Reconditioned and rebottled totes to buy

What was cleaned, tested and replaced

A reconditioned tote keeps the history of its own bottle, so its last contents still matter. A rebottled tote does not carry its old bottle's history, which is why it suits blenders who need a clean start.

Reading the retest date

Under 49 CFR 180.352 an IBC for liquids must pass a leakproofness test every 2.5 years, with an inspection on the same cycle and an internal inspection at least every five years for composite IBCs. The month and year of the last test and inspection are on the plate (49 CFR 178.703). Reading the plate walks through it.

Ask the seller for the date and read it yourself. A tote with a date near the end of its cycle is not a bad tote; it is a tote that needs a test soon.

Who buys them

Repeat users fill the same tote again and again: blenders, small manufacturers and farms that buy a concentrate. The tote has to carry that product legally the next time, so the plate, the valve and the cleanliness all matter.

The reconditioned grade page and the rebottled grade page describe each in turn. Use the request below to say how many you need and what they will carry. We have set no price or minimum, so the site names none.

Not every used tote qualifies

A bottle with a crack, a cage with a bent tube, a tote with no plate or a tote with an unknown history does not get reconditioned. It goes to rebottling if the cage is sound, and to regrind and steel if it is not.

What to inspect on arrival

• The plate dates against today’s date.
• The valve seat and handle.
• The bottle wall for crazing or stain.
• The cage tubes and welds.
• The smell inside the fill cap.

A reconditioned tote that fails on arrival is not what was described, and the seller should hear about it before it is filled.

A plain word on price

We publish no price for a reconditioned or rebottled tote, and no minimum order. If you are buying, say how many you need and what they will carry, and the reply will tell you what fits.