Used totes · Grade A · B · C

Used IBC totes, quoted by grade.

275 and 330 gallon composite totes in Grade A, B and C. Request quotes from partner suppliers serving Pennsylvania, and ask for grade, prior contents and freight in writing.

Short answer

A used IBC tote is a 275 or 330 gallon composite container — an HDPE bottle in a welded steel cage on a pallet base — that has already been in service. They are sold in grades by cleanliness and condition. Request a quote and a partner supplier serving Pennsylvania follows up with pricing.

Sizes: 275 & 330 gal
Grades: A · B · C
Pricing: By quote
Per 53' van: Up to 48 totes

Work order · 90-second form

Price used totes

Give grade, quantity and your ZIP code and a partner supplier follows up.

What you're buying

A steel cage with plenty of life, and a bottle that has been used before.

The steel cage and base are the heavy, long-lived parts of a tote. Buying used puts them back to work.

An intermediate bulk container is an efficient way to move and store a liquid that is too much for drums and too little for a tanker. One 275 gallon tote holds about as much as five 55-gallon drums, takes one forklift move instead of several, and stacks two high when full.

Buying that container used is often a sensible choice. The cage is welded tube steel and the base is steel, composite, plastic or wood. Reusing a sound tote avoids building a new one.

How grading usually works

Grades are not standardised across the industry, so ask each supplier for their written definition. Common descriptions:

Grade A — washed or rinsed, clear-to-translucent bottle, no odour, cage square, prior contents known and benign.
Grade B — washed, light staining or haze, cage sound with cosmetic dents, valve serviceable, prior contents known.
Grade C — sold as-is. Visible residue, staining, possible odour, cosmetic cage damage. Non-food, non-potable, static duty only.

More detail on grades explained.

Used IBC tote — typical specification
Attribute	275 gallon	330 gallon
Nominal capacity	275 gal / 1,041 L	330 gal / 1,249 L
Footprint	48" × 40"	48" × 40"
Height	46"	53"
Empty weight	125–135 lb	140–155 lb
Gross weight (water)	≈ 2,425 lb	≈ 2,900 lb
Fill opening	6" vented or solid	6" vented or solid
Discharge	2" butterfly, S60x6 cap	2" butterfly, S60x6 cap
Stack (full)	2 high	2 high
Stack (empty)	4 high	4 high
Forklift entry	4-way	4-way

Buy well

Six things to check before you pay for a used tote.

Ask any seller to answer these in writing.

Prior contents, in writing

Not 'soap, probably'. A product name from the original label. Without it, treat the tote as Grade C however it looks.

Manufacture date on the plate

Composite IBCs carry a moulded or plated date. A bottle newer than its cage means it was rebottled — fine, but you should be told.

Bottle clarity and odour

Open the lid. Haze is UV age; a sharp chemical smell is retained residue that can contaminate your next fill.

Cage squareness at the joints

Look at the welded corners, not the panels. Rust at a joint means the load path may be compromised.

Valve and gasket age

A worn gasket is a cheap part that causes a 275 gallon problem. Assume it needs replacing on any used tote.

UN marking legibility

If you plan to transport a regulated liquid, check current regulations. The marking must be readable and the container suitable.

Used tote questions

The ones that matter.

Also see the cleaning guide and storage & stacking.

Used IBC totes — FAQ

How much does a used IBC tote cost?

Pricing is by quote from partner suppliers. It depends on grade, size, prior contents, fittings, quantity and delivery distance. Larger quantities and customer pickup usually bring the per-unit cost down.

Are used IBC totes cleaned before sale?

It depends on the grade. Grade A and B totes are normally washed or rinsed; Grade C totes are often sold as-is with visible residue. Ask the supplier how each tote was cleaned and get it in writing on the quote.

What were the totes used for before?

Used totes commonly held food ingredients, surfactants, agricultural nutrients, glycols, latex emulsions, coolants and industrial cleaners. Ask for the prior contents of the specific totes offered. A tote with unknown prior contents should be treated as non-food, non-potable only.

