Stock Appreciation Rights (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2014

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]

	2014				2013
	SARs Under Option		Weighted Average Grant Price		SARs Under Option	Weighted Average Grant Price
Outstanding at beginning of year	320,000		$	0.409	280,000	$	0.429
Granted	40,000		$	0.410	40,000	$	0.270
Exercised	(280,000	)	$	0.410	—	$	—
Terminated	(80,000	)	$	0.387	—	$	—
Outstanding at end of year	—		$	—	320,000	$	0.409
SARs exercisable at end of year	—		$	—	243,300	$	0.419
Weighted average fair value of SARs granted during the year			$	0.410		$	0.270

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

	2013
Number outstanding	320,000
Range of grant prices, upper limit	$	0.695
Range of grant prices, lower limit	$	0.208
Weighted average grant price	$	0.414
Weighted average contractual life remaining (in years)	4.85
10-day average market price	$	0.419
Weighted average stock volatility	144.67		%
Weighted average expected life	4.44
Weighted average risk free rate	0.66		%
Weighted average dividend yield	—		%
Weighted average fair value price	$	0.389
Total vested SARs	243,300
Weighted average aggregate fair value	$	82,000
Weighted average aggregate intrinsic value	$	16,000
Total compensation expense (benefit)	$	135,000
Unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested SARs granted	$	15,000
Expected period to recognize compensation expense related to non-vested SARs granted (in years)	1.67
Total liability for SARs on consolidated balance sheets	$	96,000