Thank you to all that posted here. It was a very educational experience for this greenhorn. First I want to emphasize my exaggerated conservative estimate of the profit and loss. It did not include the better than scrap value I plan to get nor the fact I can afford to hang onto it for an extended amount of time. It was the worst case scenario.
If scrap prices were good I would not hesitate to take on another project like this. Strategy would be to cut in the winter with snow on the ground, saves about ten hours of time preventing the chance of fire. Second hauling directly to the scrap yard instead of my place would reduce the fuel costs by half. Third I would expect the farmer to provide the fuel for the skid steer. Lastly I would ask for $ 400 for my time and expense. I know that this type of project could be completed in less than 4 days including hauling the loads. In ideal conditions I would venture to guess it could completed in less than three days by one individual and the right equipment.
This irrigation system was not galvanized. This system was placed in service in the late 1960's and the reason the wall thickness was different than the estimate from the company was the hard water had dissolved some of the pipe over the years. NebraskaG is correct, the method I used destroyed some pipe.
For those that want to tackle a galvanized system, beware of the cyanide gas that is produced when cutting with a torch. I am not an expert but have been told by many that when cyanide enters the lungs it is there for the rest of your life.
The system that replaced this one cost $ 70,000 to install and be operational. I have not seen the aluminum systems but was told such a system would run in the neighborhood of $ 130,000 with all the bells and whistles. I do not know if this is a system for a quarter, half, or full section.
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