selling scrap steel

[randy41]

anyone do this recently? whats it worth?

 

[LD1]

In my area now, it is $220-$280 a ton.

I have about 8 places I can go all within 45 minutes. And theres a BIG difference between 220 and 280 if you have any weight at all.

So I'd suggest calling around in your area before you decide where to go.

 

[NC4AB]

$230 / ton last week, the price varies day by day and from dealer to dealer in my area.

 

[magicheater]

Big difference between "prepared" and "unprepared" also. Sometimes not worth the bother but other times worth sorting.

 

[randy41]

does prepared mean sorted? most everything i want to sell is steel tubes. they are from a hoophouse that collapsed.

 

[LD1]

does prepared mean sorted? most everything i want to sell is steel tubes. they are from a hoophouse that collapsed.

Most times prepared means "shredder ready".

Which usually means all short lengths. Like nothing over 24" or so. But that also varies. You really need to call the yards in your area and ask pricing for the various grades of steel and what needs to be done to meet that grade.

 

[magicheater]

Most times prepared means "shredder ready".

Which usually means all short lengths. Like nothing over 24" or so. But that also varies. You really need to call the yards in your area and ask pricing for the various grades of steel and what needs to be done to meet that grade.

Around here "prepared" is <36", Longer lengths and girths is unprepared. Thickness is another category, thin stuff is "tin" or "sheet iron". Yards are different so as said, call first. Just make sure there is "NO LEAD" in your load.

 

[tcartwri]

I got $48 for TWO truck batteries the other day.... I almost went back in to ask if there was a mistake.

 

[ultrarunner]

I remember getting 1 cent a pound for steel turnings back when I was in school trying to make an extra buck.

 

[CATMAN]

Only got $200 a ton, in SW Iowa, back in May.

Worked 8 days on Dad's scrap iron pile, and got Dad a little over $5000, for him.(Got the pile gone, too. Yipee!!!!!)

We had one flat, rear tractor tire, and one blowout on trailer tire; which later required an couple of used tires. He probably netted a little less than $5000.

Good Job done.

 

[Taylortractornut]

I sort my steel. I get alot of mowers, tanks and farm implements. I save what I can especially the old farm stuff, I saved a pile of old brush cutters. I sold the hitches for 25 bucks each, The tail wheels bring about 50 each, stump jumpers 40, Gear boxes are 50 to 100. SOme times a good body would come in and Id put a gear box on it and send it to the sale. I got in a load of old propane tanks a friend was scrapping. Took them to a friends shop for smokers for about 500.

Im saving all my drops and anything I cant use the way its all going away one day it will be worth alot more per ton than it is now. I ve probably got ten tons of pure scrap at the shop.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

...I ve probably got ten tons of pure scrap at the shop.

That's why steel prices are so high. Taylortractornut is hoarding it all.

 

[JB4310]

Wow I didn't realise scrap steel was so high, I knew something was up as I see all these Fred Sanford trucks piled high with steel junk.

JB

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I don't remember the exact price but I know the local scrap yards are considerably less then the yards in Buffalo. The last time I asked it was an even $100 more per ton to take sheet iron into Buffalo (which was a 45 minute drive) then to take to the local scrap yard (20 minute drive). I filled the dump trailer and had over 2 ton so the extra $200 easily covered my added time and fuel.

Definitely call around though as the prices vary a lot and even the place that pays the most for sheet iron may not be the best place for aluminum or even copper so if you have any amount it does add up and is easily justified to run to different scrap yards.

The down side to the high scrap prices is that farm implements are scarce now. I use to know of a place where I could get all sorts of decent rims for farm implements but they were all scrapped. almost all of them still had good paint on them with just a light surface rust. They made great rims to mount a new tire on for a spare wagon tire as when you had a flat you just put the spare on and left it. Then repair/replace the flat and use that for the next spare. Of course now I want to replace four rims on a old running gear as the rims are rusted bad but I am not going to buy new ones so I am just keeping my eye open for some decent used ones but its not as easy anymore.

The plus side is that so many junk yards and garbage dumps have been cleaned up as a result of the high prices. I made a couple thousand dollars after I bought my current house when I cleaned up the old dump they had there. It was something I intended to do anyway so getting "paid" to do it was just a bonus

 

[2458n]

The phone is your best friend call someone else who does this in your area. Know the weight of your vehicle and if possible run the load across your local gravel pit scales or friendly grain elevator. Batteries,radiators,and other items are worth sorting out. One local large scrap dealer's scale was off 400 lbs. The county said they would be glad to use my truck to investigate but they wanted it for a week. A good way to make some quick dishonest money. No fine the guy just had to have his scale corrected.

 

[LD1]

Definitely call around though as the prices vary a lot and even the place that pays the most for sheet iron may not be the best place for aluminum or even copper so if you have any amount it does add up and is easily justified to run to different scrap yards.

This is very true.

In my area, I have about 3 local places about 25min drive.

And I can be in mansfield OR columbus in ~50min

The mansfield place is only paying $220/ton for steel. But have the highest non-ferrous prices. Like AL for .70/lb, copper @3.30/lb

The columbus yard pays the best for steel @$280/ton. But are at ~.50 for AL and 2.90 for copper.

And my locals are about right in the middle on everything. So it just depends on what I have and how much before I decide where to go.

If I have a bunch of non-ferrous, it is worth the drie to mansfield.
If I have a bunch of steel, it is worth the drive to columbus.
If I dont have too much of either and just need to clean out the garage, the locals get my business.

 

[Taylortractornut]

IM hoarding it all thats right lol. I saw a scrapper with a flat tire the other dy when it was over I bought most of his trailer lol. Im getting calls every day on folks wanting to buy my newly aquired 205 MF combine. Im saving it for parts. A combine is like having Surplus Center next door with a chicken snake in it lol.

I have no problem with scrapping metal but it kills me to see an implement go. I carried a load of tin buckets from work into SMC and a man drove a 535 Ford TLB to the pile and they sheared it. Said 4th gear was jumping out. nice looking hoe. Saw and 8430 Articulated JD sitting inthere to. neigbor took off 3 nice 2 bottom breaking plows I didnt know he had. Got 250 4 all of them wouldnt sell them to anyone. Went to an auction in Moulton AL and not one 2 bottom breaker went for under 350.

Saw a guy bring in a pile of running gear for wagons and not one for sale. 2 had hoists.

 

[randy41]

i got an old combine covered with kudzu that i would like to get rid of. its the kind thats pulled by a tractor. been here since i've been here for 22 years. i guess i will have to take it apart to get it to the scrap place.

 

[Taylortractornut]

Depends on the combine, If the model is right it will bring a mint. Theres a few companies rebuilding old pull types from small farms. Real popular ones are AC Allcrops.

 

[hosspuller]

Question ...Why the high scrap prices ?? What is driving the price up. With a down economy, wouldn't material prices fall ?