How Does the Scrap Iron Trade Work?

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   Once again I risk showing how little I know.

I've got a stack of broken, bent, busted and otherwise unusable cast iron and steel pieces from equipment I once repaired or discarded.  I keep anything that I think I or some other old iron unt might use but this stack is the left overs.  It may be time to haul this stuff to a scrapper but I don't know how that business works.  What are the most common grades and should I sort my stuff some way?  Do these businesses pay by the pound, the 2,000 lb ton, long ton or what?  How do I find out what the current market prices are? Any other advice?

Thanks

Dick 

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oldironguy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Silver Level Joined: 01 Oct 2010 Location: Shoreview, Minn Points: 370	Post Options Post Reply Quote oldironguy Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: How Does the Scrap Iron Trade Work? Posted: 03 May 2012 at 9:49pm
	Once again I risk showing how little I know. I've got a stack of broken, bent, busted and otherwise unusable cast iron and steel pieces from equipment I once repaired or discarded. I keep anything that I think I or some other old iron unt might use but this stack is the left overs. It may be time to haul this stuff to a scrapper but I don't know how that business works. What are the most common grades and should I sort my stuff some way? Do these businesses pay by the pound, the 2,000 lb ton, long ton or what? How do I find out what the current market prices are? Any other advice? Thanks Dick

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wdforty5 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Silver Level Joined: 08 Sep 2011 Location: Illinois Points: 163	Post Options Post Reply Quote wdforty5 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 May 2012 at 9:55pm
	Take it to a local metal recycling facility. Around here they are paying 200-250 bucks a ton for scrap Iron. They will also take aluminum,brass,copper,lead,platinum...alll at varying prices per pound. I took 4 trailer loads of scrap off the farm last summer and paid for our familys vacation! Scrap prices are way up...just save the orange pieces though!
	"Old Iron...built to last"

MNLonnie Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 11 Sep 2009 Location: Baxter MN Points: 4791	Post Options Post Reply Quote MNLonnie Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 May 2012 at 10:00pm
	Some places it depends on the size of the pieces. Prepared steel needs to be less than 36" by 18" I believe and that will bring the higher price per ton. Locally here they do their own shredding now so the difference is only about $40 a ton where it used to be half the price for unprepared.
	Waukesha B, B, IB, G, styled WF, D15, 615 backhoe, 2-Oliver OC3's, 4 Ford Model T's, 3 Model A Fords, AV8 Coupe, AV8 Roadster, 1933 Ford Wrecker

Pat the Plumber CIL Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 11 Sep 2009 Location: Springfield,Il Points: 4871	Post Options Post Reply Quote Pat the Plumber CIL Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 May 2012 at 10:11pm
	Most places around here will heap all the metal ( Tin,Cast Iron, Galv. Iron, Steel) together. I see lawn mowers with the wheels still on in the scrap piles. These places accept the metal with plastic and rubber as long as you dont get carried away.They only offer one price to general public. If you know someone you may be able to get premium price for sorted metal I seperate copper , lead , and aluminum and they give different prices for each. Clean copper ( no solder joints or paint) is bringing good money, Mixed brass (whats left after I cut up all the clean copper)is bringing good money also 3.50 /Lb. I believe Edited by Pat the Plumber CIL - 03 May 2012 at 10:12pm
	You only need to know 3 things to be a plumber;Crap rolls down hill,Hot is on the left and Don't bite your fingernails 1964 D-17 SIV 3 Pt.WF,1964 D-15 Ser II 3pt.WF ,1960 D-17 SI NF,1956 WD 45 WF.

Chalmersbob Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 11 Sep 2009 Location: Pennsylvania Points: 2122	Post Options Post Reply Quote Chalmersbob Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 May 2012 at 10:37pm
	They usually pay a different price for cast iron then for steel, sheet metal. Sort yellow brass, red brass, copper and alumnium also clean copper and clean alumnium is worth more. (wire with insulation as opposed to no insulation). I took 3 old kitchen facuets in a couple of weeks ago and got $40.00 for them. Bob Edited by Chalmersbob - 03 May 2012 at 10:39pm

