Scrapping a vacuum cleaner

Looks good to me. I wish all vacuum motors were that easy to get too.

me too.....I LOVE braking *( lol ) down those little motors. So little effort for so much reward ! Not so much monetarily as in the satisfaction of seeing my copper bucket fill up. Like I always say, it just comes down to a personal choice.
* BRAKE...slow down, stop. BREAK.....crack open !!!!!!

I don't like vacumn cleaners too much, alot of debris and little metal to show for it. Strangely, I tore apart a "Clorox brand Swiffer" the other day and was completely amazed at how complex and full of motors, wires, etc. the thing was. This was the one that you push a button and it squirts cleaner from a bottle that you stick on the front. I tore it down because the handle was al extrusion.

I stripped a Dyson not long ago and the motor was really hard to get into. I had to get my friend to hold a screwdriver and I was holding one as well and I slowly hit each one until the metal casing literally shot off!

Dysons are big bucks. I would have taken it in to see if it could be fixed. For cheep of course!

Yeah a 100 dollar fix on a dyson will still net you a 200 dollar dyson at the least to sell on ebay. Not to mention you could probable sell it outright to a used vacuum store.

I have found that 2 or 3 good hits with a sledgehammer separates the motor and wiring, nicely from most modern vacuum cleaners.
Beats the heck out of fiddling with all them little screws
Con

Originally Posted by Scrap man

In response to the recent threads requesting videos and pictures about scrapping certain objects, I figured I would use my latest find: a newer vacuum cleaner.

Taking apart a vacuum cleaner is pretty quick and easy.



To start with, I removed the blue filter on the front.

Then I removed quite a few screws to get to the inside


The upper part is the front where the motor is. The lower part is the back where the cord is in some kind of retracting thing.



I started with the cord. I took the white plastic thing out, unscrewed both halves, and the cord just lifted out along with some kind of steel spring that popped out at me.

This is the cord, steel spring, and front half of the vacuum cleaner.


The motor pretty much came out and the wires just had to be cut.

Here you can see the motor and wires as well as the plastic I've started saving in the background.

Totals:

Insulated wire: about 1/3-1/2 lb.
Motor: about 1 1/2 lb.
Steel: less than an ounce
ABS plastic: 2-3 lbs.
Garbage: about 1 lb.

Keep in mind this is a newer, smaller vacuum and older ones will probably have more. Also, I don't plan on breaking down the motor, so that's a bit of a loss too. Any questions, feel free to ask.

Some vacuums will surprise you.

I've picked up a few that were "like new" in need of only a simple fix and re-sold them for $25 and up depending on the model.

The vintage one's are sometimes worth researching, as their are quite a few collectors now. Just an example.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vtg-EUREKA-EMPRE...-/320742298183

i just broke down like 4 vacuums and 1 of them had like a 20 or 25ft power cord. So i tossed that in my insulated copper bucket. now there waiting to be striped as soon as i can get a wire striper. and for the motors i finally got a grinder so im gonna cut into them. i like takin them apart cuz there easy to take apart especially with a electric screwdriver.

Originally Posted by Scrap man

There isn't a lot of metal, but they are pretty quick to break down, so they kind of cancel eachother out. They aren't my favorite, but they are good for a quick buck.

I just scrapped a Swiffer brand thing a few days ago, except I cut out the center section of the aluminum handle and threw the rest in a dishwasher. I might have to do a double-take on it. Thanks

I love those swiffers! Not much break down, not much waste. I couldnt believe the little armatures and wires in them either!
Scrap man, why did you put the center part in the dishwasher?? What did your wife say (if you are married) when she found it?

Originally Posted by GeorgeB

There is a cheap one either at walmart or lowes...fyi

yeah iv got like a $25 pair but i saw another wire stripper i want but kinda expensive but its drill powered and from what i understand on the youtube videos you put a nutdriver in the chuck but i gotta take some metal to the scrap yard to help pay for that. I spent the last of my money on a grinder from northern tool and from what iv done so far it awesome!!!!!! a 7" grinder electric for almost $75 so money well spent.........but thanks GeorgeB for the fyi i just got like almost half a bucket full of insulated copper wire and dont want to use the pair i got now but im not in a real big hurry to get the wire stripper until my bucket fills up and i got a long way to go.

Ahhhhhhh!!! My bad! I went back and it was me that misunderstood what you said! sorry! lol

Originally Posted by GeorgeB

Your welcome. I have noticed a few different types of wire strippers myself that are used for a variety of wire. So far, I have noticed like 3 or 4 different kinds.

here is a youtube link hopefully itll work.