Is lead the new gold ?

[theoldwizard1]

So I like to "stock" a few common automotive parts. I jump started the neighbors car the other day and noticed that the battery terminal were in bad shape. So I thought I should pick up a couple of the universal replacement terminals to throw in my "spares" cache.

WOW ! Online prices $5 - $10 for one ! Glad I checked Menards. $1.79 I had better rush down there and buy a couple before the price goes up !!!

 

[finn]

Menards has been significantly cheaper than Amazon, for example almost every time I have checked in the recent past.

Cheaper than HF for many things like dead blow hammers when I checked, too.

 

[DaveAndStuff]

Wow, I have not had to replace a battery clamp since the '80s. Do you not clean them now and again?

I still have a couple sets of the brass NAPA solder-on ends from the '80s. I just looked on the NAPA site and they're $18.99 each!

 

[HoosierBuddy]

OK...I checked it out. Lead hit a 10 year high at $2700 per ton in 2018. It's currently trading between $1900 and $2000 per ton. So that's $1 per pound. I don't think the price of lead has a lot to do with the prices you're seeing.

 

[DaveAndStuff]

The lead bolt-on clamps are junk. Solder, crimp, or buy a new cable.

 

[mikegt4]

I have an old sailboat sitting on my property that has a date with a chainsaw. 1200# of lead could make for a nice payday.

 

[BobnCO]

I have an old sailboat sitting on my property that has a date with a chainsaw. 1200# of lead could make for a nice payday.

You should post a video! I love chainsaw demo!

 

[Shiftless]

You should post a video! I love chainsaw demo!

Good idea!
The closest I got to that was a 7 foot fiberglass hot tub demo with my Sawzall

 

[theoldwizard1]

Menards has been significantly cheaper than Amazon, for example almost every time I have checked in the recent past.

I found out that Menards sells standard and "heavy duty" for a $1 more. Bought the HD.

 

[theoldwizard1]

The lead bolt-on clamps are junk. Solder, crimp, or buy a new cable.

This not for me !

For when I have to fix the neighbor's cars !

 

[nadogail]

When you buy parts, keep in mind that low prices and high quality are generally mutually exclusive.

 

[theoldwizard1]

When you buy parts, keep in mind that low prices and high quality are generally mutually exclusive.

Which is why I bought the HD ones !

 

[pcmeiners]

WOW ! Online prices $5 - $10 for one ! Glad I checked Menards. $1.79 I had better rush down there and buy a couple before the price goes up !!!

All the major stores are doing the same game. Example Walmart has latex gloves from $1.50 to $18.00, nothing special about the $18 except Walmart expects many buyer with high incomes, and no common sense knowledge to go for the $18 gloves. Seems our present society has a lot more people with no common sense than past generations.

 

[carlaisle]

I had to buy a headlight not that long ago. The lowest priced at Autozone was something like $35 for one bulb. Menards sold me one for under $10.

 

[CoogarXR]

I thought this was gonna be another ammo-hoarding thread.

 

[Debcrow]

I thought this was gonna be another ammo-hoarding thread.

Come on!.....
Get the Lead Out and keep up with threads. Or Lead by example!

You heard about the blonde Alchemist who was trying to turn Gold into Lead.

 

[BurtEggley]

We've noticed that stores no longer seem to want the small sales. As a result, most items sold have been either raised in price, packaged in multiples, or discontinued. Hence a part that used to sell for $2.50 being almost $20 now.

Walmart has a two pack for about $10 or a black and red one for $9.

 

[finn]

When you buy parts, keep in mind that low prices and high quality are generally mutually exclusive.

High price doesn’t guarantee high quality either, though.

 

[finn]

We've noticed that stores no longer seem to want the small sales. As a result, most items sold have been either raised in price, packaged in multiples, or discontinued. Hence a part that used to sell for $2.50 being almost $20 now.

Walmart has a two pack for about $10 or a black and red one for $9.

Distribution, shipping, and handling costs more than manufacturing.

Floor space isn’t inexpensive.

 

[jd_1138]

This not for me !

For when I have to fix the neighbor's cars !

Yep when you're fixing other people's stuff for free, you don't buy premium materials. I went to Home Depot to pickup a 2x4 and a piece of plywood (only needed like 1/3 of a sheet) and some deck/structural screws to fix an elderly lady's deck. I asked if I could buy scraps, and the clerk looked at me funny like "it's only $25 for a sheet of plywood and a 2x4".

