I like to break them down at work when things are slow. It keeps my hands busy and helps pass the time. Typical breakdown goes something like this:

1: remove logic board on back.

2: remove front cover. These vary quite a bit in the metal used so i chuck them in with the steel.

3 remove the reader arm. These can go as irony aluminum, aluminum shred, aluminum breakage. Whatever term your yard uses for aluminum contaminated with steel. Do check the voice coil on the reader arm. Some are copper. Some appear to be industrial gold ?

4: remove the platters. On the 2.5" drives, they're generally made of glass. On the 3.5" drives, the platters can usually go as aluminum sheet.

5: Remove the neodymium magnets. They don't take up much space in the shop so i save those. They might have value someday if there's a shortage of rare earths.

6: The motors are of two kinds. The first kind has three screws holding it in place. Easy to remove. They are classed as electric motors. The second and most common kind is a little more difficult. You flip the drive over and use a punch & hammer to drive out the center shaft. The part that pops out is irony aluminum. The part that remains is the copper/iron winding. These can go as electric motors, copper bearing, or whatever your yard calls it. You pry that winding out with a screwdriver.



7: The aluminum carcass that remains is probably either 6061 or 6063 extruded aluminum but many yards class it as cast aluminum.

It varies a bit from yard to yard but this is a general idea of how it can go.

It it worth doing ? It just seems like there's not a great deal of value there except for the better than scrap option. That's especially so with the 2.5" drives.