Whats scrap iron worth?

[MrFrosty]

Hi, I regularly fit new bathrooms, and am regulary removing/replacing baths which are mainly cast iron, weigh a ton and 9 times out of 10 have to be smashed up to get outside. Up until now all the baths have been binned (minus taps, and any copper/lead attached which is removed and scrapped). However in the last few months 3 different pikies have knocked on the door where i'm working and have asked if they can take the old bath. So i'm beginning to think they may be worth something. Does anyone have any idea how much scrap iron is worth to the ton? We take out about 3 baths a month. Be great if you could give me an idea. Would be a bonus if its is worth something due to the work it takes to get them down some stairs!

Cheers
Ben

 

[Bahco]

Is it now £140 per ton?

 

[namsag]

Be careful though the ***** bassa`s will pay you with dodgey money. Been knocking doors and offering silly money to us for copper far too much to be genuine

 

[MrFrosty]

I hate to say it but my boss has been giving the baths to the pikies saying they're worthless and how glad he is that we're not having to pay to get rid of them! Thats why i thought i'd come on here and find out as he gave one away today and i've got another to take out tomorrow that he's given the same matey the house address and told him to come pick it up! Will have to stop it and find somewhere to start storing them myself now i think.

 

[OvertonPlumber]

scrap metal isnt worth that much however by virtue of the fact it weighs a lot ie old cast iron boiler blocks if you get enough of it it makes money.
The scrap metals merchants we use for our yearly copper exchange also provide us with a metal skip 10 yarder free of charge. we fill that every 2-3 mths with rads old boilers baths etc and everyone else seems to put metal in it as well its in a communal yard environment. anything that isnt going in general rubbish skip is goodnews now that they cost like £200 including the vat.

Current gate prices
( these are far higher than what you will get taking small quantaties in.)
http://www.letsrecycle.com/prices/metalsPrices.jsp

 

[andytheplumber]

Im supprised they knocked on your door. They just take mine

 

[namsag]

There was 4 of us working in a house ,long driveway all doors windows open and in and out to vans and the thieving gits still managed to swipe it.
But cops in our area are stopping and searching them now which is probably why the ones yesterday had a box van with some sign writing on the side to throw them off the scent

 

[ChrisR]

How much does a standard 36/18 copper cylinder get now?

 

[tonybhoy]

How much does a standard 36/18 copper cylinder get now?

Depends on the grade but around £40 for a grade 3 to about £80 for a grade one.

I have a guy who comes to my jobs and takes all of my cast iron ,usually boilers old Ideal E types to be precise which weigh about two hundredweight and any old steel rads that I take out,for nothing and sometimes your are talking carrying the old boiler for quite a distance.

So I give him everything except the non-ferrous stuff but on the odd occasion I give him a cylinder too because he is very very reliable and I need to get rid of the cast etc.

He can't be making much out of the deal once you take into account his time (there's usually him and a mate) and fuel.

 

[75pete]

The lagging on the cylinder, do you have to remove it before you sell it?

 

[namsag]

No need to remove lagging £35 + for cylinder like that.
Got same thing as you tonyboy guy picks up all our rubbish boilers rads cardboard rubble etc etc for nothing either give him a bag of copper or the cylinder just depends

 

[htgeng]

its risky game to get involved with pikies, if they know where you live and you are a plumber. They will nick stuff from you without batting an eyelid and have a ready excuse if they get caught taking stuff away such as "oh a mate said it was ok to take it!"

Around here they are siphoning off oil from outside tanks! I have already had one oil - electric conversion job as a result of this.

Its wise to always play dumb and not to have a sign written van

 

[tonybhoy]

The lagging on the cylinder, do you have to remove it before you sell it?

Scrapman takes 2 kilo of the weight of the cylinder.

I find you are better off taking the stuff in dribs and drabs rather than a van full,you usually get more for small amounts IMO.

I used to give all of my stuff away cause it wasn't worth the bother or so I thought till I was a bit short one day.

Couldn't believe what the guy handed me for a small amount of scrap.

Needless to say I became quite obsessive

 

[tonybhoy]

No need to remove lagging £35 + for cylinder like that.
Got same thing as you tonyboy guy picks up all our rubbish boilers rads cardboard rubble etc etc for nothing either give him a bag of copper or the cylinder just depends

Guy I use is brilliant.He phones me every week to see if there's anything doing and whenever I give him a decent turn he turns up the next day with a bottle of malt

I don't even drink the stuff but I don;t have the heart to tell him

 

[namsag]

Got better than that just a text by about half 3 on the day and its picked up that day customers love it as he also clears gardens etc for reasonable price and as he has a yard nothing is fly tipped.

HTGENG even without the sign written van they still find us ,last week in a little cul de sac that very few people know where it is . Knock on the door and there they are how the F... did they know we asked each other.
Next time a kiddie goes missing they should tell ****** she has a copper bracelet on they would find them in half hour