Should I be taking apart applinaces?

Rip them open and get the good stuff. Get those wires, alum, copper, brass out of them

[QUOTE=WMSTR;85561]I have never really thought about this till now.
My metal yard is currently paying 130 for unprepared and 160 for prepared
my appliance yard is paying:
Duhumidifiers - $2.00
Microwave - $1.50
Stove/Ovens - $7.00
Water Heater - $6.00
Washer - $6.50
Dryer - $5.00
Dishwasher $3.50
Refridgerators
Mini Fridge - $1.50
Regular - $ 6.00
Commercial - $19.00
Freezer - $6.00
Chest Freezers - Steel $14.00, Plastic $5.00
Mini Stove: $5.00
Over/Under Washer and Dryer: $11.00
Stove/Microwave Combo: $10.50
up to now I have been leaving the freon stuff alone and getting charged 8.00 a compresser. so I tend not to take them
I have also been taking all the #2ins out and motors.

So at .065 a pound you would need the items to weigh more than the following
Duhumidifiers - 31 lbs
Microwave - 23 lbs
Stove/Ovens - 108 lbs
Water Heater - 92 lbs
Washer - 100 lbs
Dryer - 77 lbs
Dishwasher 54 lbs
Refridgerators
Mini Fridge - 23 lbs
Regular - 92 lbs
Commercial - 292 lbs
Freezer - 92 lbs
Chest Freezers - Steel 215 lbs, Plastic 77 lbs
Mini Stove: 77 lbs
Over/Under Washer and Dryer: 169 lbs
Stove/Microwave Combo: 162 lbs

I can't tell you how to do your job, all I can tell you is how I do it.

I break down every thing. However, I scrap a lot of electronics. When I do get appliances, I scrap out the wire, motor(s), heating elements etc...

If you can find an electrical distributor you mind be able to sell them the switches and fuse boxes, transformers etc to make more on each appliance. I however do not have an electrical distributor, so I just scrap the transformers and break the copper/brass out of the fuse boxes and switches ( when available ). I do keep the plastic, because I have a buyer for mixed plastics.

Either way, you (almost) always make more $$$$/pound if you breakdown to the fullest. You will also get more item(s) to scrap when you break it all down, which most of the time = more money.

I hope this helps you some.

Happy Scrappin!!!

Ha the only way to make some geal money is to scrap everything you can what do you think the yard does when you leave?as far as the freeon i took a class on line and got a epa certifaction,most small aplanices have 134 a witch i sell for 1.25 a pound,most of the a/c's have r-22 witch i sell for 3.00 a pound you can buy a recovery machine on ebay pretty cheap these days.

If you can remove motors and wire and still get the appliance price at the appliance yard that seems the way I would go unless they weigh more than the prices I put in. They are based at .065 for unprepared...

When I was in line at the scrapyard last Friday, there was a guy in the truck behind me with a washer and a dryer. That was it. Here I was in a truck with almost 500 pounds of copper and brass that I accumulated in two months time breaking down the very machines this guy had. If you have the time and the space, breaking down EVERYTHING always pays out more. In addition to the iron and tin, there is a fair ammount of non ferrous in there as well. Find a bunch of 5 gallon buckets and learn what everything is and when it comes time to cash it in, its all there. Broken down to nice little piles. Use the shred to pay for your gas. That is about all it is worth today.

Question is did the guy with the washer and dryer infront of you make more or less than $11.50?

If you can get a large quanity of appliances then sell the to the appliance guy. You can make more money by braking them down but it depends if you have the time to put into it or not. If I could find some one to pay me those prices I would sell to him. Thats my .02