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Where does everyone get there free pallets?

43K views 18 replies 17 participants last post by  bobby2003 
#1 ·
I need a lot. Probably like 50. Where does everyone get their free wooden pallet boards?
 
#2 ·
Craigslist. Also there are a TON of places in Redmond and the Quah that have pallets sitting behind their businesses. Just stop and ask if they want to get rid of them. I bet if you have someone with a truck that could drive you, you could easily knock that out in a couple of weeks. Also I have always wanted to stop at the Grey Barn and ask them, because they would have weathered or worn pallets that the plants come in on. Also in the "industrial area" of Woodinville and Seattle there are always places that have PILES of pallets they want to get rid of.
 
#3 ·
Shoreline is kind of far, but there is a listing on Craigslist and there is one posting that said they have a parking lot full of pallets......

another listing says they have 13 pallets in Bellevue for free......

A couple big piles for free in Kirkland........

That was like in the first 10 listing for "pallets" today.......
 
#4 ·
I work at a HVAC/plumbing company so I get 'em at work if I need 'em cause they just trash or recycle 'em. The big HVAC units come on them & sometimes they're packaged around them. I'd try the local HVAC/plumbing companies in your area.

I also can get more large cardboard boxes than anyone could ever realistically need so check with them for that stuff too if you need it.
 
#5 ·
There is a difference in "Pallerts".

Some are oak and you will need to pre-drill (with a drill bit) holes for any nails or screws to be able to fasten them together.
I was given some pallets that shipped small compressers to this country from Europe. I don't know what kind of wood these are cut from but they seem very weather-resistant compared to most.
Some people wil cover palets with cardboard to avoid catching people on the splinters but cardboard is flammable....
 
#9 ·
Some are oak and you will need to pre-drill (with a drill bit) holes for any nails or screws to be able to fasten them together.
I was given some pallets that shipped small compressers to this country from Europe. I don't know what kind of wood these are cut from but they seem very weather-resistant compared to most.
This is good info to know! Thanks!:D I always just assumed that all pallets were crap wood.
 
#6 ·
Lots of possible places -- just ask them if you can have them. Some places return them and some toss them :). In general, small stores or independent stores are less likely to recycle or return them, and these are the guys to check first. But on with my very partial list:
Farm supply and feed stores
Hospitals
Pet stores
Asian food stores
Big box stores
Any mall -- ask individual stores. Pier 1 often has TONS.
Corporate offices (they use lots of paper, by the palletload)
Newspaper offices
Supermarket
WalMart,Target, Kmart, etc.
Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, etc.
auto supply stores, like Auto Shack (what's it called now?)
any factory -- cookies, spark plugs, tractors, whatever
 
#8 ·
I work for a school so every year they get new textbooks that come on nice new pallets. Also behind the mall at night. Lots of stores put them behind there for the next day to go out
 
#11 ·
You just need to find your local "industrial park". It'll be where all the warehouses are and companies such as metal sign fabrication, heavy equipment sales, wholesale supplies for plumbing, electricity, flooring, etc, will be. There'll probably be a few hilariously out of place companies and a public storage company as well.

Some places jealously guard their pallets because they ship things out and others want to get rid of the ones they get with all their deliveries. Just drive around the place and if you see pallets on the side of the building go into the office and ask if you can have a few. Some will chase you off the property, others will all but pay you to get the things out of there!

Pallet wood depends on country of origin. What's considered junk wood or common wood in some areas is considered high quality here, like mahogany. Unfortunately you don't know what you're gonna get until you hammer the thing apart, pull all the nails out of it, and sand it clean. If you're using it for an aged fencepost you get to skip that last step!
 
#12 ·
We're in the process of doing our backyard and I noticed that some of our BBQ equipment comes on pallets. Our fireplace insert came with a really nice quality one that I'd like to use for a pirates' dock. I already told our contractor to make sure he doesn't toss it. I'm sure that many BBQ equipment companies doing installs toss the pallets that are packaged with the products they are delivering and I'm sure most homeowners don't want them, so that type of store might also be a good source for them.

I know when we had kitchen appliances delivered, a number of them came on pallets. Some of them were kind of poor quality wood but others not too bad.
 
#13 ·
Yup - lots of businesses have them. I'm in Michigan (which doesn't help you at all - LOL!) and the office supply place in front of my work always have a big stack of all different sizes behind the building. I've been given their blessing to take as many as I want, whenever I want.

You may want to invest in a Sawzall, tho! Using a prybar & hammer to take them apart is a PAIN in all parts of the anatomy !!!!
 
#15 ·
I got the majority of my pallets off of Craig's List. I have also cruised through the local industrial park and found that most places are happy to give them to you....

The real work starts when you get them home. I found a sawzall is the absolute best tool to use to take them apart.....:D
 
#16 ·
Where I am from there is a little place that builds those small storage barns. This company has a sign saying free wood and pallets. You might want to try places like that and also furniture stores or trucking companies. I work for a furniture store and we get pallets occasionally wih our merchandise and we just throw it out. I have gotten different kinds of woods when we unpack things. Unpacking a chest of drawers the other day I got the ideas to make something with the wood that was stablizing the bottom of the box in the chest and the dresser. We just throw these out and if you ask the right person you may be able to get them. Good luck in your hunt.
 
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