Electricians, contractors, and scrappers alike know that leftover wire from jobs adds up quickly. After every new build or major renovation, it’s not unusual to have hundreds of feet of excess copper wiring—whether it’s 12-gauge, 14-gauge, or standard ROMEX. What many don’t realize is just how much potential value is wrapped up in those leftovers.
Why Stripping Your Wire Matters
Scrap yards don’t treat all copper wire the same. The difference between insulated wire and clean, bare bright #1 copper is more than just cosmetic—it’s financial. #1 copper is the cleanest, most valuable form of scrap copper, and it fetches a significantly higher price per pound. As of today (April 2025), bare bright copper earns you $4.50 USD per pound, while the same wire with insulation still on might only bring in $1.70 USD per pound.
That price gap adds up fast.
Let’s say you have 5,000 feet of leftover ROMEX wire. When stripped, that wire would yield approximately 820 lbs of clean copper.
At $4.50 USD per pound (as of April 2025), you’re looking at $3,690.00. Leave the insulation on and your payout drops to about $1,394.00. That’s a difference of nearly $2,296 in your pocket—just for taking the time to strip the wire.
Efficiency, Safety, and Profit Go Hand in Hand
While hand-stripping is still common, it comes with hidden costs that are hard to ignore. It’s labor-intensive, time-consuming, and physically risky. In the previous example, it would take you roughly 60 hours to strip manually. In that time, a single slip of the knife can lead to lost work time and unnecessary expenses. While hand-stripping has its flaws, burning the insulation off is far worse—not only is it illegal, the fumes are dangerously toxic and render the copper unsellable or heavily devalued.
Time and safety are where a reliable automatic wire stripper offers a real advantage. They help eliminate all of these risks while freeing up your valuable time. In the previous example, stripping that cable would take you roughly 10 hours with an automatic machine. Saving you a whopping 50 hours over manual stripping. A reliable, efficient wire stripping machine can dramatically increase both the speed and safety of your wire processing.
The right machine helps ensure that every pound of copper you bring to the yard is clean, bright, and ready to be graded as #1. That translates directly into higher profits for the same material. In addition, people actually enjoy the process and look forward to using their machine!
Conclusion: Stripping Smart Pays Off
Whether you handle occasional leftover wire or process scrap regularly, the decision to strip or not to strip has real financial consequences. Stripping your copper wire cleanly and efficiently can more than double your return per pound. Add in the time savings, reduced injury risk, and consistent quality of the output, and it’s clear: smart wire stripping is one of the easiest ways to boost the value of your scrap.
If you’ve been tossing unstripped wire into the pile or spending hours with a knife, it might be time to rethink your process. Because in this business, clean copper isn’t just better—it’s more profitable.
Are you in the market for a high-quality, made in North America wire stripping machine?
Go to www.stripmeister.com and find the perfect tool to match your stripping needs.