Author Topic: How much is a decent price for wheelweights? (Read 1664 times)

A62Rambler · « **on:** March 18, 2003, 03:58:59 PM »

Haven't had much luck finding wheelweights locally. I was offered some for a price and was wondering what a good price would be. Last time I got them I payed .03 a pound. Here in Wyoming there is no disposal fee and these places seem to want to hang onot wheelweights. Any other thoughts on possible sources for cheap lead?

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #1 on:** March 19, 2003, 12:29:35 AM »

for 3 cents a pound Id buy em. I get most of mine for free but the salvage yards around here want 20cents a pound for them.

Leftoverdj · « **Reply #2 on:** March 19, 2003, 01:06:56 AM »

I pay $10 a five gallon bucket to places that sell them that way which seems to be about 6 cents a pound. One joint boxes them neatly in 50 pound boxes and charges $5 a box, but they also throw in the occasional extra box "just to make sure you get full weight".

Considering what the WW is worth when I get them into bullets, I am not minded to haggle over those prices. I have about 1000 pounds on hand and would not mind doubling that as a hedge against the possibility the government will make them impossible to get.

A62Rambler · « **Reply #3 on:** March 19, 2003, 03:06:16 AM »

I had them priced for $15 a five gallon bucket and it seemed a little high but if that's the going price here I'll have to pay it. I guess it beats the alternative of ordering it and paying shipping.

jpuke · « **Reply #4 on:** March 19, 2003, 05:59:15 AM »

I get mine for 35 cents a pound from the local scrap yard. I thought it was a good deal but it seems everyone else is saving more than I am. Heck, it still beats jacketed or factory made cast bullets. My 45 Colt and 308 come to around 1.3 to 1.8 cents per bullet - not bad. If I had the money I guess I'd like to have pure lead, tin or other metals but the WW's are fine for now.

Sharps-Nut · « **Reply #5 on:** March 20, 2003, 10:15:46 AM »

A offer of beer for wheel weight seems to be the best value. The guys, of leagal age of course seem to really warm up to a 12 pack of cold beer for a bucket of warm wheel weights. Especially in the summer time about 5 oclock. :toast:

BCB · « **Reply #6 on:** March 20, 2003, 12:19:28 PM »

A62Rambler,

$0.03/pound is a pretty dang good price!!! But if that supplier is done, then I guess you will have to pay what the person can get recyling them. I pay between $10 and $12 for a FULL 5-gallon bucket. The bucket will have anywhere from 150 to 175 (heaped to the max!!) pounds of wheel weights. That equates to 5.5 to 8 cents per pound depending on bucket weight and price. I consider that fair. Since I shoot my bullets at my private range, I can recyle what bullets I dig up or find laying on the ground. That also helps with the price of the lead. Good-luck...BCB

Paul H · « **Reply #7 on:** March 21, 2003, 08:26:06 AM »

I'd been paying $20 for a 5 gallon bucket, but that tire shop no longer sells there ww's

So, I've been trading with shooting buddies, and one buddy scored 6 buckets for me :lol: and I'm in the process of making up 600 bullets for his source that scored the ww's. Turns out his sources source shoots a 44, so I'll have another option of trading.

If you can get ww's for .03 a pound, buy as many as you can get!

grendel · « **Reply #8 on:** March 30, 2003, 08:40:34 PM »

I just bought two 5 gal buckets full for $30 ($15 each) . Just this afternoon I finished transforming the first bucket into ingots. One bucket produced 132 one pound ingots, that and two large coffe cans of clips and dross.

Near as I can figure that comes out to about 11.37 cents a pound. Not counting time and propane. Speaking of propane, I melted this bach on my NEW WALLY WORLD turky fryer. Cost was about $48 and tax. Did a very good job and it came with a nice new 10 qt cast iron pot that will be used for the next bucket of WW's. I debated a while as to if I wanted to ruin it for cooking and decided that I would seeing that it did not come with a lid. My current pot is only a 5 or 6 qt pot. The larger one should allow me to reduce a bucket of WW's to ingots in 3 melts rather then two.

Grendel

Sheriff Bart · « **Reply #9 on:** November 01, 2003, 12:48:37 PM »

Here's an idea for you...

Buy a couple of sinker moulds and offer the gas statipon guys sinkers for lead. I haven't had to buy lead in years. Seems like most of the guys either fish or collect sinkers.

Goatlips · « **Reply #10 on:** November 01, 2003, 07:37:34 PM »

Just bought another five buckets from my tire guy for ten bucks a bucket, didn't seem to bend my springs as much as usual so now I'm keepin' track. Cleaned up they amounted to two buckets FULL o' ww w/clips plus a half gallon. I'll be smeltin' soon and testing out my new old hardware store bed scale.

This batch, I'll know the real price/lb and so will you. 'Course, the fun of minor alchemy is worth somethin' too in my book.

Goatlips

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #11 on:** November 02, 2003, 12:49:32 AM »

been fortunate and have allways found them for free Ill drop of a 12 pack once in a while or load a box of ammo up for one of the service guys. Linotype is a different animal though I usually buy what ever i can find and dont worry to much about the price. Soon there isnt going to be any left to buy

Bob/FLA · « **Reply #12 on:** November 02, 2003, 04:14:23 AM »

I must be blessed, I just ask my tier guy if I can have a bucket of old WW's and he GLADLY gives them to me.

rickyp · « **Reply #13 on:** November 02, 2003, 03:31:58 PM »

I too get all the W.W I want for free. Last time i got some i got 5 -5 gal buckets full that was about 2 years ago and still have some left.

Slim Chance · « **Reply #14 on:** November 07, 2003, 02:26:02 AM »

I usually trade ammo for wheelweights. I hadn't thought about trading beer, but I bet it would work here as well.

sundogg1911 · « **Reply #15 on:** November 07, 2003, 05:31:15 AM »

My tire guy (Here in Pittsburgh) used to give 'em to me for free. (I think He actually had to pay someone to get rid of 'em.) The last time that I asked for some (and bought 4 new tires) they charged me $15 for a 5 gal. bucket full. I really didn't even need them, but that doesnt seem to be too bad of a price. I also picked up two 5 gallon buckets of lino from a guy that was going to use them for sinkers. (traded him one bucket of pure lead)
That was a great deal I thought. :eek:

howdy doody · « **Reply #16 on:** November 07, 2003, 06:14:12 AM »

I happened to be checking a garage sale a few weeks back and I bought an old skin divers weight belt. My best guess is that there was 30 lbs in those pockets that looks to be wheel weight lead by my hardness test. I paid a buck for the belt. You find stuff in the most strangest places. :grin:

myronman3 · « **Reply #17 on:** November 11, 2003, 04:34:31 AM »

my mechanic gives me them for free. i assumed by his reaction that it was just another hassle for him to deal with. he was glad to be rid of them. i would bet that if i went to 5 mechanics in my area, i would get all 5 to give me their wheel weights. i must be fortunate in my area.

Goatlips · « **Reply #18 on:** November 12, 2003, 07:07:57 PM »

WELL, my 5 buckets of WW from my tire guy smelted down to 240 pounds of muffin ingots today at just about twenny cents a pound! I figgered I was payin' ten cents/lb but how much is an afternoon of smeltin' worth anyways - now I'm set fer a while.

Goatlips

340wby · « **Reply #19 on:** November 15, 2003, 06:30:26 AM »

ten cents per five gallon bucket of wheel weights is the comon price around here,
check marine salvage yards also Ive bought several thousand lbs that were on sail boat keels from marine salvage yards dirt cheap! the average small sailboat seems to have a few hundered lbs in the keel