Donor value is avoided future spending
A donor device is valuable when its usable parts replace components you would otherwise buy. Count only parts you can realistically reuse, not every object inside the shell.
Enter one conservative total in the calculator. This keeps the comparison useful without pretending every component has a fixed cash price.
Use a conservative inventory rule
Reduce the value of uncertain, damaged, or rarely used parts. A donor estimate should reflect likely avoided purchases, not the repaired sale value of the whole device.
- Confirm the part is reusable before assigning value
- Prefer recent replacement costs from your own save
- Discount parts that may sit unused
- Do not count the same part in two future jobs
Recheck after disassembly
Your first donor estimate is a planning number. Update it when disassembly reveals which parts are actually clean, intact, and compatible with future work.