SHAMELESS Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 13 Sep 2009 Location: EAST NE Points: 29486	Post Options Post Reply Quote SHAMELESS Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04 May 2012 at 12:03am
	i' ve been saving scrap for about 20 years...(gonna be some retirement money) i have scapers stop every day wanting to take mine away for me...free of charge so they can help me clean up! pffft! i chase them away! my brothers fould out the hard way, when cleaning up my dad's place after he died, they gave away everything that was there to a scaper, so they wouldn't hafta mess with it! cept they sent some of my equipment away too that i had on the place! they had to pay me replacement cost (new price) for my machinery! at first they said they weren't gonna pay me anything....but the judge said they would! 22 thousand $$ later...that was some high priced what they thought was scrap! i was able to save some antique machinery before the scaper came!

427435 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 18 Nov 2010 Location: SE Minnesota Points: 18637	Post Options Post Reply Quote 427435 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04 May 2012 at 12:41am
	Keep an eye on it. It could disappear some day when you are gone. I had scrappers stealing stuff out of our re-cycle tub even after we chained a thousand lb plate of steel over it. The plate was too heavy for them to carry off, but they cut the chain with a torch and levered the plate off. The cops caught them one night and I installed a security camera when a 2nd loss occurred. Make sure your neighbors know when you going to be gone a day or two.
	Mark B10 Allis, 917 Allis, 7116 Simplicity, 7790 Simplicity Diesel, GTH-L Simplicity Ignorance is curable-----stupidity is not.

B26240 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 21 Nov 2009 Location: mn Points: 3860	Post Options Post Reply Quote B26240 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04 May 2012 at 7:11am
	Oldiron-- call your local yard and ask for prices and also to explain unprepaired from prepaired iron. as said befor cast is in another category. I was told by my local yard that engin blocks had to have bearings and any steel bolts removed in order to get best price.

dustinmo Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Access Joined: 12 Sep 2009 Location: Auxvasse, MO Points: 2187	Post Options Post Reply Quote dustinmo Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04 May 2012 at 7:35am
	my own opinion, buy or just go down back and get a van and or truck and fill every orifice full as you can get and take it in as shred, no sorting or trying to figure out what is what or if it is clean and or the right size, save copper, brass, and lead car batteries and cat converters but everything else chuck in the vehicles

wkpoor Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 25 Apr 2010 Location: Amanda, OH Points: 825	Post Options Post Reply Quote wkpoor Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04 May 2012 at 7:46am
	How they pay varies by as many people are in the business. Beware though there are places set up in convenient areas that will take your scrap but pay 1/2 the going rate.

Fred in Pa Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 13 Sep 2009 Location: Hanover Pa. Points: 9210	Post Options Post Reply Quote Fred in Pa Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04 May 2012 at 10:30am
	Alot of the slow moving big item's ,you are better off selling for scrap.Then to waste your time selling a $30.oo item and taking 10,000 phone calls and 10 times less then srap price. Last week I just sent 2 U rearends and tran's to scrap ,because I made money on the opther parts ,and I am done loking at something siiting out back taking up space . Edited by Fred in Pa - 04 May 2012 at 10:31am

Protrucker Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 25 Apr 2011 Location: Broome Cnty,NY Points: 718	Post Options Post Reply Quote Protrucker Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04 May 2012 at 11:15am
	Around here they pay per ton, but it isn't per 2,000 lbs. They call it a net ton & it's less than 2,000. I still don't know exactly how many lbs they call a net ton.
	"ALLIS EXPRESS" Allis Chalmers 1944 B, 1949 B, D14, WC

Brian Jasper co. Ia Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Joined: 11 Sep 2009 Location: Prairie City Ia Points: 10508	Post Options Post Reply Quote Brian Jasper co. Ia Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04 May 2012 at 4:06pm
	It used to be around here that you could get paid by the load no matter what was there as long as there were no fuel tanks or cylinders with any sort of gas in them. You made alot more money if you took the time to sort out aluminum from steel, etc.
	"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford

TMiller/NC Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Orange Level Access Joined: 11 Sep 2009 Location: Lenoir, NC Points: 1776	Post Options Post Reply Quote TMiller/NC Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04 May 2012 at 6:30pm
	How does the scrap iron trade work???? Uninvited persons come during the night and remove my property and sell for scrap... That's how it worked here a couple of weeks ago.... Tim