be paid at around $0.30 to $0.42 per kg as heavy melting steel.
The gap between those two figures is the entire argument for sorting motors out of a general scrap load, and it’s why people who scrap electric motors in Melbourne separately do so much better than people who don’t.
Electric motor scrap price per kg, by motor type
Ranked roughly best to worst on copper-to-steel ratio, since that ratio sets the electric motor scrap price more than anything else does.
Large heavy-duty motors
Factory and plant motors, big three-phase units, machine drives. These carry the highest copper density of anything in this category and they’re the ones worth a dedicated quote. If you’re decommissioning a plant, call before you scrap them.
Medium industrial motors
Pump motors, compressor motors, commercial equipment drives. Good copper content and usually clean, accessible windings. This is the sweet spot for most trade customers.
Starters and alternators
Automotive units carry a decent mix of copper and steel and come through in volume from workshops and auto electricians. Alternators in particular are worth separating from general car parts rather than going in with the body steel.
Small household motors and power tools
Vacuum motors, fan motors, kitchen appliance motors, angle grinders, circular saws, bench drills. Lower copper ratio, more plastic and steel, often with a lot of housing for not much winding. Still worth bringing in — just by the bucket rather than one at a time, since the electric motor scrap value on a single vacuum motor isn’t worth the trip.
Sealed and hermetic units
Fridge and air-conditioning compressors, sealed pump units. We take them, but they’re priced lower because the copper is inside a welded steel shell that has to be opened, and there may be oil or refrigerant to deal with.
For today’s electric motors scrap price on your specific load, ring us and describe what you’ve got.
Copper motor scrap prices — why the winding decides everything
Strip the marketing away and copper motor scrap prices in Melbourne are just a calculation about recovery, and the same calculation sits behind every electric motor scrap price we quote.
We’re paying for the copper we can get out, minus the cost of getting it out. A motor with heavy, accessible windings recovers well. A small sealed unit full of plastic, laminations and varnish recovers poorly, and takes longer doing it.
Three things push a motor up that scale: size, because bigger motors tend to have proportionally more winding; whether it’s open or sealed, because sealed units cost more to process; and whether aluminium has been used instead of copper, which happens in some cheaper and older units and drops the value considerably.
You don’t need to work any of this out yourself. Bring the motors in and we’ll assess them and set the electric motor scrap price in front of you. But it’s worth knowing why the quote on a pallet of pump motors looks different to the quote on a bucket of vacuum cleaner parts.
Should you strip motors yourself?
Short answer: usually not, and we’d rather you didn’t bother.
We work through the same maths on cable in our electric cable recycling guide, and the conclusion there was “strip heavy cable, sell light cable whole”. Motors follow the same logic but land further toward “don’t bother”, for three reasons.
Motors are much harder to open than cable. Windings are varnished, wedged and packed into laminations. Getting clean copper out means cutting the casing, pulling the stator and picking the windings free. On a small motor that’s a long job for a small amount of copper.
You lose the steel value. The housing, shaft and laminations still weigh something and we pay for them. Strip it badly and you’ve often created two low-grade piles instead of one graded motor.
And we take them either way. Working, non-working, stripped or intact — the condition doesn’t change whether we’ll buy it.
Where it can be worth it: very large motors, where the winding is heavy and accessible enough that a couple of hours gets you kilos of copper rather than grams. If you’re sitting on a decommissioned plant and you’ve got the time, ring us first and we’ll tell you honestly whether that particular unit is worth opening.
What moves electric motor scrap prices?
The copper market. Copper is the driver, so electric motor scrap prices in Melbourne track the global copper price. When copper moves, motor rates move a few days behind it.
Copper-to-steel ratio. Covered above, and it’s the single biggest variable between two motors of the same weight.
Sealed versus open. Anything that has to be cut open before the copper is reachable is priced to reflect that work.
Contamination. Motors still bolted into machinery, full of oil, or attached to concrete bases. The mounting steel is fine, the oil and concrete are not.
Volume. A pallet of motors is a better rate than three motors, because handling and assessment cost the same either way. Free pickup applies on loads over 500kg.
