Where to Locate IBC Totes?

[ericm979]

I cut doors in mine on the wide side. So the reach is not as far. The doors do not go all the way to the bottom or sides. Doors work if you stack the wood reasonably neatly inside. I try to make the courses at the door lean inwards a little. I have not had any wood come out when I am moving the totes with the tractor except once when I was especially ham fisted with the loader.

The volume is .40 cords if you measure at the widest point on each side and do not account for the rounded corners. I stack my wood so it's not sticking out the sides but also a little higher than the tote to account for shrinkage as it dries. I figure it's more like .36 cord when stacked to the top.

 

[livemusic]

Don't get 275 gal totes, get 330 gal totes. If at all possible. If I recall correctly, the 275s hold 1/4 cord and the 330 holds 1/3 cord. I do not buy totes, I scrounge around and get them free. I'd pay a little if I had to. Like, $10 lol. Last 3 I got, free. But I only have about 7. I will get more. They make for nice wood storage. But if you are not going to move them around for a tractor, a few cinder blocks and some 2x8s looks nice. Or pallets for stacking. I like free, lol. I find free pallets.

Sell premium wood. Charge for it. Do not discount for pickup. Charge more for delivery. Treat it like a business. Which means, make a profit. And not minimum wage. The buyers are out there who will pay decent price. I do it.

 

[tla100]

Dairy suppliers for iodine and other stuff.

 

[Seachaser]

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

Guy that sells restaurant and business cleaning chemicals has them for that around here. You have to get on a waiting list.

 

[cre73]

I can occasionally get them from the plant I work at if I kiss the correct behind. Recently a friend hooked me up with a local fertilizer plant and I went a picked up 20 more, they had about another 20 but I did not have room for them at this time. Once all these are full I will be going back for more. So now I have a total of 30 all for free.

 

[Operator]

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

I don't have forks for my tractor so this was one idea that worked well. The axle is from a small 4 door car from a junkyard. The tongue is thin 2" tubing receiver style for tight storage.

 

[tomalophicon]

Friends of a friend run a biltong and jerky operation. They go through a full IBC of vinegar each month which they give to me.
Look out for small food processing operations and knock and their doors to see if they'll give you their empty ones.

 

[rarefish383]

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?

I see you got a couple. I live in Frederick MD and go to lots of auctions, many around Charles Town. I see them sale for between $15 and $75. Usually scuzzy ones that had oil or funky chemicals go cheap. Sometimes they have to put several together in one lot just to sell them. If you dispose of the plastic part, you can pick up the frames cheap.

 

[husqvarna257]

Finally got 2 totes yesterday for $140. The guy even kept the plastic totes I didn't want. 1.5 hours from home. He was a firewood scrounger and hoarder with a large construction yard.

 

[ElevatorGuy]

Nice pick up but that’s too expensive. They’re hard to come by here as well.

 

[husqvarna257]

I guess tote availability varies by location there are some I saw in PA that were stacked sky high. Around here $150 -$200 is the going price. The cheap ones were to far of a drive to make it worth a road trip. 12 mpg killed that idea of a road trip.

 

[husqvarna257]

Well I eat my own words. Came home from work and a neighbor had this out for free, I took it of Couse. He was trying the IBC totes to haul with his tractor but it was to small move them. Might be giving away empty ones. But for now he stores some wood in them.