What would you pay for 3 tons of screws?

Got a call from a business that has at LEAST three tons of "miscut" screws, meaning the slot was not cut deep enough and a screwdriver slips out of them. I am NOT talking about buying them for resale but for scrap.

I made him an offer of 50% of the take, and am wondering if I overbid.

At the $190 a ton I am getting for shred, looks to be about $570 total at the yard, so I'll be paying him half of that, or $285.00. Plus he will probably have more later.

Also, since this is a pure material, I wonder if I may get a better rate for it? Of course I will ask at my yard when I take it in.



Thanks for any input.

Will they make the grade for #2 prepared? (all dimensions greater than 1/8 inch)

I would ask the yard before you get there with it, they may not be to happy with you if you drop 3 tons of screws on the ground.
The yard I used before I moved would have you put smaller things in a fridge or oven that they had set up for smaller stuff. That is a lot of fridges and ovens. lol
Make sure they are ready for it.

If they are deck screws or wood screws they are probably worth more than scrap to a contractor. You can always grind down the tip of a phillips bit and still use them. Might have to pre drill holes for them so the screw would go in with less torque being applied to it.

I agree with John on the transportation could make all the difference. You might get a roll off dropped at the location by your yard and forgo much of the hassel. Mike.

How much space does three tons of screws take up, anyway? 2, 3 gaylords?

I know my yard would tell you to get lost with nothing but screws.


take plenty spare tires with you. I see many flats in the near future.

I know at my yard they would unload the gaylords/barrels with their forklift and store them inside their warehouse after weighing. The loose screws would not go into the yard. They would wait in the warehouse until the next truck was loaded.

Originally Posted by freonjoe

Will they make the grade for #2 prepared? (all dimensions greater than 1/8 inch)

yes they will

Originally Posted by brandon

I would ask the yard before you get there with it, they may not be to happy with you if you drop 3 tons of screws on the ground.
The yard I used before I moved would have you put smaller things in a fridge or oven that they had set up for smaller stuff. That is a lot of fridges and ovens. lol
Make sure they are ready for it.

They are in individual 40 pound boxes.

Originally Posted by jghilino

If they are deck screws or wood screws they are probably worth more than scrap to a contractor. You can always grind down the tip of a phillips bit and still use them. Might have to pre drill holes for them so the screw would go in with less torque being applied to it.

They are not that type of screw. I seriously doubt they are worth reworking.

Originally Posted by JohnC4X4

With me,
the split would depend on help and ease of loading and unloading
Are these loaded in gaylords that they will fork onto your truck or are we talking 3 tons lose screws?

In boxes and palletized, so forklift loading by them and forklift unloading at my yard.