I replied "I am already donating my time, skills, tools, and I have to buy the materials". The clerk didn't respond. He's probably the type who's never done anything for anybody. The whole thing is a foreign concept to him.

 

[dave*99]

I was away from home and needed an SAE Allen wrench. I found this at HD. Pricing was very odd. I grabbed these shots from their website today. When I bought mine in store a month ago, the 3 piece set was the cheapest @ $9.99. WTF.

 

[nadogail]

Yep when you're fixing other people's stuff for free, you don't buy premium materials. I went to Home Depot to pickup a 2x4 and a piece of plywood (only needed like 1/3 of a sheet) and some deck/structural screws to fix an elderly lady's deck. I asked if I could buy scraps, and the clerk looked at me funny like "it's only $25 for a sheet of plywood and a 2x4".

I replied "I am already donating my time, skills, tools, and I have to buy the materials". The clerk didn't respond. He's probably the type who's never done anything for anybody. The whole thing is a foreign concept to him.

I never fail to check out the cart of culled lumber when I am at Home Depot.

 

[Codyboy]

I was away from home and needed an SAE Allen wrench. I found this at HD. Pricing was very odd. I grabbed these shots from their website today. When I bought mine in store a month ago, the 3 piece set was the cheapest @ $9.99. WTF.

Wow thats really weird. Not the pricing or whatever but having to buy a hexkey set when away from home.
I had to do the same a couple years ago when we were on vacation in Galveston.

The B&B we were staying at had hot water issues in the shower. Pulled the cover (I had screwdrivers)to adjust the temperature range but found out it needed a hexkey. Off to the store we go.
Our daughter and husband had the same issues in their B&B next door with the shower. From what I remember these two B&Bs were newly remodeled old houses and we were of the first to stay in them. So I guess they had no complaints as of yet.

So anyhow not sure if the valves needed SAE or metric hexkey I bought one type and son in law bought the other.

Made repairs and had hot showers.

 

[PelicanPines]

Stained Glass hobbiest here... 60 40 Lead solder... used to be 4.95/lb... NOW it's 32.99/lb... WTF.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Stained Glass hobbiest here... 60 40 Lead solder... used to be 4.95/lb... NOW it's 32.99/lb... WTF.

I'm glad I have lots of solder I've picked up in yardsales. Should last my life time...

 

[PelicanPines]

I'm glad I have lots of solder I've picked up in yardsales. Should last my life time...

I'm gonna have a well stocked estate sale.

 

[Steve_P]

OK...I checked it out. Lead hit a 10 year high at $2700 per ton in 2018. It's currently trading between $1900 and $2000 per ton. So that's $1 per pound. I don't think the price of lead has a lot to do with the prices you're seeing.

But how come lead-acid car batteries are so expensive as compared to 20 years ago???

I had a bunch of steel encased lead shielding made for work 10-15 years ago, big project, thousands of pounds of lead; I remember that it was $1/lb for the lead, $1/pound to have it melted and poured into the shielding casings. I don't 100% recall the price of the A36 sheet/plate for the casings, but I'm almost positive it was less than 50 cents/lb at that time. I remember asking the machine shop and the guy was like, "it's irrelevant to the cost of the job; I think it was 30 cents/lb"

 

[Stuart in MN]

I don't feel much need to keep spare parts in stock for my neighbor's cars.

 

[mikegt4]

You should post a video! I love chainsaw demo!

I have a track loader that could smash it flat but what time/effort that I save in destruction would be lost in clean up, then again it would be fun crunching it into little pieces.

 

[Junkman]

K...I checked it out. Lead hit a 10 year high at $2700 per ton in 2018. It's currently trading between $1900 and $2000 per ton. So that's $1 per pound. I don't think the price of lead has a lot to do with the prices you're seeing.

My father was in the smelting business, refining lead and solders from scrap. I remember when scrap lead was 3 cents a pound back in the early 1960s. Using the inflation calculator, 3 cents in 1960 would be 33 cents in 2026. This is the cumulative rate of inflation: 998.8%.

 

[BurtEggley]

maybe the cost of lead is so high because people can't afford sail boats anymore so there are less to scrap when they go bad. Or we've lost less sail boats to hurricanes. (The keels are lead filled to keep them upright). From what I hear, that is the least costly way to buy lead.

