How does the scrapyard know what to pay for washingmachines?

Originally Posted by miyamuto

How does the scrapyard know How much metals its in a washingmachine for example? Or an unstripped wire?

Because they already know about how much metal is in an average washer and un-stripped wire so they just pay by weight. They also go by how much metal is selling for so the price per pound or ton can vary by day. The price of metal is down now because of new tariffs.

To further clarify, it doesn't matter if you bring them a washer, dryer, stove, car door or a solid beam if steel or iron, if it's ferrous (meaning if a magnet sticks to it), they weigh all of it together and you get paid per pound. As the seller you are responsible for knowing if you have aluminum, stainless steel or copper you want to save before putting it into the ferrous pile etc... Yes typically they take the whole appliance even with the cardboard, paper and plastic in it etc...



No they don't strip wire before they pay you for it. Same thing as with ferrous metal (washers etc...) they pay by weight.

There are 2 grades of wire, a wire with not much copper and alot of insulation is "low grade" - extension cords etc...

#1 wire is thicker wire with less insulation.

#1 wire pays more than #2 per pound. If you bring them a container of mixed wire and don't separate it, they will not separate it for you. They will weigh all of it and pay you for #2.