Used pallet collars: what to check before you buy

Used pallet collars are usually a perfectly sensible purchase: a used pallet collar costs clearly less than a new one and does the same job. The difference between a good and a bad used collar is bigger than with pallets, though, and the reason is simple. A collar has a moving part that a pallet does not have: the hinge. It is also the point where a collar most often fails. This guide covers what to check on a used pallet collar before you buy, how to assess the quality of a whole batch in a few minutes and when a new collar is the better choice after all.

We buy and sort used pallet collars every day, so we know why they get rejected. By far the most common reason for rejection is not a broken board but a worn or bent hinge, and that is exactly what buyers rarely know to look at.

Why buy used pallet collars

A pallet collar is simple in structure: four board sides joined together with hinges so that the collar folds flat. Because the structure does not have wearing surfaces in the same way as a pallet, a used collar in good condition works practically like a new one.

The price difference is significant, and a used collar is perfectly adequate for internal warehouse circulation, transport and building sites. Choose a new one when the collar is visible to customers or when the application is hygiene-sensitive. New and used are compared in the article new or used pallets, and the same logic applies to collars.

Checklist: eight points in order

Go through these in this order. The first two usually decide the whole matter, so if they are fine, the rest goes quickly.

1. Hinges. The most important point. Check whether the hinges are straight, whether they hold firmly in the wood and whether they show rust or distortion. A loose or bent hinge means the collar no longer folds or holds together.
2. Condition of the boards. A lengthwise crack at the end of a board is common and often harmless. A crosswise crack or a missing piece of board is a different matter, because then the side no longer carries a load.
3. Corner joints. Take hold of two sides and move them against each other. The joint should feel tight. A wobbly corner means loose nails or a split board at the hinge.
4. Straightness. Place the collar on a pallet. It should sit evenly along every edge. A warped collar does not stack, and when collars are placed on top of each other, the fault multiplies.
5. Moisture and mould. Feel the wood. A damp feel, a dark colour or a mouldy smell means the collar has been stored outdoors. Moisture damage cannot be undone.
6. IPPC and ISPM 15 marking. If the collar is going to be exported outside the EU, the marking must be legible. Read more in the article heat-treated pallets and ISPM 15.
7. Cleanliness and chemicals. Paint, oil or chemical splashes rule the collar out for food and consumer goods use.
8. Protruding nails and screws. Nail heads sticking out tear goods and gloves. These can be fixed, but it is worth noticing them in advance.

Hinges are the weakest link of a pallet collar

This deserves a section of its own, because it is the only thing in which a collar differs fundamentally from a pallet. A pallet has no moving parts; a collar has four.

A hinge fails in three ways. The first is loosening: the fixing nails or screws have worked loose in the wood, so the hinge wobbles and the corner no longer stays square. The second is bending, which usually happens when the collar has been forced open or shut in the wrong direction or someone has stepped on it while it was folded. The third is rust, which results from outdoor storage and stiffens the hinge so that the collar no longer folds properly.

The practical test is easy. Fold the collar shut and open once. The movement should be smooth, without having to twist or tap the hinge. If you have to use force, the hinge is already on its way to breaking. Also check that all four hinges work the same way: one stiff hinge is enough to make the collar awkward to use.

How to test a collar in three moves

When you see a batch for the first time, do these three things. They take less than a minute per collar and tell you practically everything that matters.

1. Fold open and shut. Test the hinges and how smoothly the collar moves. This reveals the most common fault.
2. Lift by one side. Take hold of the middle of one side and lift the assembled collar. The structure should keep its shape and not skew into a diamond.
3. Place it on a pallet and stack a second collar on top. You can see straight away whether it is straight, whether the dimensions fit and whether the collars stack evenly.

Make sure the collar fits the pallet

A collar is always the size of the pallet. A collar of the wrong size will not fit, and that is an all too common mistake when a batch is bought unseen. If you are building a closed crate from collars for export, also read export crate from pallet collars.

Sizes and how to choose between them are covered in more detail in the article pallet collar sizes: the most common sizes and uses. Also check the height, because collars come in different heights, and within one batch the height should be the same so that stacking works.

Grades of used collars

Collars use the same three-tier grading as pallets, but the emphasis is different: with a collar, the condition of the hinges matters more than the appearance of the wood. The grading is not an official standard, so ask the seller to describe the condition in words.

Grades in general are explained in the article pallet grades A, B and C.

How to assess the whole batch, not just one collar

In a large batch it makes no sense to inspect every collar. Sampling is enough, as long as it is done correctly.

• Take samples from different parts of the stack. The top ones are always the best. Also look in the middle and at the bottom, because the lowest ones may have been in contact with the ground.
• Inspect about one in ten. A few in a small batch, around ten in a large one. If the same fault keeps turning up in the first ones, the batch is uneven.
• Look at consistency, not just condition. A batch with a mix of heights or sizes is harder to use than a consistent batch of slightly more worn collars.
• Smell the middle of the stack. You can smell mould before you can see it. This is the fastest way to spot moisture damage in a large batch.
• Ask where the batch has come from. A batch from indoor storage is generally better than one collected from outdoors, and the seller knows this.

