On Thu, 23 Sep 2010 13:04:32 -0700 (PDT), Andy Dingley
wrote:

Enamelled electrical copper wire is its own category. "Dirtier" and
worth less than bare copper, but worth a good bit more than copper
with PVC still on it! It's worth you cutting the windings off the
motor laminations - an easy enough job if you're not trying to be
tidy. Laminations themselves should attract a better price than mixed
ferrous.

Thanks for your advice. The problem with my local scrap yard is they
do not have a chart displaying prices per kilo, so when you get there
you have to trust they have been honest with you. That's why I thought
I would check before I went

I wish they had a big board with today's "exchange rates" on! This
particular yard doesn't give receipts either. I try to weigh before I
go and call for prices, so I have an idea of what to expect when I get
there but this time I had so much mixed junk, that wasn't possible and
I had to trust them.

I'm afraid I was far too lazy to cut through the motors and separate
iron from copper. Perhaps if I had seen the prices, I may have changed
my mind about that. I had already spent an afternoon dismantling the
various lawnmowers and vacuum cleaners the family no longer wanted,
perhaps I should have spent a few minutes more to completely dismantle
the motors. Like I said, I didn't get a receipt and took quite a mixed
load, so I'm not sure how much I got for the motors in their
"complete" state.

Thanks again.