ScrapScrap Radiator Ends Prices in Illinois
National scrap prices for Radiator Ends are currently averaging $0.87 per pound. Check the directory below to see what local buyers in Illinois are paying for clean, prepared aluminum and brass radiator tanks right now.
Average Radiator Ends Price
- Low (around $0.55): Floor price, typically for small loads.
- Mid ($0.55): A fair deal for standard quantities.
- High ($0.55+): Top-dollar rate. Offered for large commercial loads or by the most competitive buyers.
Pricing verified from 2 live board rates in this area.
Where to Sell Radiator Ends in Illinois
Don't just toss your cut-off radiator tanks into the nearest bin. With national prices ranging from $0.60 for dirty loads to $1.35 for clean, stripped material, it pays to shop around. We recommend comparing quotes from different yards in Illinois and calling ahead to confirm their specific grading rules for cast aluminum or brass radiator ends.
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🚀 List your scrap yard ⟶| Metal grade | Average price (per lb) |
|---|---|
| Radiator Ends | $0.55 / lb |
| Copper & Brass Radiators (Clean) | $3.14 / lb |
| Pure Copper Radiators | $2.98 / lb |
| Irony Aluminum Copper Radiators (Dirty ACR) | $2.51 / lb |
| Irony Copper & Brass Radiators | $2.12 / lb |
| Aluminum Copper Radiators (ACR) | $1.75 / lb |
| Aluminum Radiators (Clean) | $0.59 / lb |
| Coolers & Condensers | $0.57 / lb |
| Irony Aluminum Radiators | $0.46 / lb |
Historical Price Trends for Radiator Ends
This chart shows where the market is headed. If the line is climbing, prices are rising — you might get a better deal in a few days. If it's dropping, don't wait: sell today before yards lower their buy prices further.
Radiator Ends: Scrap Yard Price vs. World Market (COMEX)
Avg scrap yard price
Today's world market price (COMEX)
Radiator Ends: Spread vs. Exchange — Monthly History
| Period | World price (per lb) | Scrap yard price (per lb) | Spread vs. exchange |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 2026 (current) | $5.6213 / lb | $0.55 / lb | −$5.07 (90.2%) |
| March 2026 | $5.6775 / lb | $2.69 / lb | −$2.99 (52.6%) |
| February 2026 | $5.8801 / lb | $3.53 / lb | −$2.35 (40%) |
| January 2026 | $5.8949 / lb | $3.54 / lb | −$2.35 (39.9%) |
| December 2025 | $5.4977 / lb | $3.30 / lb | −$2.20 (40%) |
| November 2025 | $5.0640 / lb | $3.04 / lb | −$2.02 (40%) |
| October 2025 | $5.0502 / lb | $3.03 / lb | −$2.02 (40%) |
| September 2025 | $4.6624 / lb | $2.80 / lb | −$1.86 (39.9%) |
| August 2025 | $4.4780 / lb | $2.69 / lb | −$1.79 (39.9%) |
| July 2025 | $5.4826 / lb | $3.29 / lb | −$2.19 (40%) |
| June 2025 | $4.8832 / lb | $2.93 / lb | −$1.95 (40%) |
| May 2025 | $4.6862 / lb | $2.81 / lb | −$1.88 (40%) |
| April 2025 | $4.6543 / lb | $2.79 / lb | −$1.86 (40.1%) |
| March 2025 | $4.9195 / lb | $2.95 / lb | −$1.97 (40%) |
| February 2025 | $4.5581 / lb | $2.74 / lb | −$1.82 (39.9%) |
| January 2025 | $4.2698 / lb | $2.56 / lb | −$1.71 (40%) |
| December 2024 | $4.1579 / lb | $2.50 / lb | −$1.66 (39.9%) |
| November 2024 | $4.1994 / lb | $2.52 / lb | −$1.68 (40%) |
| October 2024 | $4.4318 / lb | $2.66 / lb | −$1.77 (40%) |
| September 2024 | $4.2927 / lb | $2.58 / lb | −$1.71 (39.9%) |
| August 2024 | $4.1218 / lb | $2.47 / lb | −$1.65 (40.1%) |
| July 2024 | $4.3752 / lb | $2.63 / lb | −$1.75 (39.9%) |
| June 2024 | $4.4911 / lb | $2.70 / lb | −$1.79 (39.9%) |
| May 2024 | $4.7547 / lb | $2.85 / lb | −$1.90 (40.1%) |
| April 2024 | $4.3637 / lb | $2.62 / lb | −$1.74 (40%) |
| March 2024 | $3.9836 / lb | $2.39 / lb | −$1.59 (40%) |
| February 2024 | $3.8018 / lb | $2.28 / lb | −$1.52 (40%) |
| January 2024 | $3.8113 / lb | $2.29 / lb | −$1.52 (39.9%) |
| December 2023 | $3.8712 / lb | $2.32 / lb | −$1.55 (40.1%) |
| November 2023 | $3.7208 / lb | $2.23 / lb | −$1.49 (40.1%) |
| October 2023 | $3.6093 / lb | $2.17 / lb | −$1.44 (39.9%) |
| September 2023 | $3.7598 / lb | $2.26 / lb | −$1.50 (39.9%) |
| August 2023 | $3.7761 / lb | $2.27 / lb | −$1.51 (39.9%) |
| July 2023 | $3.8455 / lb | $2.31 / lb | −$1.54 (39.9%) |
| June 2023 | $3.8050 / lb | $2.28 / lb | −$1.53 (40.1%) |
| May 2023 | $3.7515 / lb | $2.25 / lb | −$1.50 (40%) |
| April 2023 | $4.0074 / lb | $1.91 / lb | −$2.10 (52.3%) |
| March 2023 | $4.0282 / lb | $2.42 / lb | −$1.61 (39.9%) |
| February 2023 | $4.0648 / lb | $2.44 / lb | −$1.62 (40%) |
| January 2023 | $4.1151 / lb | $2.47 / lb | −$1.65 (40%) |
| December 2022 | $3.8207 / lb | $2.29 / lb | −$1.53 (40.1%) |
| November 2022 | $3.6740 / lb | $2.20 / lb | −$1.47 (40.1%) |
| October 2022 | $3.4304 / lb | $2.06 / lb | −$1.37 (39.9%) |
| September 2022 | $3.4553 / lb | $2.07 / lb | −$1.39 (40.1%) |
| August 2022 | $3.6165 / lb | $2.17 / lb | −$1.45 (40%) |
