Motors, Worth the effort?

**c4f5** · 05-27-2011, 09:04 AM

A guy about needs to do a few & figure up for himself which is more profitable. I am only getting $2.25 for the copper, $.075 for the steel, or $.34 for whole motors, so for me they are not worth breaking down.

For the same example motor, I am getting $5.06 for the copper, and $.73 for the steel, a total of $5.79, OR $4.08 to turn in the whole motor. That's $1.71 to tear apart the motor.

If I am tearing down 6 identical motors per hour, like you, that's 10.26 an hour to break them down. When I compare that to about $500 per hour profit to save them up and turn in a pickup load, breaking them down does not pay nearly enough to cover my tools and time, not to mention utilities, and the time & vehicle usage used in colletion and delivery, and any cash I had to kick out to buy it in the first place.

As it sit's right now, my "disassembly pile" is about 8 tons high. If that ever gets reduce to a managable point, I might quickly change my tune on the $10 per hour to tear down motors.

I wish my day to day financial situation allowed me to save up the copper to haul to further to get paid better for it, but sadly, it doesn't.

**parrothead** · 05-27-2011, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by c4f5

A guy about needs to do a few & figure up for himself which is more profitable. I am only getting $2.25 for the copper, $.075 for the steel, or $.34 for whole motors, so for me they are not worth breaking down.

For the same example motor, I am getting $5.06 for the copper, and $.73 for the steel, a total of $5.79, OR $4.08 to turn in the whole motor. That's $1.71 to tear apart the motor.

If I am tearing down 6 identical motors per hour, like you, that's 10.26 an hour to break them down. When I compare that to about $500 per hour profit to save them up and turn in a pickup load, breaking them down does not pay nearly enough to cover my tools and time, not to mention utilities, and the time & vehicle usage used in colletion and delivery, and any cash I had to kick out to buy it in the first place.

As it sit's right now, my "disassembly pile" is about 8 tons high. If that ever gets reduce to a managable point, I might quickly change my tune on the $10 per hour to tear down motors.

I wish my day to day financial situation allowed me to save up the copper to haul to further to get paid better for it, but sadly, it doesn't.

Very interesting and thanks for your numbers on this. It makes a big difference. My numbers around here are very similar to the OP, so definately worth the effort for me.

**injunjoe** · 05-27-2011, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by c4f5

A guy about needs to do a few & figure up for himself which is more profitable. I am only getting $2.25 for the copper, $.075 for the steel, or $.34 for whole motors, so for me they are not worth breaking down.

For the same example motor, I am getting $5.06 for the copper, and $.73 for the steel, a total of $5.79, OR $4.08 to turn in the whole motor. That's $1.71 to tear apart the motor.

If I am tearing down 6 identical motors per hour, like you, that's 10.26 an hour to break them down. When I compare that to about $500 per hour profit to save them up and turn in a pickup load, breaking them down does not pay nearly enough to cover my tools and time, not to mention utilities, and the time & vehicle usage used in colletion and delivery, and any cash I had to kick out to buy it in the first place.

As it sit's right now, my "disassembly pile" is about 8 tons high. If that ever gets reduce to a managable point, I might quickly change my tune on the $10 per hour to tear down motors.

I wish my day to day financial situation allowed me to save up the copper to haul to further to get paid better for it, but sadly, it doesn't.

Well my friend your numbers are not clear but seems like you are getting jacked on the the copper price to start with.

I am not posting this information to confuse folks, yet I post to show the true value of a little hard work and the end result! I take chicken feathers and make chicken soup!

To me it is a easy way to make money while in the comfort of my own lodgings! No people involved, just convert one product into even more profitable product.

Simple as that! No BS from people just profit while I relax with my tools at home!!!

**DCMinor** · 05-28-2011, 05:08 AM

c4f5, I didnt think my situation allowed me to save up that copper either til I saw a guy at the yard bring in a tub full of stripped copper his payday was about 300 bucks for the one container full! Now I strip electrical cords and save every piece of copper i find! I want that big payday myself! just sayin!

**Dumpster-Dee** · 05-28-2011, 07:52 AM

woops...should reword that...although I could make a lot more money if I did the "other" kind of stripping. I don't mind getting literally dirty but not that kind of dirty.

**c4f5** · 05-28-2011, 09:35 PM

Originally Posted by DCMinor

c4f5, I didnt think my situation allowed me to save up that copper either til I saw a guy at the yard bring in a tub full of stripped copper his payday was about 300 bucks for the one container full! Now I strip electrical cords and save every piece of copper i find! I want that big payday myself! just sayin!

