Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 20 of 43

large electric motors

| Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
  1. #1
    pwa started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    71
    Thanks
    31
    Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts

    large electric motors

    Hi to all, at the end of the month I am going to an auction where they have several large motors of 150hp each.I was wonder how I could estimate how much copper would be in them.They look like they wiegh about a ton ea. with about 2" output shafts.


  2. #2
    KzScrapper's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Denver Metro, CO
    Posts
    4,841
    Thanks
    7,019
    Thanked 5,792 Times in 2,417 Posts
    Seems I've read that copper is about 25-30% of that weight.
    Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesaler
    Certified Zip-Tie Mechanic
    "Give them enough so they can do something with it, but not too much that they won't do nothing."

  3. #3
    pwa started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    71
    Thanks
    31
    Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts
    wow,that would be alot of copper-thanks

  4. #4
    KzScrapper's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Apr 2011
    Location
    Denver Metro, CO
    Posts
    4,841
    Thanks
    7,019
    Thanked 5,792 Times in 2,417 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by pwa View Post
    wow,that would be alot of copper-thanks
    Please look back in the archives though before bidding...I'm just going of my sometimes failing memory.

  5. The Following User Says Thank You to KzScrapper for This Post:

    pwa

  6. #5
    pwa started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    71
    Thanks
    31
    Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts
    ok i'll do that,sorry i didnt check first.Isure you guys in the know get tired of answering the same questions

  7. #6
    gustavus is offline Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
    gustavus's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    1,209
    Thanks
    1,351
    Thanked 920 Times in 425 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by KZBell View Post
    Seems I've read that copper is about 25-30% of that weight.
    You on the money KZBell, we're safe because the yards will out bid him.

  8. The Following User Says Thank You to gustavus for This Post:

    pwa

  9. #7
    pwa started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    71
    Thanks
    31
    Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts
    yea, there will be alot of scrap dealers there I bet,its an auction for old logging machinery.The stuff is all very old big ,very heavy and made with very thick steel.

  10. #8
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    May 2011
    Location
    Saint Louis, MO
    Posts
    762
    Thanks
    15
    Thanked 900 Times in 349 Posts
    Very big very heavy and very thick means that there might be allot of scrap buyers but few with the knowledge to process and cut up equipment of that size and process it to mill specs. You have a better chance of buying the heavy equipment over the motors. I would bet that the equipment sells for around 130/150 a gross ton. I am just guessing because I don't know your prepared prices or what the specs are to the mill. You better be willing to shell out 25 cents a lb for motors and hope you get a quick turnaround copper is dropping on the comex and that will translate to dropping prices at your yard.

  11. The Following User Says Thank You to PistoneScrapProcessing for This Post:

    pwa

  12. #9
    pwa started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    71
    Thanks
    31
    Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts
    your id suggest you know about scrap pistons? If so did you see my post aluminum alloys?

  13. #10
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    May 2011
    Location
    Saint Louis, MO
    Posts
    762
    Thanks
    15
    Thanked 900 Times in 349 Posts
    My last name is Pistone that's it I know nothing about pistons. If you know the grade of aluminum though it should bring top dollar or you are getting the shaft. Yards that pay for a few grades of aluminum I can put a paycheck on it when you walk out the door after getting bent over are shooting it with the gun and putting it in the appropriate gaylord for shipment to a smelter how do you think the scrap yard makes money hand over fist.


  14. #11
    pwa started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    71
    Thanks
    31
    Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts
    sorry about the assumption but ya gotta admit it kinda fits.Ya it only made sense to me that one should get better prices for better grades of material.I have no doubt that you will get taken advantage of if you dont know what your selling or take the time to compare yards.It makes it hard when the prices very so much from city to the next. Thanks to all for the feed back,this forum is great!!!!!

