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What should I do ?

Old Doug

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Oct 16, 2013
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I have a pile of AC units if I was to guess once they are taken apart close to $3000.00 but its a long hard time consuming job. I had a guy make me an offer for around $1000.00 . I am trying to clean up a lot of stuff and have other piles of stuff that need to be taken apart so I have plenty to do just don't know how long I should plan on dragging this clean up out. Should I sell to him he will do most of the loading ? Should I keep them and hope I have time someday to spend on them ? I was going to check and see last time what the scrap yard would give a pound for them that maybe the best.
 

CM1995

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Couple of questions -

How long do you think it would take to break down the units in order to get $3k?
Once you break them down what is the cost to get the components to the scrap yard?
If the guy pays you $1000 is he loading them?

It's a time value of money decision Doug.
 

crane operator

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sw missouri
Sell them and move on. Sounds like you have plenty of other things to do.

I know a retired guy that does a little scrapping. He was splitting what he got with a HVAC company for their old units. He said when scrap was down it wasn't really worth his time. So the $1,000 offer probably isn't out of line if you don't have to touch them.
 

Old Doug

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Oct 16, 2013
Messages
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Mo
Couple of questions -

How long do you think it would take to break down the units in order to get $3k?
Once you break them down what is the cost to get the components to the scrap yard?
If the guy pays you $1000 is he loading them?

It's a time value of money decision Doug.
I think I can get them apart in a weeks time. It cost around $40,00 a trip and can be done in half a day but I usually make a day out of it. He would do most of the work but I would help with skid steer on the bigger ones.
Sell them and move on. Sounds like you have plenty of other things to do.

I know a retired guy that does a little scrapping. He was splitting what he got with a HVAC company for their old units. He said when scrap was down it wasn't really worth his time. So the $1,000 offer probably isn't out of line if you don't have to touch them.
I probably will sell . Last night I was thinking about everything I needed to clean up. I will be glade when I get this farm cleaned up . I have hauled one and most weeks two loads out every week for over a year of Dads or my stuff. My biggest thing on my scrap was I want to but don't know when or if would like to quit my mechanic job. The scrap would be some income if I really needed it.
 

CM1995

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Running what I brung and taking what I win
I think I can get them apart in a weeks time. It cost around $40,00 a trip and can be done in half a day but I usually make a day out of it. He would do most of the work but I would help with skid steer on the bigger ones.

I think I would sell it, get the cash and move on Doug.
 

Old Doug

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I have decided some how I am going to sell as is to my guy or someone . I have been trying not to take on a bunch of stuff I sure am not doing any clean ups for people I haven't before . I know this job was going to happen a buddy is moving and has a load of shred for me to haul.
 

Old Doug

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I had a guy call that has sold his house . He has a junk car,a loaded pickup bed trailer and a little bit of other stuff that I had to go get this morning. There is a AC unit in the trailer. Then my cousin called his neighbor is moving he needs some help with some scrap iron . I hoped scrap would slow down but I also think I should think long and hard about the future. I wish I could find someone I could turn some of these jobs over to . I think the money isn't good enough for most so no one wants to do it.
 

Old Doug

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I got along yesterday very good cleaning up the 2 places I needed to so the owners could close on selling them. The only think was I had to bring a trailer load of stuff home and 2 junk vehicles. I have been trying and it has been working out not to haul anything home. Hopefully I can get everything hauled off quickly.
 

Old Doug

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I am getting rid of the AC units. My brother logs and its been raining so he and one of his guys that worked at a scrap yard came over and started on them today. If everything goes ok they will have them ready to haul tomorrow afternoon. I had some other stuff to load today but tomorrow I will help them. It will be great to have them all gone.
 

crane operator

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Way to go Doug. I need to do a big shop to scrapyard clean up at our yard also. I used to do it every year, but I know its been 6-7 years since its been done.
 

colson04

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Way to go Doug. I need to do a big shop to scrapyard clean up at our yard also. I used to do it every year, but I know its been 6-7 years since its been done.
We did a shop to scrap yard clean out in January 2023 after about 16 years of accumulation. We shipped two, 10 yard dumpsters off. One to the scrap yard, one to the land fill. That purged the main work space, and I've been working through shelves, benches, and the back room since. Now we have 3 plastic drums for scrap. Once they are full, the pile gets hauled to the scrap yard. It's a 10 minute drive, so it's easy to do on a lunch break now.
 

Old Doug

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I sorted a lot out of the shop but I need to go over it again and look through 2 van 45 foot van trailers . When the AC units are gone and it drys or freezes up there is stuff behind the shop that can go. I tell people I hope to have it done by the time I can retire buy that could be.
 

Old Doug

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They ended up getting the big pile of them taken apart and scraped . I helped them some and we got everything loaded plus a tote of aluminum car wheels . There is half a dozen window units left in another spot for when I or we can work on the other stuff. They put a lot of the metal shred in some tote but there is a lot on the ground for me to practice my skid steer grapple bucket skills on. I have never had a pile of AC units like this before but Every time I get a pile like this of something I try and hope I will dream up a better way to deal with it or I think I will deal with it before it gets so big. I am very thankful this is about over. I thanked them several times for helping me and they will get a good share of the profit .
 

Old Doug

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I got a lot of the leftover mess cleaned up but there is some left . Getting the AC units out of there opened up a road to get to some other stuff my Dad had piled up behind the shop . So with the rest of this mess and stuff behind the shop I will have another load.
 

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Old Doug

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I wish I was better at figuring out what I should do. I have been hoping that I wouldn't get ask to do a lot of scrapping I want to work on my own and not take on more . I had a guy ask if I wanted to buy some junk cars last night . Its a 50 mile round trip to get them . I plan on cutting back on my hours at my full time job before long . There is just a few but he priced them cheap so there is money to be made.
 

Old Doug

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I know I would see him this morning . I finally thought I would tell him to let someone else have them. I just have too many projects going on . I felt better after talking to him.
 
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