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Recycle transformer?

Muse

Muse

Lifer
I have a transformer from a good sized microwave that died. I'm estimating that this although no more than 4" any dimension is 8lb. Must be quite a bit of copper wire in it, is my thinking. I was going to toss it in the landfill bound trash, but am thinking, "can I recycle this, even get money for the copper?" What say you?
 
You can definitely strip the copper. You won't get much money, but every bit helps. Strip it, throw the copper in the bucket, and toss the rest. When you get a bucket full of copper, sell it. You're not gonna get rich, but it's something to do, and not wasteful.
 
Jaccob's ladder! If not they make great door stops. I have some old UPS transformers I use for that to prevent doors from slamming when I open windows in the summer.
 
Could be worth $5-10 to strip the copper, well worth the effort to the environmentally conscious. Unfortunately, the iron core is relatively worthless.
 
crashtech said:
Could be worth $5-10 to strip the copper, well worth the effort to the environmentally conscious. Unfortunately, the iron core is relatively worthless.
Click to expand...

It won't be that much. Yes, there looks like there's a lot of copper, but....
COMEX is about $3/lb. A scrap dealer might pay 50%, if you'ved stripped and cleaned all the wire. That transformer most likely does not have a pound. The core/cabinet and any other metal might be 25 cents/lb for "mixed iron/steel" and most of that weight will be the core
 
Seems like it might not be easy to strip out the copper. I have about 4 other microwaves I intend to tear apart, garner the magnets from their magnetrons. I'll have a little collection of transformers and decide what to do with them. That little thing is unbelievably heavy!
 
Yeah, good ideas. If I can't sell it on Ebay, I'll recycle it at ewaste location.

Weighed it today, it's over 9 lb.

Gonna rip apart my other MWs before doing anything, have a small collection of transformers and many donut magnets.
 
You can also rewind the high voltage side with a couple turns of thick gauge wire and make a respectable high amperage supply. Good for spot welding.
 
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