Electric motors are found in everything from washing machines and power tools to industrial pumps and air conditioning units. They are valued as scrap because they contain significant quantities of copper winding wire inside a steel housing. Larger motors (industrial, commercial HVAC) contain more copper and are worth more per unit. At endless metals, electric motors are accepted as a distinct grade under our “other metals” category. Some sellers break motors open to extract the copper windings, which can then be graded as a higher copper category — but this requires proper tools and is not practical for small motors.