selling scrap steel

Taylortractornut · Jul 11, 2011

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 · Jul 13, 2011

Taylortractornut said:
...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 · Jul 13, 2011

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 · Jul 13, 2011

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 · Jul 14, 2011

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 · Jul 14, 2011

Robert_in_NY said:
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 · Jul 15, 2011

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 · Jul 15, 2011

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 · Jul 17, 2011

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.