Ordering materials by volume

[Gary Fowler]

The cost figure was based on not only his cost per ton, but there was also a delivery charge added. My internet info said that the slate weight 4509 lbs per cu yard. His charge was more per yard based on the weight and then he charged a delivery charge per mile which in my case made it come to about $400 per load (10 yard truck). I think I put per yard in the previous mail. Should have said per load. SO it amounted to about 4 times the cost buying it by weight vs by volume. Message is the same, buy by volume. You dont need scales to see how much you get.

 

[mapmaker]

When looking up weights of materiels be aware that the form of the materiel can change the weight. The above example of slate, my reference book has for a cubic yard of slate 4536 lbs for solid slate, 2808 lbs for broken and 2295 lbs for pulverised. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[flusher]

Perhaps someone can explain this to me, since it has happened many, many times, and I cannot figure out why. I sometimes need to order various materials such as sand, screenings, mulch, wood chips, 2a stone, etc. Some of these things are often sold by volume where as others are sold by weight. My issue is with things that are sold by weight. For instances:

I have a 100' x 1' trench that I need to put 6" of screenings in, so about 2 cubic yards. I call the place and I ask, "what is the volume of one ton of screenings?" The answer isn't, "Oh, one ton's about .85 cubic yards." The answer is, "Uh, um, I don't know..."

I have a 10' x 10' pad that I'm building for a gazebo, and I need to put down 1" of sand below the pavers, or 8-9 cubic feet. But again, sand is sold by weight. As a consumer, I know the volume. I don't care what it weighs.

I understand why the places that sell it care about the weight, but for the consumer interface, things should be converted to the units the consumer would use.

Yes, I can look up tons/yard^3 for materials and get the answers myself, but just going to the Internet for this yields 20 different answers.

This is more of just a rant, but again, not in how things are sold, but more that when I ask, "What is the volume of one ton of screenings," the response I get gives me the impression that I'm the first person to have ever asked the question.

Take your bathroom scale and a 1 gal bucket with you to the materials place and determine the density yourself. No guesswork. Problem solved.

 

[Duffster]

When looking up weights of materiels be aware that the form of the materiel can change the weight. The above example of slate, my reference book has for a cubic yard of slate 4536 lbs for solid slate, 2808 lbs for broken and 2295 lbs for pulverised. Just something to keep in mind.

Exactly.

 

[RayCo]

Take your bathroom scale and a 1 gal bucket with you to the materials place and determine the density yourself. No guesswork. Problem solved.

Aside from the inability to do this via the phone or Internet, it's a great idea. I think that I'll have to make a special trip somewhere and just determine the density of everything I might sometime buy and just keep my own reference. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Defective]

So, what happens if you call the supplier and say "I need 4 yards of crusher run" (or whatever amount of whatever material...)?

When I do this and they want to sell by weight, I generally get told what the material will weigh and what it'll cost.

If some idiot at the other end of the phone line can't work this out, I buy elsewhere.

 

[pat32rf]

I buy crushed from a redimix plant. The owner/loader operator knows exactly what a yd of 3/4 crushed weighs, and when his 3yd bucket is filled to the proper level for 3yds.
When I tow the trailer home and come to the big hill I'm sure that he gave me more tonnage than he claimed, but when I spread it on the driveway I'm just as sure that he was under on the volume.....
At $20/yd its still cheaper to buy and haul it 2 miles myself than add trucking fees.

 

[tractorshopper]

I had 4 yds of compost delivered this spring, the pile seemed a lot smaller than the 4 yds of mulch I just got this week.
also notice when you get mulch, they will "fluff" it first, then load you.

Ah yes, the fluffing trick. Always makes me laugh. The genious where I buy my mulch each year has a special 1 yd bucket on his skid steer. He always spends good time fluffing the pile, undoubtedly thinking he's getting one over on you, but then heaps the bucket to the max. Always tells me he's mixing it for me for consistency of color and texture.:laughing: He does a lot of business, so I guess he makes up for it on volume...