A scrap washing machine is worth $8 to $25 as a whole unit, based on 150-200 lbs of mostly steel at $0.05-$0.10 per pound. Break it down and the numbers improve fast: the motor alone brings $10-$20 for its copper windings, stainless steel drums pay $0.20-$0.40/lb, and front-loaders with heavy counterweights and stainless components outprice top-loaders. A working machine, though, sells for $50-$200 on resale, which is 5-10x scrap value.
| Grade / Item | Low | High | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator (whole) | $15 | $50 | USD/unit |
| Washing machine (whole) | $8 | $25 | USD/unit |
| Dryer (whole) | $5 | $20 | USD/unit |
| Water heater (tank) | $5 | $15 | USD/unit |
| AC compressor (sealed) | $5 | $25 | USD/unit |
| Sealed units per pound | $0.20 | $0.32 | USD/lb |
| AC coil, clean Cu/Al | $1.55 | $3.02 | USD/lb |
| Country | Typical Range | Per Tonne | Cur. |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $5 – $50 /whole unit | — | USD |
| Canada | C$7 – C$70 /unit | — | CAD |
| United Kingdom | £4 – £40 /unit | — | GBP |
| Germany / EU | €5 – €45 /unit | — | EUR |
| Australia | A$8 – A$75 /unit | — | AUD |
| India | ₹400 – ₹4,000 /unit | — | INR |
Rates for every other appliance are collected in the complete scrap metal price index.
What’s Actually Inside a Washing Machine
A washing machine is roughly 150-200 lbs of mixed metal wrapped in a steel cabinet. Scrapyards pay by weight and metal type, so the breakdown matters:
- Steel cabinet, frame, and tub: 100-150 lbs at $0.05-$0.10/lb
- Electric motor: 15-25 lbs with copper windings, worth $10-$20 pulled
- Stainless steel drum: 15-30 lbs at $0.20-$0.40/lb (front-loaders especially)
- Wiring harness: 1-3 lbs of insulated copper wire
- Small transformer/solenoids: $2-$5 of blended-rate weight
- Concrete counterweights: Worthless. Remove before weighing if the yard docks for them.
Whole-unit pricing at most yards treats washers as “light iron” or a flat appliance rate. That’s convenient but leaves the copper and stainless premiums on the table.
Whole Unit vs. Breakdown: The Real Math
Whole unit: A 180 lb washer at a $0.07/lb appliance rate pays about $12.60. Drive up, unload, get paid. Done in ten minutes.
Broken down: The same machine yields a $15 motor, 20 lbs of stainless drum ($6), 2 lbs of copper wire ($3), and 140 lbs of remaining steel ($10). Total: roughly $34 for an hour of work with basic hand tools.
The breakdown roughly doubles or triples your payout. Whether that’s worth an hour depends on your volume. One washer, probably not. A trailer load from a property cleanout, absolutely.
Front-Loaders Are Worth More (Usually)
Front-loading washers carry two advantages at the scale. First, their drums are almost always stainless steel, and stainless pays 3-5x regular steel rates. Second, they’re heavier overall, often 200+ lbs against a top-loader’s 150.
One catch: front-loaders also carry massive concrete counterweights (30-60 lbs) that some yards deduct from your weight. Pull them off before weighing if your yard docks for concrete, or leave them on if the yard doesn’t check. Ask first.
The Resale Check: Always Run It First
Before scrapping any washer, answer one question: does it run? A working washer in decent cosmetic shape brings $50-$200 on Facebook Marketplace. Even a machine with a known, described fault (loud bearing, broken ice-cold fill valve) sells for $25-$75 to fixers.
Scrap value is the floor, not the ceiling. Ten minutes of testing and one listing photo can 5x your return over the scale price.
Common Mistakes That Cost You Money
- Scrapping a working machine: The single most expensive mistake in appliance scrapping.
- Leaving the motor in: $10-$20 of copper leaves with the light-iron pile.
- Missing the stainless drum: Yards paying flat appliance rates won’t upgrade you voluntarily.
- Hauling counterweights to a yard that docks for them: 50 lbs of concrete earning nothing but fuel cost.
- Ignoring the pair value: Matching washer-dryer sets resell better together than the two scrap separately.
- Skipping the water drain: Residual water adds phantom weight some yards deduct, and it makes a mess in your truck.
Getting the Best Price
Test the machine first, always. If it’s truly dead, decide between quick whole-unit money and the breakdown premium based on your volume. Pull the motor at minimum, since it’s four bolts and a $15 upgrade. Call ahead about counterweight policy for front-loaders.
Washers pair naturally with other appliance scrap runs. Price out the full haul with our water heater scrap guide, transformer pricing, and aluminum scrap rates before loading the truck.