Stock Appreciation Rights (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Oct. 31, 2013

SARS [Abstract]

Stock Appreciation Rights Vesting Schedule [Table Text Block]

Number of Years the Grantee has remained a Torotel director following the Date of Grant	Shares represented by a SAR in which a Grantee is Vested
Under one	—	%
At least one but less than two	33	%
At least two but less than three	67	%
Three or more	100	%

Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Stock Options and Stock Appreciation Rights Award Activity [Table Text Block]

	2013			2012
	SARs Under Option	Weighted Average Grant Price		SARs Under Option	Weighted Average Grant Price
Outstanding at beginning of period	320,000	$	0.409	280,000	$	0.429
Granted	40,000	$	0.410	40,000	$	0.270
Exercised	—	$	—	—	$	—
Forfeited	—	$	—	—	$	—
Outstanding at end of period	360,000	$	0.409	320,000	$	0.409
SARs exercisable at end of period	280,000	$	0.415	243,000	$	0.417
Weighted average fair value of SARs granted during the period		$	0.410		$	0.270

Schedule of Share-based Payment Award, Stock Options, Valuation Assumptions [Table Text Block]

	2013			2012
Number outstanding	360,000			320,000
Range of grant prices, upper limit	$	0.695		$	0.695
Range of grant prices, lower limit	$	0.208		$	0.208
Weighted average grant price	$	0.409		$	0.417
Weighted average contractual life remaining (in years)	4.91			5.36
10-day average market price	$	1.200		$	0.281
Weighted average stock volatility	137.52		%	150.38		%
Weighted average expected life	4.42			4.72
Weighted average risk free rate	1.10		%	0.76		%
Weighted average dividend yield	—		%	—		%
Weighted average fair value price	$	1.143		$	0.260
Aggregate fair value	$	290,000		$	56,000
Aggregate intrinsic value	$	220,000		$	2,000
Total compensation expense for three months ended October 31	$	124,000		$	2,000
Total compensation expense for six months ended October 31	$	217,000		$	8,800
Unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested SARs granted	$	68,000		$	15,000
Expected period to recognize compensation expense related to non-vested SARs granted (in years)	1.94			2.08
Total liability for SARs on consolidated balance sheets	$	313,000		$	61,000