How many collars on one pallet

This question comes up right after the first batch. There is no clear-cut upper limit, because three things are decisive: the weight of the load, how it is handled and whether full crates are stacked on top of each other.

Practical rules of thumb: the heavier the load, the lower the stack, and the higher you go, the more important it is that the collars are straight and of equal height. A warped collar halfway up the stack makes the whole stack unstable. Load capacity is explained in more detail in the article pallet load capacity in practice.

Remember the lid as well. If crates are stacked on top of each other, a board or lid on top of the uppermost collar spreads the weight evenly, instead of the pallet above pressing on the edges of the collar at single points.

If you are looking for a large pallet collar, in practice it is either a FIN-pallet-sized 1000 × 1200 mm collar or several collars on top of each other. The height of a single collar is not increased; height is achieved by stacking. The benefits of collars in storage and packing are also covered on our pallet collars page.

How to make a used collar last longer

A collar’s service life is not decided at the time of purchase but by how it is stored and handled. These are inexpensive measures that make more difference than whether you bought grade A or B.

• Store in the dry. The same rule as for pallets, but with a collar moisture also affects the hinges, which rust and stiffen.
• Fold in the right direction. The hinges are designed to fold in one direction. Forcing them the wrong way bends the hinge in one go.
• Do not step on a folded collar. This is the most common cause of bent hinges in warehouses.
• Stack folded collars evenly. A crooked stack puts uneven pressure on the hinges.
• Check the hinges between cycles. A loose fixing is quick to tighten straight away, but it gets worse if it goes unnoticed.
• Separate by condition. Keep faulty collars apart so that a stiff one does not end up in an outgoing load in a rush.

The factors that affect the service life of pallets and collars are covered more broadly in the article pallet lifespan.

When a new collar is the better choice

To be honest, used collars are not suitable for everything. In these situations it is worth getting a new one:

• The collar is visible to customers. In shops and displays, appearance matters.
• Food or hygiene-sensitive use. You do not always know the history of a used collar.
• A large, completely uniform batch is needed at once. Used collars always vary.
• The collar stays permanently in place and has to last for years. For example, a fixed storage point.

What affects the price of a used collar

When you compare quotes, these are what make up the price:

• Hinge condition and grade. The biggest single factor.
• Size. 800 × 1200 is the most common and therefore has the best availability.
• Batch size and consistency. A large, uniform batch is cheaper to handle per collar.
• Markings. An ISPM 15-marked collar is worth more, because it can also be used for export.
• Delivery or collection. Collars fold flat, so a lot of them fit in one load, and that shows in the freight cost.

It is worth asking for collars and pallets in the same quote, because they travel on the same load. Pricing in general is explained in the article pallet price. If you have surplus collars to get rid of, see we buy pallet collars: then the same truck can deliver and collect.

The most common mistakes when buying used collars

• Looking only at the wood, not the hinges. By far the most common mistake. The wood looks good, but the hinge is worn out.
• Not testing the fold. The collar is bought by looking at the stack, and the stiffness is only noticed in use.
• Not checking the height. Collars in the same batch must be the same height, otherwise stacking does not work.
• Buying the wrong size. A collar is always the size of the pallet, and the wrong size does not fit at all.
• Sampling only from the top of the stack. The top ones are the best. Look in the middle and at the bottom.
• Forgetting the base board. If small items are stored in the collar, a board is needed on top of the pallet so that items do not fall through the gaps.

The checklist in brief

Used pallet collars from Suomen Lavacenter

We sell new and used pallet collars for all standard pallets from our own warehouse in Hyvinkää. Used collars are inspected and sorted before sale, so you are not buying a stack that nobody has looked at.

• Inspected and sorted. Hinges and structure are checked, and collars with moisture damage are removed.
• All standard sizes. EUR, FIN and half pallet collars, new and used.
• Large batches are possible. Large stock and our own transport fleet, with delivery throughout southern Finland. For larger orders, deliveries outside Finland can be arranged case by case.
• Collection from Hyvinkää. Varastokatu 19. You can inspect the collars yourself before buying.
• We also buy used collars. Your surplus collars can go at the same time.

Summary: how to buy used pallet collars

A used pallet collar is a good purchase when you know how to inspect it. Unlike with pallets, the most decisive point is not the wood but the hinge: it is the only moving part and therefore the one that most often fails. Fold the collar open and shut once, and you already know more than you would by looking at the stack.

The other points go quickly: cracks in the boards, tight corners, straightness on the pallet, a dry feel and the markings. In a large batch, take samples from different parts of the stack rather than just from the top, and ask where the batch has come from. If the collar is visible to customers or the use is hygiene-sensitive, get a new one. For everything else, a used collar in good condition is enough and costs clearly less.

Frequently asked questions