  15. #12
    Mechanic688's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Warsaw , Ind. In the heart of the lakes, and down the street from the hotel where Al Capone stayed.
    Posts
    9,568
    Thanks
    11,247
    Thanked 10,730 Times in 4,728 Posts
    Here's a big yard in Detroit but I don't see a lot of categories of alum, if anyone had them I would have thought this place would have. I sold some of my small ones (motors-transformers) today and got .30 lb. Not too bad.
    http://www.877ironmike.com/metal-prices
    P & M Recycling - Specializing in E-Waste Recycling.
    If you enjoy your freedom, thank a vet.

  16. #13
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Boise, ID
    Posts
    2,702
    Thanks
    2,237
    Thanked 2,352 Times in 1,014 Posts
    What part of Idaho are you in?

  17. #14
    pwa started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    71
    Thanks
    31
    Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts
    I live in grangeville about 70 miles south of lewiston

  18. #15
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Boise, ID
    Posts
    2,702
    Thanks
    2,237
    Thanked 2,352 Times in 1,014 Posts
    I've been there. Bought a truck from the cemetery.

  19. #16
    pwa started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    71
    Thanks
    31
    Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts
    I moved here 11 yrs ago with my job from ca. and really like it, it was like moving to mayberry at first

  20. #17
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Jan 2012
    Posts
    218
    Thanks
    130
    Thanked 158 Times in 60 Posts
    K I answered this once before a while back.I read in a past post you can expect two thirds of the horsepower of copper.i do not have any experience with such a large size motor but would love to give it a go sometime.I do have a concern with the old old motors having the bad type of insulation in them Asbestos

  21. #18
    pwa started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    71
    Thanks
    31
    Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts
    Hi kbob, Thats a big difference in the estimate of copper contained.Kzbell & Biscuits post says its more like 25%-30% of total wieght,so at a 1000lbs it might contain 250lbs of copper. 150hp at 2/3 would equal 45lbs if thats how you would figure it-1lb copper per hp?

  22. #19
    Mick's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Palermo, Me
    Posts
    3,405
    Thanks
    363
    Thanked 3,086 Times in 1,326 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by pwa View Post
    Hi kbob, Thats a big difference in the estimate of copper contained.Kzbell & Biscuits post says its more like 25%-30% of total wieght,so at a 1000lbs it might contain 250lbs of copper. 150hp at 2/3 would equal 45lbs if thats how you would figure it-1lb copper per hp?
    2/3 of 150 is 100 but still a big difference from 250. Are you sure it weighs 1000 pounds? At first, you were guessing 2000.
    People may laugh at me, but that's ok. I laugh all the way to the bank.

  23. The Following User Says Thank You to Mick for This Post:

    pwa

  24. #20
    pwa started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Idaho
    Posts
    71
    Thanks
    31
    Thanked 6 Times in 5 Posts
    oops!! 2/3 of 150 is 100,I'm still on my first cup of coffee but thats still a big differenc in the estimate


  25. Similar threads on the Scrap Metal Forum

    1. electric motors
      By mntnman in forum A Day in the Life of a Scrapper
      Replies: 17
      Last Post: 05-06-2014, 09:31 AM
    2. electric motors
      By crysknife in forum Dismantling, Breaking Down & Maximizing Scrap
      Replies: 21
      Last Post: 04-20-2012, 09:52 PM
    3. Electric Motors
      By jake381 in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 5
      Last Post: 11-26-2011, 05:33 PM
    4. electric motors
      By tjtat in forum More than Scrap Value
      Replies: 3
      Last Post: 04-28-2011, 06:00 AM
    5. Electric motors
      By C.M.HUNTER in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 6
      Last Post: 03-30-2011, 03:01 AM

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

 
Browse the Most Recent Threads
On SMF In THIS CATEGORY.





OR

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

The Scrap Metal Forum

    The Scrap Metal Forum is the #1 scrap metal recycling community in the world. Here we talk about the scrap metal business, making money, where we connect with other scrappers, scrap yards and more.

SMF on Facebook and Twitter

Twitter Facebook