Where to Locate IBC Totes?

[Hexa Fox]

Hey guys,

So I have been reading around and would like to try a couple of these totes for storing my firewood. The benefits seem awesome for me. As in saving space and easy to cover the tops, which is a problem I have to solve right now. Anyway, it looks like they are worth a small fortune in some places and in others you cannot give them away. So I had my firewood guy tell me he could get them for me for $40 each. I do not think that is bad but I would hate to spend the money and figure out I could get them for free or less somewhere else. I thought about asking on my local social media pages but thought insight here may be helpful beforehand.

I forgot to ask but guessing the 'standard size' is 275 gallons containers? I heard depending on the company they can be heavy. Is this something I will be able to easily move around my property when it is empty of course?

 

[sean donato]

Typically 2 guys can move a empty one around. Good luck in finding them. Rare as hens teeth around here for a decent one thats reasonable in cost. Best of luck.

 

[pdqdl]

I've got two at my shop right now; people gave them to me full of motor oil, and didn't want 'em back.

There's an outfit in town that takes them off your hands (for free, I think, provided it's not full of some chemical), and then sells them for $30.00. If you look around, I'd bet there is a recycling center for those in nearly every big city.

 

[pdqdl]

 

[Hexa Fox]

Thanks guys, so I have a guy. Because of the other thread I asked him if he knew what was in them. He said either antifreeze or motor oil. I am guessing it could be worse right? I got the idea to ask from the other thread. I am going to guess that the worst thing you can get is glyphosate or some other pesticide from farmers? He said he would sell them to me for $40 each.

 

[SimonHS]

If you get one with residual glyphosphate in it, drain it into a smaller container and you won't have to buy any weedkiller for a while.

 

[pdqdl]

Thanks guys, so I have a guy. Because of the other thread I asked him if he knew what was in them. He said either antifreeze or motor oil. I am guessing it could be worse right? I got the idea to ask from the other thread. I am going to guess that the worst thing you can get is glyphosate or some other pesticide from farmers? He said he would sell them to me for $40 each.

To clean out an antifreeze or oil tank if it's only a couple of gallons: not too much trouble. The local auto parts place will be able to help you. If you got many gallons of oil, most anyone with a waste oil burner will take it. Nobody wants used antifreeze, but new stuff would be easy to advertise for free and somebody will take it.

In my opinion, herbicides would be less trouble, as they can just be diluted with some water and then applied to the right (and legal) type of location. But I do herbicide applications, so that isn't much of a problem. Non-applicators would do better to try bumming off the contents to a lawn guy or farmer that uses the same materials.

 

[husky455rancher]

At 40 each I’d buy em up. I’m looking for more and I don’t see me getting any at that price.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

I’ve had 2 for a few years, They rarely come up here. I paid $50 each.

 

[Hexa Fox]

I’ve had 2 for a few years, They rarely come up here. I paid $50 each.

May I ask where you live at in Maryland? I am on the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia so I am very close to the border of Maryland. May be able to help you out. I just asked him and he said he would have to get more. He said that it should not take long. Also told me since I am picking them up he would do $30.00.

Also do you guys cut out a little section in the middle to be able to easily put wood in? It looks like he loads them from the top and loosely.

 

[maulhead]

I get them for free where I live, in farm country.

Either at several local AG places, or out at the landfill.

Local AG places take them to the landfill, when they have too many of them stacked up.

Last time I counted, I had 25 totes.

 

[husky455rancher]

I get them for free where I live, in farm country.

Either at several local AG places, or out at the landfill.

Local AG places take them to the landfill, when they have too many of them stacked up.

Last time I counted, I had 25 totes.

Damn that’s a sweet deal.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

May I ask where you live at in Maryland? I am on the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia so I am very close to the border of Maryland. May be able to help you out. I just asked him and he said he would have to get more. He said that it should not take long. Also told me since I am picking them up he would do $30.00.

Also do you guys cut out a little section in the middle to be able to easily put wood in? It looks like he loads them from the top and loosely.

I’m in southern Maryland, Pretty far from you. I did cut about 2/3s of the front panel out. Once loaded my tractor won’t lift them, They’re heavy especially when packed tight.

 

[Hexa Fox]

Do any of you guys sell wood in the IBC totes? I am just curious about it. They only hold about a 1/3 of a cord when the wood is stacked inside right? So what do you charge and would you require the customer to put a deposit on the IBC tote or something?

 

[Bill G]

I guess if they are worth that much money I
need to start picking them up this spring when spraying resumes

 

[Hexa Fox]

I guess if they are worth that much money I
need to start picking them up this spring when spraying resumes

From the other thread it looks like it depends on their availability. In some locations it looks like corporation have trouble getting rid of them and are more than willing to give them away and other locations they are very valuable. I know people sell the IBC totes full of firewood but would like to know how they go about doing it. For instance, I imagine you sell the tote or at least require a deposit on it when you sell it a customer. Plus you have to have a strong tractor as well. I think people were saying when the wood is stacked into them you can have roughly 1/3 of a cord in them. That from what I have read can easily weigh a literal ton.

That is a lot of weight even for 2 family series tractors from John Deere for example and their competitors. Those tractors are usually quite expensive as well. So if you want to be able to easily move totes full of firewood on a regular basis you need to spend a lot of money on a powerful tractor, pack the totes loosely which means you are going to lose a lot of that storage space or just plan on not moving the totes. I am obviously opting to stack them full of wood and not move them.

 

[Bill G]

If a person's tractor cannot safely handle the totes then a descion must be made. You either get a bigger tractor or you do not use the totes

 

[chaddemler1980]

If anyone in fox valley WI area looking for GOOD totes I can point you in right direction. All good tube steel frame and good plastic with valves. 30-45 each. Last I was up there they had about 60 sitting

 

[slipshod quickway]

Also check with local trucking companies and truck stops.
They are used for DPF and it is hard to get the companies that sell it in totes to take them back.

 

[Hexa Fox]

So my guy finally got my a couple totes. I have them here on the property now and my hardest decision so far has been what side to cut an access hole into. My first choice was to cut it on the smaller side rather than the wider side. So my access side would be cut into the side you see facing the camera in this photo. Then I thought that this may be a little cumbersome because I would have to reach too far or even be unable to reach the wood in the back half. Having that said, my best option is to stack the wood into them vertically, again from how they are facing in this photo. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? Because it is going to be hard for me to undo it after cutting lol.

I am also excited to see how much wood I can actually fit into them. As far as cleaning up my yard goes, I think I am going to be able to fit a good bit into them. I have some more wood to split and pickup and I want to back up to one and see how much of the truckload from my eight foot bed is going to go into it. Firewood around here is a joke, it is literally a race to the bottom. I will have to see how long it takes me to stack wood into them. Right now I have ash and cherry. This is premium wood and after it seasons I can tell you I am going to want a premium price for it. If not I will let it season and burn it myself. When I advertise I am thinking about letting people pick up a load for a little less. Maybe even doing some type of roadside stand but we do not get that much traffic where I live.