Quick price check on steel?

[gasket999]

It’s been a while since I bought any steel and after moving to a new area I haven’t sorted my local stockholder yet.

Most likely to be either AD Hall in Stoke after seeing them on the DIY friendly list on the forum.

However I see that Ainscough Metals in Skemlesdale always has big stocks of used steel in the sizes I want, but I have no idea if their prices are sensible or not. I do occasionally pass them when travelling for work.

As I don’t yet have a relationship with a local diy friendly supplier i don't have a feel for current prices and I obviously can’t use the expensive online metal firms for a price comparison as their prices are so far from what you’d pay locally,

Here’s a few samples of Ainscough’s mild steel prices from their eBay store (same as their website):

100mm x 100mm x 3mm box section, 7.7m surplus (surplus/rusty): £66 (£8.57/m)

100mm x 50mm x 2.5mm x 7.7m box section (surplus/rusty): £40.84 (£5.30/m)

100mm x 50mm x 5mm x 7.7m box section (surplus/rusty): £79.03 (£10.26/m)

100 mm x 75 mm x 8 mm Angle Iron 8.125 Mtr (Used and Painted): £50.12 (£6.17/m)

100 mm x 100 mm x 8 mm Mild Steel Angle Iron 6.000/6.400 Mtr - (unused/minor surface rust): £90.11 (£14.07/m)

Could anyone give me their opinion? If they’re really cheap given they have used stock, then it’s worth the hassle of visiting twice a month when I’m passing for work (plus wire brushing all the rust off). If they’re not cheap and if the used/surplus/painted steel prices aren’t competitive compared to new prices then I’ll get to know a local stockholder and will stick with them. Thank you.

 

[tigdlo]

FH Brundle is close on price to AD Hall and Mellards in Stoke so I use it as an easy price check when planning a project with new steel.

When I have shopped around, AD Hall has been a few quid cheaper than Mellards but I have never bought from them as they have never had everything I wanted. FH Brundle is normally a few quid more expensive than Mellards for the steel but £10 delivery instead of £25 makes them cheaper for small orders I can't collect myself. I have always found Mellards to be DIY friendly, never an issue with small orders, collecting on a Saturday morning, cutting small box senction with a hacksaw in the carpark and a £70 laser cutting order treated like a proper job. Price and lead time quoted, one question answered and order accepted all by email within a couple of hours of me sending the drawings.

 

[roofman]

make friends with your local scrapyard, if its anything like mine then 75% of my metal needs comes from there at scrap prices and not retail.

 

[MetalMonkey]

make friends with your local scrapyard, if its anything like mine then 75% of my metal needs comes from there at scrap prices and not retail.

Tried this, they won't sell you scrap unless you buy it by the shipload for export only and you can't sort through it.
Which I think is code for P.O.

 

[Welderpaul]

It’s been a while since I bought any steel and after moving to a new area I haven’t sorted my local stockholder yet.

Most likely to be either AD Hall in Stoke after seeing them on the DIY friendly list on the forum.

However I see that Ainscough Metals in Skemlesdale always has big stocks of used steel in the sizes I want, but I have no idea if their prices are sensible or not. I do occasionally pass them when travelling for work.

As I don’t yet have a relationship with a local diy friendly supplier i don't have a feel for current prices and I obviously can’t use the expensive online metal firms for a price comparison as their prices are so far from what you’d pay locally,

Here’s a few samples of Ainscough’s mild steel prices from their eBay store (same as their website):

100mm x 100mm x 3mm box section, 7.7m surplus (surplus/rusty): £66 (£8.57/m)

100mm x 50mm x 2.5mm x 7.7m box section (surplus/rusty): £40.84 (£5.30/m)

100mm x 50mm x 5mm x 7.7m box section (surplus/rusty): £79.03 (£10.26/m)

100 mm x 75 mm x 8 mm Angle Iron 8.125 Mtr (Used and Painted): £50.12 (£6.17/m)

100 mm x 100 mm x 8 mm Mild Steel Angle Iron 6.000/6.400 Mtr - (unused/minor surface rust): £90.11 (£14.07/m)

Could anyone give me their opinion? If they’re really cheap given they have used stock, then it’s worth the hassle of visiting twice a month when I’m passing for work (plus wire brushing all the rust off). If they’re not cheap and if the used/surplus/painted steel prices aren’t competitive compared to new prices then I’ll get to know a local stockholder and will stick with them. Thank you.

Those prices are more than we would pay for new, certified, steel.

Depends how bad the rust is too, once the millscale/oil is gone, it tends to pit pretty quickly.

 

[Hitch]

Doesn't look too badly priced for one man to buy if it's just light/patchy surface rust.

A business regularly buying a 5 tonne bundle will get it very well priced as Paul has said.

 

[BrokenBiker]

i get virtually all my normal sized steel from FH brundle...they are the cheapest i have found and are realitively local (cardiff)

ive just paid 60 quid plus vat for 3x 7.5 meter lengths of 25x50x2 RHS brand new, clean and ive never had any issues with straightness...only minor issue ive had is some falt bar i bought a while bag sparked like it was harder than usual, but still cut and welded just fine although felt a bit 'gritty' to drill

 

[gasket999]

Thanks very much everyone.

Embarassed to say I hadn’t come across Brundles before (I’ve always presumed online places to be too expensive and have gone back to the stockholder my family always used), but searching back through the forum it seems to be a staple of this group.

That’s brilliant, I’ll use Brundles as the yardstick and as the first port of call for pricing my projects and will then check Ainscough before pulling the trigger for any jobs that don’t require top surface finishes.

Tigdio: thanks for the local knowledge. I’ll keep an eye on Mellards and Halls for different jobs.

 

[Dozzer]

Another one for Brundles, used to collect from the Dagenham branch until the ULEZ expanded. but they are good on delivery,
Also have a local supplier but not much use to you.

 

[BrokenBiker]

Thanks very much everyone.

Embarassed to say I hadn’t come across Brundles before (I’ve always presumed online places to be too expensive and have gone back to the stockholder my family always used), but searching back through the forum it seems to be a staple of this group.

That’s brilliant, I’ll use Brundles as the yardstick and as the first port of call for pricing my projects and will then check Ainscough before pulling the trigger for any jobs that don’t require top surface finishes.

Tigdio: thanks for the local knowledge. I’ll keep an eye on Mellards and Halls for different jobs.

it always shocks me that i can get steel cheaper from brundles than i can from a scrap yard a lot of the time