First trip experience (can't complain)

Finally made my first trip to the scrap yard today. I only brought a bucket with #2 copper wire to feel the place out, look around a little at their setup. (Thought it was #1, found out because it's stranded it's 2. Bummer.) Still got a huge shred pile and other non ferr I need to bring at a later date.

Anyway, it was a cool experience, nice dudes there. However, I felt like I might have been shorted on my weight. Lesson learned on my part, should have weighed before I went in. I've seen a few bad experiences with scale tampering on this forum.

Overall, cash in my hand for recycling free material. Got to gas up and grab some lunch for the fam. Good deal. I'm hooked.

How much weight did they say it was? How much do you think it was? Did they take off for the weight of the bucket? I have had places that I have felt were screwing me over with "tare" weight so I just started dumping my buckets on the scale. After that they weighed my empty bucket and wrote how much it weighed on the container. And you did good getting your feet wet, I learn something new almost every time I go to a scrap yard. Lots to learn and observe while you are there!

Hey thank you hobo finds. I had 32 lbs #2 at $1.57 per lb. they had me dump what I had into their own tote bin, I'm guessing so they could do a quick sort by hand...but yeah now that you mention it, looks like they shaved off three pounds for their own tote. (ticket said "Tare 3".)

What bothered me was what I THOUGHT I had coming. I've been a gym rat for a long time. I have a very good feel for gauging weight, always moving plates around and what not. I could SWEAR it was at LEAST 45-50 pounds. But, again, my fault for not weighing beforehand...or even speaking up for that matter. I just didn't want to start off with these guys on the wrong foot especially if I'm going to be rolling through more often you know what I mean?

Off to finding a cheap scale.

When I worked at a non ferrous scrap yard, many customers would get on the scale, if you know your weight it is an easy way to check their scale.

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Originally Posted by scrapman1077

When I worked at a non ferrous scrap yard, many customers would get on the scale, if you know your weight it is an easy way to check their scale.

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I got told off for doing that once, before I clicked to how it could be used...
But now I have them zero the scales first, which the yard guys do normally anyway, at the place that I go to NOW.
Which is why I go there.
Its a 'Big Name' yard, there's no point in trying to scam anybody, it all comes out in the paperwork.

If I have my metal in a bucket, I, or them, chuck a plastic fishcrate on the scales & they zero it, and I dump my Copper into the crate to get a reading.

At the yard I go to, it depends on if there is a line behind me or not as to whether they will weigh the containers I brought my metals in. I took a load just last Friday and there were three people in line behind me waiting to get their stuff weighed. So, the attendant just weighed my stuff, dumped it off in the massive sorting bins, gave me my boxes back and then moved on. So I ended up getting paid for the weight of my boxes too. But this only happens when there are multiple people in line behind me.

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Originally Posted by hobo finds

Did they take off for the weight of the bucket? I have had places that I have felt were screwing me over with "tare" weight

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i started writing the weights on tje buckets. Guy at the small scale has a black marker beside the phone......all my pails and big rubber maid trash cans have the weight on them now. I feel your pain

Yup, It's the Tare ( weight of the container) If they don't know it sometimes they just guess what my containers weigh .
All of the yards containers have the tare spray painted on them. I am thinking I may mark mine up too and take the guesswork out of it.
When I cash in I have a tendency to figure low so that when I get my totals I am always pleased that I got more than I thought I would .
Is that crazy ? Maybe so