Do used IBC totes leak?

A sound tote should not. Leaks usually trace to a worn gasket, an over-tightened valve, a stress crack in the bottle, or stacking beyond the rating when full. Ask whether the totes were leak tested, and replace the gasket on any used tote.

How long does a used IBC tote last?

It depends on use and storage. The bottle is usually the limiting part: HDPE hazes and stiffens with UV, so a tote kept out of direct sun or under a cover lasts longer than one in full sun. When the bottle is finished, the cage can often take a new bottle.

Need a cleaner interior?

Rebottled totes put a new bottle in an inspected, reused cage.

Open

Got empties of your own?

Request an offer and pickup through partner suppliers.

Open

Planning freight?

Loaded weights, stacking limits and how many fit on a van, flatbed or box truck.

Open

275 gallon composite

Cage, bottle, base, lid and valve

IBC reference · on every page

Reference sheets for the numbers people ask about most.

Specifications, grade descriptions, thread standards, weights, gasket selection, freight limits and conversions. Open what you need; none of it is gated.

Container specs14 rows

Typical dimensions for the two common composite sizes. Check the plate on a specific unit.

The two common composite IBC sizes
Attribute	275 gallon	330 gallon
Capacity	275 gal / 1,041 L	330 gal / 1,249 L
Footprint	48" × 40"	48" × 40"
Height	46"	53"
Tare weight	125–135 lb	140–155 lb
Gross, water	≈2,425 lb	≈2,900 lb
Max gross mass	2,800 lb	3,300 lb
Stack, full	2 high	2 high
Stack, empty	4 high	4 high
Two-high stack height	92"	106"
Per 53′ van, volume	48	40
Per 53′ van, weight-limited	17 full	14 full
Fill opening	6" vented or solid	6" vented or solid
Discharge	2" butterfly, S60x6	2" butterfly, S60x6
Forklift entry	4-way	4-way

Grade descriptions6 rows

How grades are commonly described. Ask each supplier for their own written definition.

Common used-tote grade descriptions (definitions vary by supplier)
	Grade A	Grade B	Grade C
Cleaning	Washed or rinsed	Washed	Rinsed or as-is
Bottle	Clear to translucent	Light haze permitted	Staining likely
Odour	None	Faint, product-typical	May be present
Prior contents	Known, benign	Known	May be unknown
Cage	Square, little rust	Sound, cosmetic dents	Cosmetic damage
Typical use	Clean-water and general storage	Industrial and agricultural	Non-potable water, waste, rough duty

Threads & adapters9 rows

The outlet thread decides which adapter you need.

Threads and adapters
Fitting	Specification	Typical use
3" butterfly	3" flange, PP body	Batch dumping, viscous liquids
2" butterfly	S60x6 outlet, EPDM seat	Standard discharge
2" camlock	S60x6 → 2″ male cam	Pump and transfer hose
2" NPT	S60x6 → 2″ male NPT	Rigid plumbing
1" camlock	S60x6 → 1″ male cam	Controlled filling
3/4" GHT	S60x6 → garden hose	Irrigation, wash-down
1/2" spigot	S60x6 → spigot	Hand filling
S60x6	60 mm OD, 6 mm pitch buttress	Common modern outlet thread
S100x8	100 mm OD, 8 mm pitch	Older or European valves — use a bushing

Weights by product10 rows

gallons × 8.34 × specific gravity + tare. The number people skip.

Gross weight by product — the calculation people skip
Product	SG	275 gal gross	330 gal gross	Stack?
Ethanol	0.79	1,940 lb	2,310 lb	Yes
Diesel / fuel oil	0.85	2,080 lb	2,480 lb	Yes — steel bin only
Vegetable oil	0.92	2,240 lb	2,670 lb	Yes
Water	1.00	2,425 lb	2,900 lb	Yes
Latex emulsion	1.05	2,540 lb	3,040 lb	With care
Brine 23%	1.20	2,880 lb	3,450 lb	No
Liquid fertiliser 28-0-0	1.28	3,065 lb	3,670 lb	No
Corn syrup 42 DE	1.33	3,180 lb	3,810 lb	No — partial fill
Sulphuric acid 50%	1.40	3,340 lb	4,000 lb	Partial fill
Sodium hydroxide 50%	1.52	3,615 lb	4,335 lb	Partial fill

Gasket selection9 rows

General guidance only. Confirm compatibility with the product's SDS and your supplier.

