Steel Turnings Scrap Prices in Phoenix
Current Steel Turnings prices at scrap yards in Phoenix, Arizona. Compare local offers against the U.S. national average to get the most money for your scrap.
Average Steel Turnings Price
The min/max range reflects a blended index (local + national data). Your local high may be lower.
- Low (up to $0.02): Floor price, typically for small loads.
- Mid ($0.04): A fair deal for standard quantities.
- High ($0.06+): Top-dollar rate. Offered for large commercial loads or by the most competitive buyers.
Pricing verified from 2 live board rates today.
Steel Turnings price reference for Phoenix, Arizona
Scrap yards in Phoenix, Arizona don’t always update their prices in real time. To give you a reliable current value, we use the U.S. national average ($0.05/lb). The secondary metals market tracks exchange moves consistently across the country. Use this national figure as your benchmark when negotiating with local yards. Steel Turnings prices across the U.S. →
Top-Paying Scrap Yards for Steel Turnings Phoenix, AZ
These are scrap yards in Phoenix, Arizona that recently updated Steel Turnings prices in our database. Call them to lock in a quote. If your city isn't listed, use the National Index above as a bargaining reference with your nearest buyer.
E-Z Money Recycling LLC
E-Z Money Recycling LLC
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🚀 List your scrap yard ⟶How Steel Turnings Stack Up Against Solid Iron and Steel
The #1 rule at scrap yards: if you mix grades, they’ll weigh everything at the lowest rate. See the price gap below — if you have higher-value metal, always sort and weigh each grade separately to avoid leaving money on the table.
Historical Price Trends for Steel Turnings
This chart shows where the market is headed. If the line is climbing, prices are rising — you might get a better deal in a few days. If it’s dropping, don’t wait: sell today before yards lower their buy prices further.
Steel Turnings: Scrap Yard Price vs. World Market (CME)
Avg scrap yard price
World market price (CME)
Steel Turnings: Spread vs. Exchange — Monthly History
| Period | World price (per lb) | Scrap yard price (per lb) | Spread vs. exchange |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2026 (current) | $0.174629 | $0.07 | -$0.10 (57.5%) |
| February 2026 | $0.169679 | $0.08 | -$0.09 (54.5%) |
| January 2026 | $0.169184 | $0.10 | -$0.07 (40.9%) |
| December 2025 | $0.165335 | $0.10 | -$0.07 (39.5%) |
| November 2025 | $0.162647 | $0.10 | -$0.06 (38.5%) |
| October 2025 | $0.158761 | $0.10 | -$0.06 (38.6%) |
| September 2025 | $0.15567 | $0.09 | -$0.07 (42.2%) |
| August 2025 | $0.158816 | $0.10 | -$0.06 (38.5%) |
| July 2025 | $0.159239 | $0.10 | -$0.06 (39.2%) |
| June 2025 | $0.155033 | $0.09 | -$0.07 (41.9%) |
| May 2025 | $0.157923 | $0.09 | -$0.06 (40.2%) |
| April 2025 | $0.161157 | $0.10 | -$0.07 (40.4%) |
| March 2025 | $0.167327 | $0.10 | -$0.07 (40.2%) |
Steel Turnings Scrap Price History — Daily Data
A day-by-day market snapshot in exact numbers. Every day we aggregate buy prices from local scrap yards, recording the average, low, and high. Use this table to track real price movement over recent days.
| Date | Avg price (per lb) | Change | Range (Low/High) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/17/2026 | $0.02 / lb | — no change | $0.02 - $0.02 |
Maximizing Payouts on Machine Shop Steel Turnings
Whether you call it swarf, chips, borings, or just machine shop trash, Steel Turnings are a constant flow of material for industrial scrappers. Because they are highly susceptible to oxidation and melt loss at the foundry, yards price them lower than solid steel. Across the nation, expect to see prices ranging from $0.04 for oily, bushy tangles up to $0.06 for clean, crushed, and dry chips. Knowing how to prep these loads before hauling them to a yard in Phoenix is the difference between making a profit and basically giving away your scrap.
The Killer: Cutting Oil and Coolant Weight
The biggest mistake scrappers make with turnings is ignoring the moisture content. When these chips come off a lathe or CNC machine, they are almost always soaked in cutting fluid. The scale master isn't paying steel prices for coolant. If you roll in with drums sloshing with oil, expect a massive tare weight deduction—sometimes up to 20% of your gross weight. Drain your material before it ever leaves the shop floor.
Yard Pro Tip: To get top dollar for Steel Turnings, never bring in 'bushy' turnings (long, stringy nests of metal) if you can avoid it. Yards hate bushy turnings because they tangle in material handlers, snag on equipment, and are a nightmare to process. If you have a chip crusher or briquetting press at your shop, process them into dense pucks. Briquetted turnings hold less oil, melt better at the mill, and frequently command a premium price over loose swarf.
The Ironclad Sorting Guide for Turnings
Contamination is the fastest way to get a load downgraded to a lower shred price or rejected outright. Your turnings must be purely carbon steel. If your shop machines different metals throughout the week, strict separation is mandatory.
- No Alloy Mixing: Tossing aluminum, brass, or stainless chips into a hopper of carbon steel turnings will tank your payout. Sweep the machines and the floor thoroughly between runs.
- Keep Out the Trash: Cigarette butts, shop rags, and tungsten carbide insert tooling do not belong in your scrap drums. Yards will dock your ticket heavily if they see garbage mixed into the chips.
- Drainage is Key: Store your hoppers on a tilt or use bins with drain valves at the bottom. The longer they sit and drain out the coolant, the heavier the pure metal ratio gets on the scale.
Value Comparison Against Prepared Grades
Turnings sit at the lower end of the ferrous hierarchy due to their density and melt characteristics. Here is how they compare to heavier, solid steel scrap across the US market:
| Scrap Grade | National Market Range |
| Steel Turnings | $0.04 - $0.06 / lb |
| #1 Prepared Steel (HMS) | $0.07 to $0.15/lb |
| #2 Prepared Steel | $0.10 to $0.13/lb |
| Automotive Cast Iron (Rotors/Drums) | $0.11 to $0.16/lb |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the going rate for Steel Turnings?
Currently, the national average is sitting at $0.05 per pound. Because ferrous pricing is heavily tied to the CME, local yards usually set their board rates about 88.9% below the spot market, adjusting for regional freight, oil processing, and handling costs.
Why do turnings pay so much less than prepared steel?
It all comes down to the steel mill's melt yield. Thin shavings have a massive amount of surface area, meaning a large percentage of the metal simply oxidizes and burns up into slag when tossed into a furnace. Heavy, solid steel melts efficiently, so it commands a higher price.
Will yards accept rusty steel turnings?
Yes, but heavy rust degrades the material even further. Since turnings oxidize incredibly fast when exposed to the elements, it is best to store them indoors or in covered roll-offs in Phoenix and haul them to the yard frequently before they fuse into a solid block of useless rust.
Steel Turnings scrap prices in Phoenix, Arizona on the map
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