 

[MushCreek]

Medium to large sailboats are dirt cheap, sometimes even free for the hauling. Someone near here was giving away three of them, but you had to haul them out of the lake. I was thinking it would be fun to drag home a derelict sailboat, chock it up securely, and turn it into a pirate ship for my grandson.

As for sticker shock, every so often I get truly shocked. I needed a couple of cheap bearing caps for a trailer. Should be a couple bucks, right? Tractor Supply wanted $27.99 for a pair. Not fancy grease fitting jobs, not including bearings and seals, just the cheap little tin caps. Got some for a couple bucks on ebay with free shipping.

 

[OccupantRJ]

Medium to large sailboats are dirt cheap, sometimes even free for the hauling. Someone near here was giving away three of them, but you had to haul them out of the lake. I was thinking it would be fun to drag home a derelict sailboat, chock it up securely, and turn it into a pirate ship for my grandson.

As for sticker shock, every so often I get truly shocked. I needed a couple of cheap bearing caps for a trailer. Should be a couple bucks, right? Tractor Supply wanted $27.99 for a pair. Not fancy grease fitting jobs, not including bearings and seals, just the cheap little tin caps. Got some for a couple bucks on ebay with free shipping.

Tractor Supply really is fond of some of their products. Sometimes I can get the same things for half the price even around town.

 

[Copymutt]

Medium to large sailboats are dirt cheap, sometimes even free for the hauling. Someone near here was giving away three of them, but you had to haul them out of the lake. I was thinking it would be fun to drag home a derelict sailboat, chock it up securely, and turn it into a pirate ship for my grandson.

As for sticker shock, every so often I get truly shocked. I needed a couple of cheap bearing caps for a trailer. Should be a couple bucks, right? Tractor Supply wanted $27.99 for a pair. Not fancy grease fitting jobs, not including bearings and seals, just the cheap little tin caps. Got some for a couple bucks on ebay with free shipping.

12oz beer can & zip ties. Perfect dust cap for small trailer bearings.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

My father was in the smelting business, refining lead and solders from scrap. I remember when scrap lead was 3 cents a pound back in the early 1960s. Using the inflation calculator, 3 cents in 1960 would be 33 cents in 2026. This is the cumulative rate of inflation: 998.8%.

Back then I bet we mined our own lead. Now we mine very little Pb in the US.

43% from Canada
24% from South Korea
17% Mexico
11% Kazakhstan

So....besides shipping costs we now have tariffs on all those so that adds in.

Per the Google there are thousands of shuttered lead mines in the US. So....business opportunity for someone. Likely should avoid the ones that are superfund sites. Mining and refining lead has historically been a dirty business.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Per the Google there are thousands of shuttered lead mines in the US. So....business opportunity for someone. Likely should avoid the ones that are superfund sites. Mining and refining lead has historically been a dirty business.

I wonder how many of those shuttered lead mines aren't Superfund sites.

 

[dcg9381]

maybe the cost of lead is so high because people can't afford sail boats anymore so there are less to scrap when they go bad. Or we've lost less sail boats to hurricanes. (The keels are lead filled to keep them upright). From what I hear, that is the least costly way to buy lead.

mono-hull demand demand way down... I'll bet the market has shifted to catamarans. But you can buy some "cheap" big monohull sailboats.

Had no idea that boats were a major source of lead.. I'd think we've have more recycled batteries?

 

[Junkman]

Back then I bet we mined our own lead. Now we mine very little Pb in the US.

43% from Canada
24% from South Korea
17% Mexico
11% Kazakhstan

So....besides shipping costs we now have tariffs on all those so that adds in.

Per the Google there are thousands of shuttered lead mines in the US. So....business opportunity for someone. Likely should avoid the ones that are superfund sites. Mining and refining lead has historically been a dirty business.

There is not one single lead smelting plant left in existence in the US. The EPA shut them all down. I think that the same goes for other metals in the US, with the exception of steel.

 

[johnre]

Back then I bet we mined our own lead. Now we mine very little Pb in the US.

And some of the reclaim operations for lead-acid batteries have also been taken offshore.

Since we don't use lead any more in paint, electronic solder, plumbing, etc., and the reclaim rate for lead-acid batteries is very high, I'd suppose demand for mining lead must have dropped significantly.

 

[BurtEggley]

Lots of lead is reclaimed. Sailboats were a major source for a large quantity at a low cost. Google - Sailboat Lead Keel