Possible job, need some opinions and advice please :)

So, my brother works for a lawn equipment place. He said they have mucho scrap sitting around and the guy that used to buy the scrap (he had a scale in his truck) hasn't come around any more. I don't know how much a lb. he paid for it but he paid straight steel price for it all (riding mowers, decks, etc.)

Anyways, he talked to his boss about my doing it for them now. However, with not having a scale in my truck, the guy would have to trust that I'd give him the money after I broke it all down and got the weights to give him his percentage. I figure if I loaded a couple mowers on my trailer at a time and filled my truck with *only* steel items I could turn and burn a day at a time and return with his percentage and a copy of the ticket weights. I could move a couple loads a day this way for him and this also lets him get to know me and see that I am trustworthy.

Where the problem comes in is trying to guess aluminum deck weights. I'd have to take my laptop with me and look them up if possible and give a guesstimated price for them if I didn't get them broke down that day - some of those just take some time you know? He'd have to trust my giving him steel weight price for them once I get them broke down and weights on what I turn in. I DO know of a scale at a place in between us that sells gravel and mulch but I do not know if they would let someone come in off the street loaded with mowers and weigh me. I'd also have to get an empty weight first. Do those places do that for people does anyone know?

Now, my brother told me that the first load is going to be 80/20 in HIS (owners) favor because there are 1 or 2 loads he already paid his mechanics to break down and wants the stuff gone and the money for it. After that is removed it would be 80/20 in MY favor at steel price for everything else he is willing to part with.

I haven't gone yet to see how much he has or wants gone, I am going on Thursday to talk to him. He wants someone he can rely on. I am a little mmmm.....suspicious about that first load in his favor thing though, I would basically only be making my gas money back pretty much and maybe even lose a bit after taxes are figured in.


My questions:

1) Would the 80/20 HIS favor 1st run thing turn YOU off from this job? Would it depend on supply of future loads? Do you feel that is fair of him to ask or would you look at it as a ...''test'' of workmanship/reliabilty and overlook the off putting feeling it gives you at first?

2) Do gravel/mulch places offer weight options for someone like this? Has anyone ever done that before? Even if they charged me to weigh (no clue lol) it would still be worth it I think in the long run if supply is guaranteed and plentiful.

The 80/20 split on the first load would be rough, but if it got you in the door..... As far as after that, if he doesn't want to get paid off the scale ticket I would walk away. I buy by rated tonnage or by eyeballing the load to be picked up. The only thing I use a scale for are refrigerants.

I do know that gravel pits and grain elevators has certified scales. Around here the guys that race circle track stop at the local elevator to weigh their truck/trailer.

jw, that is my concern as well. However, even if this is just going to be a huge summer job to get rid of what is already there I figure it would be guaranteed income for as long as it takes and then I'd get anything else he ever has. I could work there until its time to do my regular scrap routes. His shop is actually less than 10 miles from home so its not that far out of the way if it were ever only just one riding mower and I could also incorporate it into my route, its already on my Monday route actually. My brother said there is a full barn but like I said, I haven't seen it yet. I could have him call me when there is a full truck/trailer load to make it less time and space wasteful.

Originally Posted by wadarbr549

i have a great set of scales i got for 25 dollars on ebay...they are the size of a set of bathroom scales..they weigh up to 345 pounds...they are great...i use them for large ebay packages..when i started buying escrap items from locals i found the scales needed to be bigger... i just cut a good size square platform from a piece of plywood and i set it on top of them...they are very accurate..ive never had them more than an ounce off, and an ounce is no big deal when dealing with steel and aluminum....

you may want to browse ebay and see about high capacity portable scales...just make sure the model you get has a detachable screen..if it doesnt it is sometimes hard to read your scales when you have large or bulky items on them

Wow, this sounds like a great deal and easy too! Thanks!

The scrap yard that came to my house had a battery-operated scale in the truck bed. Looked a lot like my electric scales in the house. He said it cost a little over $100.

I would have to agree with 1956... 110%.

No way I would ever do an 80-20 split.

Originally Posted by 1956

Ha Mick I just wanted to add that in Florida I don't know about where you are but legally the scale a dealer buys from has to
be Legal for Trade certified not like a bath room scale.

That's the way it's supposed to be here, too. It's just that we do things a little differently here in Maine. Lots of business is done on a handshake.

Besides, it was HIS scale.

I don’t know newattitude ???
Two things about this brought up RED flags for me.

80/20 in his favor for the start sounds like he’s looking to profit at your expense.

the guy that used to buy the scrap (he had a scale in his truck) hasn't come around any more.
Did the guy die or wasn’t making any money because of being lowballed by the boss???

they actually buy them as steel