| July 2022 | $3.4195 / lb | $2.05 / lb | −$1.37 (40%) |
| June 2022 | $4.1187 / lb | $2.47 / lb | −$1.65 (40%) |
| May 2022 | $4.2573 / lb | $2.55 / lb | −$1.71 (40.1%) |
| April 2022 | $4.6495 / lb | $2.79 / lb | −$1.86 (40%) |
| March 2022 | $4.7077 / lb | $2.83 / lb | −$1.88 (39.9%) |
| February 2022 | $4.5023 / lb | $2.70 / lb | −$1.80 (40%) |
| January 2022 | $4.4320 / lb | $2.59 / lb | −$1.84 (41.6%) |
Radiator Ends Scrap Price History — Daily Data
A day-by-day market snapshot in exact numbers. Every day we aggregate buy prices from local scrap yards, recording the average, low, and high. Use this table to track real price movement over recent days.
| Date | Avg price (per lb) | Change | Range (Low/High) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.55 / lb | +$0.05 | $0.55 – $0.55 | |
| 4/27/2023 | $0.50 / lb | −$0.20 | $0.50 – $0.50 |
Maximizing Your Cut-Offs: Selling Radiator Ends
When you are breaking down cooling units, the core gets all the glory, but the Radiator Ends—the tanks or headers chopped off the sides of the core—hold serious value. These ends are typically made of thick cast aluminum or solid brass, making them a dense and highly recyclable material. Current data shows national buyers are paying between $0.60 and $1.35 per pound depending on how clean you prep them. If you are throwing these ends into your low-grade bins Illinois, you are leaving money on the shop floor.
The Cost of Lazy Prep
Scrap yards hate contamination, and Radiator Ends are notorious for hiding it. If you leave heavy steel bolts, plastic drain plugs, or chunks of rubber hose attached to your aluminum or brass ends, the scale master will hammer your ticket. Worse, if you toss dirty ends into a pile that gets graded as Irony Aluminum Radiators, you are looking at a brutal downgrade. That simple sorting mistake can cost you roughly $0.41 per pound. Always strip the ends completely bare before driving to the yard.
Yard Pro Tip: The biggest trap with Radiator Ends is the transmission fluid cooler. Many heavy-duty or older automotive radiator ends have a small, steel concentric tube hidden inside the lower tank. Run a strong magnet over the outside of the aluminum or brass end. If it grabs, you have a steel cooler inside. You must smash the end open or cut it to remove that steel tube, otherwise the yard will buy the entire piece as irony aluminum or dirty brass, tanking your payout.
Prep Guide: Clean vs. Dirty Radiator Ends
Spending a few extra minutes with a sawzall or an impact wrench can drastically shift your payout tier. Here is how clean and dirty radiator ends are judged at the scale:
| Preparation Level | Condition | Expected Payout |
|---|---|---|
| Clean Radiator Ends | No steel, plastic, or rubber; hidden coolers removed | Premium cast aluminum or yellow brass rate |
| Dirty / Irony Ends | Steel bolts, plastic plugs, or internal steel coolers present | Heavy deductions or bought as irony material |
Market Averages and Cooling Spreads
Because Radiator Ends are either aluminum or brass, their pricing heavily indexes off major markets like the COMEX. Scrap yards usually build in a margin, offering rates roughly 90.4% below spot prices to cover the melting process. To see how your ends stack up against the complete units, look at the broader market: Aluminum Copper Radiators (ACR) typically range from $2.55 to $2.75/lb, while complete Aluminum Radiators (Clean) are fetching $0.59 to $0.65/lb, and general Coolers & Condensers track around $0.44 to $0.70/lb.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly are Radiator Ends?
Radiator Ends are the thick tanks or headers located on the sides or top/bottom of a radiator core. Scrappers cut them off to separate the core (usually copper/brass or aluminum) from the ends, which are typically made of cast aluminum or yellow brass.
Why did my aluminum radiator ends get graded as dirty?
The most common reasons for a downgrade are leaving steel bolts attached, failing to remove plastic drain petcocks, or leaving the internal steel transmission cooler inside the bottom tank. Any non-aluminum material will trigger a dirty or irony price.
Are brass radiator ends worth more than aluminum?
Yes. Older or heavy-duty radiators often feature yellow brass tanks. Brass is significantly more valuable than cast aluminum. If you have brass radiator ends, make sure you store and sell them separately from your aluminum ends to ensure you get the higher brass payout, which frequently tracks above $0.87.
Radiator Ends scrap prices in Illinois on the map
The map shows cities in Illinois with Radiator Ends scrap prices. Click a marker or pick a city in the list below to see Radiator Ends prices in that location.