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What to Avoid When Scrapping Metal

5/16/2017

13 Comments

 
Claw Separating Scrap Metal
What to Avoid When Scrapping Metal
​
Scrap prices are one of the few things that have a relatively unpredictable course. Making sure you receive the most out of every time you scrap metal in the Boston area is important. Sometimes, it’s possible to make a few mistakes when scrapping iron and steel. Below are a few precautions you can take to ensure you are getting the best deal possible.   

Separate Your Materials Before You Head to The Scrap Yard
 
A lot of scrap yards do not allow people to separate at the door. This will make the yard lose a little bit of money and possibly tie up the labor of the workers. Make sure your materials are separated before you go to the scrap yard to ensure you get the most out of your trip. By not separating your scrap, it’s possible that all of your metal scrap will be classified as the least possible valuable denomination. For example if you have a bunch of bright wire and then just a small amount of copper wire or tubing it’s possible you’ll just be paid out for the copper!
 
Properly Prepare Your Scrap Materials
 
By doing things such as stripping your copper wire prior to bringing it in, you can make a little bit more money than if it was not stripped. Usually yards will not pay as much for copper that is already not stripped because stripping the copper adds another level of labor to the equation. By buying a simple wire stripper, it will pay for itself most likely after the first load you turn in as you can get paid double or even triple the price!
 
Avoid Scrap Yards with A Bad Reputation
 
Much like choosing what’s good to scrap, there can be bad scrap yards out there as well. Make sure to do some research on-line by reading customer reviews and visiting their website to see if anyone has had negative experiences in the past. You may find some scrap yards that will take you for a ride and not care about bringing you back as a repeat customer. If you scrap quite a bit, it’s important to form a solid relationship with a scrap yards that is transparent with pricing and openly communicates with you regarding their practices.   
 
Know What You Are Going to Be Paid
 
Right before bringing your iron, steel, or copper to a reputable scrap yard, call ahead or do some research online to check prices. Call around and compare different yards to see who offers the best price for whatever you plan to scrap. Also, remember sometimes price shouldn’t be the only deciding factor! A scrap yard with great customer service, and great environmental practices may help build a lasting relationship to help you get the best bang for your buck when scrapping metals in the Boston area! 



13 Comments
Tiffany Locke link
1/30/2018 07:03:49 pm

Your advice to separate the materials before heading to the scrap yard in order to make sure it's correctly classified for the value it's worth is a good idea. In order to do this, you'd probably want to make sure you research the different types of metal and properly classify the kind you have. If you are having difficulty with identifying any of the materials, it would probably be a good idea to visit the yard so that you can talk to them about the piece of scrap metal you have and ensure you know what it is.

Reply
Hannah Neilson link
11/14/2018 03:30:14 pm

Thanks for explaining how you want to properly prepare scrap metal before choosing who to go to. It would make sense to have all of your materials ready in order to know it will be right for you. My husband and I are looking for a metal recycler after a recent home remodel, so we'll have to prepare our metal right.

Reply
Camille Devaux link
5/10/2019 01:36:21 pm

I was thinking about getting a scrap metal pick up service. It might be useful to know that avoiding services with bad reputations is important. My sister might like knowing this as she looks for a place that will want her back as a repeat customer.

Reply
Johnny McCarron link
6/27/2019 08:03:21 pm

Good to know to make sure my materials are separated before I go to the scrap yard. I've got a bit of spare copper wire that I don't have any use for. I think I'll look for a scrap yard to recycle it.

Reply
Ron Booker link
10/2/2019 02:27:42 pm

I like that you said that stripping your copper can help you make more money out of it. I have a friend that has a garage full of scrap metal. I'm going to suggest to him taking it to scrap metal to get some cash out of it.

Reply
Vivian Black link
10/2/2019 06:01:04 pm

It's awesome that this article talked about making sure you separate the metals before you actually go to the scrapyard since most do not allow people to separate at the door. I have a lot of scrap metal left over after my son's Eagle Scout project and we were looking to get rid of it. These tips will help me better prepare for when I take my scrap metal to a professional.

Reply
Randy Chorvack link
11/6/2019 07:47:49 am

I didn't even think about how there could be bad scrap yards that you don't want to get your metal from! I think it's best to do a lot of research before you choose where you want to sell your metal. Then you won't have to worry about prices.

Reply
Jesse Ford link
2/11/2020 12:19:19 pm

Thanks for mentioning to ensure that you separate the metals before going to the scrapyard to get the most out of your trip. I'm considering finding a location that does copper recycling next month because my son is contemplating going around to different houses to see if they have any scrap metal to collect so that he can make some extra money. I think it's a good investment for us to separate the metals before we go to the scrapyard if my son decides to want to make some extra money by recycling copper.

Reply
Structural Steel Fabricators Auckland link
5/8/2020 11:57:51 am

Buying Pieces That Are Badly Rusted can be a great drawback, also stay away rrelying on Pieces That Are Non-Standard Sizes and also overlooking Transportation Costs. Thanks for your tips! One must check this otahuhuengineering.co.nz it gives us more info on this topic.

Reply
Franklin White link
7/2/2020 10:44:21 am

Thanks for the tip to strip copper wire before you sell it as scrap metal. That way you can make more money from it. I have a lot of leftover metal things my garage eos I'll go through them and prepare them to be sold.

Reply
Jenny link
7/7/2020 03:33:04 am

Hello,
I appreciate your effort in writing such a detailed content. Your post covers each and every aspect or essential topics require for it. Love to read it. There are many ways to get rid of old cars. Your content is amazing. Please share more stuff regarding scrap car removal with us.
Thanks for the share

Reply
Bob link
12/10/2020 06:07:09 pm

I like what you said about stripping copper. Is the same process used for steel? I need steel beams for the house.

Reply
Shaylee Packer link
12/11/2020 06:21:03 am

I never thought about how it would be a good idea to separate the scrap metals before you get to the salvage yard. My father is tearing down a barn in the backyard and will have a lot of scrap metal from the project. I will have to let him know that most of that metal could be recycled for cash.

Reply



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