So you have an old four-wheeler that you need to get rid of. Well, you are in the right place, here is the cost of dumping your four-wheeler.
Landfills will charge based on the weight of an ATV, the larger it is the more it costs. This price will vary between landfills and some will not accept ATVs at all. To avoid paying this cost, ATVs can be given to scrap yards or sold on an online platform like Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace.
Read on to learn more about the costs associated with dumping an old four-wheeler.
Preparing an ATV for the dump
The first thing that might come to mind is leaving your old four-wheeler at the dump. Four-wheelers or all-terrain vehicles (ATV) are small vehicles used for work and recreation. In general, they tend to last 10 to 20 years, depending on how they are used and how well they are maintained. You might have an older ATV that you got years ago that has finally started to break down. You also might have a four-wheeler that you bought used and has broken down quicker than you expected. Either way, you have a broken four-wheeler that you need to get rid of. This is where a dump comes in.
Dumps and landfills will take most trash as long as it isn’t toxic or harmful to the workers. Large objects like ATVs, generally charge by the ton at the time they receive it. This way the more trash you are contributing the more you pay. After doing a quick search online I was able to find an example of how much your local dump may charge.
Seccra Landfill in Pennsylvania lists its prices on its website. Among these is their tonnage rate, and how much they charge per ton of trash. They charge $78.75 per ton. With four-wheelers being between a couple of hundred pounds and a thousand pounds, a trip to this landfill would cost you $20 – 40. They also levy a minimum $5 charge on the vehicle you use to drop off the ATV. Keep in mind the cost of dumping a four-wheeler may vary depending on your local landfill. Check any fees before loading your ATV and making a trip out. This would also be a good time to check and make sure that your local dump accepts four-wheelers.
Before dropping your four-wheeler off there are a couple of things that you will want to prepare. First, you need to drain all of the fluids out of your four-wheeler. Landfills won’t accept items that can leak chemicals into the ground and surrounding area. By draining the fluids out of your ATV you aren’t only making a smart environmental decision you’re also making a smart business one too. Every drop of liquid you squeeze out of that machine the lighter it will become and the less you will be charged for weight.
Another thing to keep in mind is removing anything you want to keep. Any personal items or parts you want to reuse should be removed beforehand. If your four-wheeler has license plates that should be removed and taken back to your state’s DMV. If you have insurance or registration with your state these should be canceled as well. Keep a copy of the ATV’s title on hand, the dump may ask you to see it before they take your vehicle.
Vehicle scrap yard
If you don’t want to pay to dump your four-wheeler there are other options. One of these is leaving your ATV at a scrapyard. Scrap yards take old vehicles like cars, trucks, and yes four-wheelers and turn them into something they can sell. Sometimes this means that they will take your ATV and crush it into a big metal pancake. Once crushed the metal can be reused to build new vehicles and other metal parts. Other places break the vehicle down into parts that can be resold. The pieces of your old four-wheeler could end up in someone else’s four-wheeler helping them enjoy their vehicle even more.
You can check with a car scrap yard and see if they take ATVs or you can look for a scrap yard that specializes in four-wheelers. Search for “four-wheeler salvage yards” to find one near you. In preparation for leaving your four-wheeler here, you’ll want to follow similar steps to those above. Make sure that your four-wheeler is drained of all fluids, that you have taken any personal belongings, and that any license plates have been removed and are returned to the correct government agency. You will need the four-wheeler’s title if you are planning on selling it to the scrap yard.
Selling ATVs online
A final option is you can always try and sell your ATV online. If your four-wheeler is in working condition you should be able to find a buyer quickly. There is a large market for used ATVs. If it isn’t you can still list it cheaply for parts. Listing it online can save you from having to load your four-wheeler into a car or truck and lug it across town.
A post I found on ATVConnection, a forum for ATV users, lists some helpful tips if this is your first time selling an ATV online. Both of the top responses recommend that before you put it online you clean your vehicle very well. People may place more value on the appearance of your machine rather than its true value so you want to make sure you don’t lose a potential buyer over a little bit of dirt.
Another tip was to not lower your price if someone offers much lower than your asking price. According to the user, “Be prepared for “tire kickers” and professional shoppers. Some people entertain themselves by shopping and making ridiculous offers on sports equipment, ignore them, it comes with the territory. Your quad is exactly what somebody is looking for.” Before listing your four-wheeler browse whatever location you plan to list it on, whether Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or something else entirely, and see what people are asking for a similar product to yours. Use this as a baseline as you list your own online. Good luck!
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