Getting a better electric motor scrap price
Most of the electric motor scrap price is decided before you arrive. A few things worth doing.
Electric motors we buy
Small household motors from kitchen appliances, fans and vacuum cleaners · power tool motors from grinders, circular saws and bench drills · automotive starters and alternators · medium industrial motors from pumps, compressors and commercial equipment · large heavy-duty factory and plant motors · sealed and hermetic compressor units.
Working, non-working, stripped or intact — we take them all, in any condition, and quote electric motor scrap prices on whatever turns up. No minimum quantity if you’re dropping off. Free pickup on loads over 500kg, seven days a week, no weekend surcharge.
How we weigh and pay
Every load is weighed on site on verified digital scales while you watch. Motors are graded in front of you as well, so you can see how the electric motor scrap price was arrived at — if we’re pricing something as a sealed unit rather than an open industrial motor, we’ll show you why.
Payment is same day by bank transfer or cheque. We don’t pay cash — Victoria tightened the rules on cash in the scrap trade back in 2018 and we’ve worked to them since. No deductions afterwards and no hidden fees. The quote is the payment.
Electric motor recycling across Melbourne
We’re based at Braeside and collect right across Melbourne: the south-east and bayside, the eastern and northern corridors, and out west. Pickup runs seven days a week with no weekend surcharge, and we’re usually there within one to two business days.
Electric motor recycling Melbourne-wide recovers a lot of copper that would otherwise sit in landfill inside a steel shell, which is part of why electric motor scrap prices hold up the way they do. Copper can be recycled indefinitely without losing quality, and recovering it takes a fraction of the energy of mining new ore. The motor out of your old compressor ends up as wire again.
Get today's electric motor scrap price
Want to sell electric motors in Melbourne today? Ring 0449 894 456 and describe what you’ve got — how many, roughly what size, and whether they’re industrial units or household bits. You’ll have an electric motor scrap price in a couple of minutes.
Or send photos and an estimated weight through the contact form and we’ll come back with a quote and a collection time.
Why Choose Us?
With over 6 years of experience, we are trusted scrap car buyers in Melbourne, offering competitive cash for old cars Melbourne residents rely on. Our team specialises in car removal and car recycling Melbourne, ensuring unwanted and scrap vehicles are removed safely and recycled responsibly to support a cleaner and more sustainable future.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the current electric motor scrap prices in Melbourne?
Motors are priced on assessment rather than a flat rate, because copper content varies so much between types. Electric motor scrap prices in Melbourne track the copper market, so ring 0449 894 456 and describe your load for today’s figure.
What is the electric motor scrap price per kg?
It depends on the copper-to-steel ratio. Large industrial motors carry the most copper per kilo and pay best. Small household and sealed compressor units pay least. We grade and quote per load rather than applying one rate to everything.
Are copper motor scrap prices the same as copper prices?
No. Copper on its own runs up to around $11.80/kg on our published rates, but a motor is copper bound up in steel, varnish and insulation that has to be separated first. Motors pay well above steel rates and below clean copper rates.
Should I strip my electric motors before selling?
Usually not. Windings are varnished and packed tight, so it’s slow work for modest return, and you lose the value of the steel housing. Very large motors can be the exception. Call us and we’ll tell you honestly whether yours is worth opening.
Do you buy non-working motors?
Yes. Working, non-working, stripped or intact, any condition. You’re being paid for the metal inside, not whether it still runs.
What is my electric motor scrap value if it's mixed in with general metal?
Much lower than it should be. A motor left in a mixed iron load gets paid at heavy melting steel rates of around $0.30–$0.42/kg. Graded as a motor, it’s worth considerably more. Pulling them into their own bucket is the highest-value few minutes in the job.
Do you take fridge and air-conditioning compressors?
Yes. They’re priced lower than open motors because the copper sits inside a sealed steel shell that has to be cut open, and there can be oil or refrigerant to handle, but we take them.
Is there a minimum quantity?
No minimum if you’re dropping off at the yard. Free pickup applies on loads over 500kg, seven days a week.