Results 1 to 10 of 10
  1. #1
    recyclersteve started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Apr 2018
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    268
    Thanks
    212
    Thanked 179 Times in 97 Posts

    Current Pricing for Electrical Ballasts

    What is everyone getting for electrical ballasts sold without breaking them open? I am not referring to the old ones with PCB's (potentially cancerous) inside. Also, is anyone getting anything for the newer electronic ballasts which feel quite a bit lighter than the electrical ballasts. Do the new electronic ones have any copper inside?

    FYI- I went to a local scrap yard (location not being disclosed for privacy reasons) on 6/15/18 and asked about ballasts. They said they are only paying THREE CENTS A POUND, less even than the five cents a pound they pay for steel. This felt to me like their way of saying "We just don't want to buy them" rather than a fair price to pay. Your thoughts?


  2. The Following User Says Thank You to recyclersteve for This Post:



  3. #2
    greytruck's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor



    Member since
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Thornton, Illinois
    Posts
    1,873
    Thanks
    1,638
    Thanked 1,733 Times in 893 Posts
    I can get .07 / lb at both of the yards i use. But since steel price went above .07, i just leave them on the shop lights and into the shred pile they go.

    The newer light weight ballasts do have copper inside, but its like 3 small copper coils and a junk brown board in there. To much effort for pennies to disassemble them.
    Last edited by greytruck; 06-17-2018 at 12:53 PM. Reason: grammer

  4. The Following User Says Thank You to greytruck for This Post:


  5. #3
    CJBlackburn's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Fulton, MS
    Posts
    34
    Thanks
    53
    Thanked 42 Times in 18 Posts
    I'm currently paying .10/lb. for unopened ballasts. I'd say your right about the yard paying. 03. They likely don't have a buyer for them and are slipping small amounts into shred (some contain oils that are frowned upon). The low price is to discourage anyone from bringing them in.

    Or they're doing some serious shafting, lol.

    ***Not trying to advertise, if it seems so I will remove the post or a mod may relocate it. Just trying to be informative. Seems prices in the Southeast US are currently higher than elsewhere. Been seeing a trend in this for about 4 years now.
    Last edited by CJBlackburn; 06-17-2018 at 10:21 AM.
    My mother always said "Ask your father." My father always said "If it doesn't work, hit it with a hammer. If that doesn't work, hit it again."

  6. #4
    jimicrk's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    2,825
    Thanks
    2,917
    Thanked 4,838 Times in 1,877 Posts
    They're going for .09/lb at the yard I go to.

  7. #5
    redcrossnj's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Oct 2011
    Location
    central jersey
    Posts
    465
    Thanks
    28
    Thanked 243 Times in 143 Posts
    I was able to sell them as motors . but be advised though of what you are breaking open. They DID and DO contain nasty stuff

  8. #6
    SMF Badges of Honor

    Member since
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Houston
    Posts
    28
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 10 Times in 6 Posts
    $0.10/# on 6-16-18

  9. #7
    ScrapmanIndustries's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Easton, Pa
    Posts
    361
    Thanks
    99
    Thanked 303 Times in 132 Posts
    they say the pcb's are dangerous and that we can't buy them in the metals room when they have pcb's. but yet we take them in the steel pile and have guys sit downstream and breath in all that crap after it just got broken up in the mill. I think we are at 6 cents a pound.

  10. #8
    hobo finds's Avatar
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Nov 2010
    Location
    tucson, az
    Posts
    4,746
    Thanks
    6,035
    Thanked 5,906 Times in 2,555 Posts
    $.02 a pound for them so the guy said put them in with the sheet iron for a better price, I was using my bonus punch pricing of +$.10 a pound on all items that trip so I should have got $.12 for them but did not.
    Better than the dump!

  11. #9
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Tucson AZ
    Posts
    361
    Thanks
    306
    Thanked 579 Times in 231 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by hobo finds View Post
    $.02 a pound for them so the guy said put them in with the sheet iron for a better price, I was using my bonus punch pricing of +$.10 a pound on all items that trip so I should have got $.12 for them but did not.
    Good to know. I was about to take in a bunch of ballasts and use my punch card.

  12. #10
    recyclersteve started this thread.
    SMF Badges of Honor


    Member since
    Apr 2018
    Location
    United States
    Posts
    268
    Thanks
    212
    Thanked 179 Times in 97 Posts
    Thanks for the replies. I was hoping to get somewhere in the neighborhood of 15-25 cents a pound, but I guess that is a pipe dream for now.


  13. Similar threads on the Scrap Metal Forum

    1. Making it during current pricing???
      By carolinajunkman in forum A Day in the Life of a Scrapper
      Replies: 6
      Last Post: 09-28-2015, 07:51 AM
    2. fluorescent ballasts
      By endmill in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 8
      Last Post: 03-01-2014, 08:29 PM
    3. Light ballasts and capicators
      By scrapping4ever in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 3
      Last Post: 06-07-2013, 11:49 AM
    4. National - We are an established buyer of e-scrap in the Midwest- Check out our Current Pricing
      By MidwestCircuitBuyer in forum Scrap Buyers & Sellers
      Replies: 13
      Last Post: 01-30-2013, 11:30 PM
    5. Ballasts from flourescent light fixtures?
      By Ditchdigger in forum Scrap Metal Questions and Answers
      Replies: 5
      Last Post: 12-05-2010, 09:11 PM

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

 
Browse the Most Recent Threads
On SMF In THIS CATEGORY.





OR

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

The Scrap Metal Forum

    The Scrap Metal Forum is the #1 scrap metal recycling community in the world. Here we talk about the scrap metal business, making money, where we connect with other scrappers, scrap yards and more.

SMF on Facebook and Twitter

Twitter Facebook