Gasket and wetted-part selection
Product family	Gasket	Valve body	Container	Avoid
Water, brine, glycol	EPDM	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	—
Dilute acids	EPDM	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	Brass, carbon steel
Caustics	EPDM	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	Aluminium
Alcohols under 20% ABV	EPDM	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	—
Alcohols over 20% ABV	Viton	Stainless	Stainless bin	Poly bottles
Vegetable and mineral oils	Viton	Polypropylene	Poly IBC	EPDM gaskets
Fuels, diesel, kerosene	Viton	PP or stainless	Steel bin	Poly bottles
Aromatic solvents	Viton	Stainless	316L bin	All poly parts
Flavour, essence, botanical	Viton	Stainless	316L bin	Poly bottles

Freight limits8 rows

Volume capacity and weight capacity are different numbers, and weight wins.

What fits on what — volume and weight limits
Vehicle	Full, 2 high	Weight-limited full	Empty, 4 high	Liftgate
53′ dry van	48	17	96	No
48′ flatbed	40	17	80	No
26′ box truck	24	8	48	Yes
16′ box truck	12	5	24	Yes
Sprinter van	4	2	8	Yes
20′ sea container	20	17	40	No
40′ sea container	42	17	84	No
Drop trailer, 53′	48	17	96	No

Conversions10 rows

The arithmetic that comes up daily.

Common conversions for IBC totes
From	To	Multiply by	Worked example
US gallons	Litres	3.785	275 gal = 1,041 L
Litres	US gallons	0.2642	1,000 L = 264 gal
US gallons of water	Pounds	8.34	275 gal = 2,294 lb
Pounds	Kilograms	0.4536	2,425 lb = 1,100 kg
Inches	Millimetres	25.4	48" = 1,219 mm
Cubic feet	US gallons	7.481	51 ft³ = 381 gal
Cubic yards	Cubic feet	27	1.4 yd³ = 37.8 ft³
psi	Feet of head (water)	2.31	1.7 psi = 3.9 ft
Feet of head	psi	0.433	24 in stand = 0.87 psi
gpm	Litres per minute	3.785	70 gpm = 265 L/min

Vocabulary, in twelve lines

IBC: Intermediate bulk container — anything between a drum and a tanker, in practice 110–550 gallons on a forkliftable base.
Composite IBC: An HDPE bottle inside a welded steel cage on a pallet base. The 275 and 330 gallon workhorses.
Tare: Empty weight of the container: 125–135 lb for a 275, 140–155 lb for a 330.
Gross mass: Container plus contents. Most 275s are rated to 2,800 lb; exceed it and the bottle bulges rather than bursts.
Node: A welded intersection in the cage where load actually transfers. The correct place to inspect.
S60x6: The standard outlet thread: 60 mm OD, 6 mm pitch buttress. Hand tight only.
Prior contents: What the container last held, logged against the original label. The single most consequential fact about any used tote.
Rebottle: A new HDPE bottle fitted into an inspected existing cage — a never-filled interior on a reused frame.
UN 31HA1: Marking for a composite IBC approved for liquids. Belongs to the assembly and carries a service life.
Regrind: Granulated recycled HDPE. Post-industrial IBC regrind goes to pipe, conduit, pallets — never food contact.
Reuse: Putting a container back into service instead of making a new one. It avoids the materials and energy a new container would need.

Full glossary

How quotes work

IBC Totes PA is a referral service. Send a request through the form and a partner supplier in our network follows up with pricing and availability for your area of Pennsylvania.

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Next step

Reusing a tote avoids making a new one.

Request a quote Sell your empties