Breaking down a Hard Drive

Originally Posted by AJR

Not sure how much your yard pays for aluminum, but if you took out the motor wouldn't you get a higher price for the electric motor?



Also, the magnets inside the drives can be dangerous - hard to pull apart and will pinch your fingers real bad if you're not careful. But they can be sold on ebay as well in lots.



Be sure if there is data on the drive that wasn't wiped, that you scratch or break the platters first before selling them. Data can still be recovered from an individual platter from those who really want the data for identity theft or fraud. Plus people will buy them on ebay because they think they are loaded with a platinum coating, but it would take thousands of them to make it worthwhile with the amount of chemicals and such you need to recover the platinum.

If the platters are just scratched or broken, data can still be read off the platter - it's just far more difficult.

I throw the magnets and the platters in a single tub. About once a week I shake them around. After a month or so of that, not even a lab tech in a white coat and a cleanroom would be able to get anything off the platter. They're completely degaussed.