Looking for damaged (salvage) metal drums? Browse live listings from suppliers across the US.
Browse ListingsAbout Damaged (Salvage) Metal Drums
A damaged steel drum has a defect that stops it from holding product: a hole, rust-through, a split seam, a crushed chime or a head that will not seal. A reconditioner will not take it back into service, so it is sold as scrap steel or for uses that do not need a sealed container.
The line between used and damaged is whether the drum can hold product. A dented but sealing drum is used, and a drum that leaks or will not close is damaged.
Scrap yards generally want drums empty, and many want them open or crushed so they can confirm there is no residue. A drum that held a hazardous product needs its residue handled before it goes anywhere, which is the main question to settle before buying a damaged lot.
What to Look For When Buying
- Whether the drum is empty and free of hazardous residue
- Type of damage: hole, rust-through, split seam or crushed chime
- What your scrap yard requires, such as open heads or crushed drums
- Whether lids and bolt rings are worth salvaging from open-head drums
Ideal For
- Scrap steel recycling
- Non-container uses once cut open
- Salvaging lids and bolt rings
Not Recommended For
- Any liquid storage or transport
- Hazmat of any kind
Buying Tips
- Ask what the drums held before agreeing to take a lot
- Confirm the scrap yard's acceptance rules before moving the drums
- Keep damaged drums apart from sound stock so none go back into service
What buyers pay
$4.54average per unit