Yes, I understand and want this. Once upon a time, I did this. Save up a few barrels full & run them to Cheyenne for a few grand. Over the past 3-4 years, alot of negatives have gone down. We had just financed a decent home in the middle of nowhere...right where I like it. We had a good savings, and a couple of decent CD's. We were even starting to talk about mutual funds. Then I got in a fight with a falling tree....I lost this fight. I was busted up pretty badly. I will never be 100% again, but I am going as strong as I can. But before I was up and going again, my wife also had an accident that laid her up for a few months. Before she got up and going again, the doctors found her with cancer. Now she is in full remission and is as healed up as she can get, but I'm sure you can imagine the financial disaster that has ensued as a result of these and a few other major malfunctions that I won't bother you with. We have managed to keep our home thus far. I'm at the point now, of deciding from month to month, which utitities to keep on and wondering from day to day what my kids are eating tomorrow. 2 years ago, we actually had to seek welfare help for food and medical for the kids. I fear I am near that point again. The only place to go from here is up....I hope. If all goes well, I should have an auto core load ready to go by the end of the summer. That should be about a $20k payday, and should hopefully allow me to put at least some logic back in my game, instead of scraping by from one day to the next.

Understand that I am not seeking sympathy. Just wanted you to have an idea of where I'm coming from & where I hope to be going soon.

Having found this forum and some of the tips offered herein, has helped take the edge off, but we are still in an unbelievably tight spot. Thanks to everyone who has laid out said tips.

Hey Dee, if I did the other kind of stripping, I'd go broke faster than I am now, lol.

**skipRAT** · 12-08-2011, 08:57 AM

C4f5,
Really am sorry to hear of your situation mate!
Believe me when i say i know exactly how you feel....I really do, in 2001 our world was turned upside down by an illness that i did not know i had.
But we struggled through, as you also will.
When i was in hospital my Best mate gave me a poem (which is available on the net) it really did help me & my family.

I read it when im feeling down all the time, and it works for me!

Be Lucky & keep your chin up.

"When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

**wildbillhappy** · 12-19-2011, 08:31 PM

Hello c4f5 and skipRat Your right c4, there are many people in the country and on this forum struggling. Im 54 and have lost it all in the last 36 months. How ever a truer set of words
have never been spoken , from skipRat than the words of The Don;t Quit Poem I;ve been sharing it with others for some 33 plus years. And was I ever greateful to see them tonight .I to am stuggling beyond what I ever could have imagined. None the less those words keep me hanging in there. Just in case skipRat you gave the short version of the poem for expiedency here;s the rest of the story.

WHEN THINGS GO WRONG AS THEY SOMETIMES WILL
AND THE ROAD YOUR TRUDGING SEEMS ALL UPHILL
WHEN THE FUNDS ARE LOW AND THE DEBTS ARE HIGH
AND YOU WANT TO SMILE BUT CAN ONLY SIGH
WHEN CARE IS PRESSING YOU DOWN A BIT
REST IF YOU MUST BUT DON;T YOU QUIT
LIFE IS QUEER WITH ITS TWIST AND TURNS
AS EVERYONE OF US SOMETIMES LEARNS
AND MANY A FAILURE TURNS ABOUT
WHEN THEY MIGHT HAVE WON HAD THEY STUCK IT OUT
SUCCESS IS FAILURE TURNED INSIDE OUT
THE SILVER TINT OF THE CLOUDS OF DOUBT
AND YOU NEVER CAN TELL HOW CLOSE YOU ARE
IT MAY BE NEAR WHEN IT SEEMS SO FAR
DON;T GIVE UP THOUGH THE PACE SEEMS SLOW
YOU MAY SUCCEED WITH ANOTHER BLOW
SO STICK TO THE FIGHT WHEN YOUR HARDEST HIT
IT;S WHEN THINGS SEEM THE WORST
THAT YOU MUST NOT QUIT

**wildbillhappy** · 12-20-2011, 08:02 PM

Your welcome.

Motors, Worth the effort?

Thread Tools

Search Thread

Display

Hybrid View

The Following 2 Users say Thank You for This Post by c4f5:

The Following User Says Thank You to parrothead for This Post:

The Following 3 Users say Thank You for This Post by injunjoe:

The Following 3 Users say Thank You for This Post by Dumpster-Dee:

The Following 2 Users say Thank You for This Post by c4f5:

The Following 4 Users say Thank You for This Post by skipRAT:

The Following 3 Users say Thank You for This Post by wildbillhappy:

never give up

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

The Scrap Metal Forum

SMF Recommended Links

SMF on Facebook and Twitter