How to Get Rid of Old Exercise Equipment in Boise, Idaho
By Eric Hinderager, owner of Top Shelf Junk Removal and Demolition · Updated
Learn how to get rid of old exercise equipment in Boise: when to sell or donate it, where to scrap the steel, and what moves the cost of a haul-away.
How to get rid of old exercise equipment in Boise comes down to four choices: sell it, donate it, scrap the steel, or have it hauled. Used exercise equipment that still runs can find a new home. Broken machines go to scrap or the landfill, and anything stuck in a basement is usually worth handing off.
How to get rid of old exercise equipment in Boise
A lot of homes in Boise have a treadmill that turned into a clothes rack years ago. Often the machine still works. It's just heavy and awkward, and it's sitting in the worst room of the house.
You've got more options than you'd think. A couple of them are free. One will cost you a Saturday and a sore back.
Why is this stuff harder to move than it looks?
A basic folding treadmill is heavier than it looks, and a good one with a heavy deck and a real motor weighs more still. Ellipticals are worse in some ways, because the weight sits high and the arms swing around while you carry it. That's why an elliptical pickup often takes two people and a dolly, even from the main floor.
Then there's the classic problem. It came into the room in a box, somebody put it together in place, and nobody kept the manual.
Home gyms are their own animal. Cable towers with a weight stack get very heavy once you count the plates, and the frame often won't clear a standard doorway assembled. It has to come apart to come out.
Most of it lives in a basement or an upstairs bonus room, too. Stairs turn a two-person job into a three-person job in a hurry.
Heads up: Unplug the machine and run the incline all the way down before you touch anything else. A treadmill parked at a steep incline is top-heavy, and the lift motor won't budge once the cord is out, so you're stuck hauling it tilted.
Can you donate or sell used exercise equipment first?
Sometimes, and it's worth a little effort before you pay anybody, us included.
Working machines move on Facebook Marketplace if you're honest about the condition. A free listing for a treadmill that still runs can get claimed fast in Boise, Garden City, Meridian, or Nampa. Just know that "free, you haul" means a stranger is showing up at your house, and they may bail once they see the stairs.
Thrift stores like Idaho Youth Ranch may take fitness gear, depending on the location and how much floor space they have. Call the store before you bring it in, and drop your post-decluttering donations, like clothes, dishes and books, on the same trip. Resale shops like Play It Again Sports may buy used exercise equipment too, though they look hard at condition, and a torn belt or a dead console can be a deal-breaker.
Here's a quick way to tell if a machine is worth saving:
- Motor runs, no error codes, belt in decent shape? Sell or donate it.
- Pretty old, or any electrical gremlins? It'll be hard to find a taker.
- Rusty plates or a bent frame? That's scrap metal, not resale.
- Cracked deck or a seized flywheel? It's done. Haul it.
What does exercise equipment removal cost?
When we price an exercise equipment pickup, we look at how much truck space it takes, plus how rough the walk-out is. A treadmill in the garage is not the same job as the exact same treadmill in a walkout basement with a switchback stair.
| What you've got | What moves the cost |
|---|---|
| Treadmill or elliptical, garage or main floor | Size and weight of the machine |
| Treadmill or elliptical pickup from a basement or upstairs | Stairs, tight landings, extra hands |
| Home gym with a weight stack | Taking it apart, plus the plates |
| Squat rack, bench and loose plates | Total weight at the dump |
Loose dumbbells and Olympic plates are the sneaky ones. A set that fits in two milk crates can weigh more than the rack it came off of, and weight is what drives dump fees. If you've got a pile of plates, say so when you schedule your pickup so the right truck shows up.
A tight landing, a doorway that needs the trim popped, or a frame that has to come apart in place will all push the cost up. There's no rush charge, though, so asking about same-day booking won't change the price. You get a free on-site estimate and a firm price before anything gets touched, so there's no surprise in the driveway.
Worth asking: Low prices on a flyer don't tell you much. When you compare disposal services, ask whether the quote includes labor, stairs and dump fees, and where the stuff actually ends up. A truck with a sign that says "I haul anything" should still be able to answer that.
Should you haul it to the dump yourself?
You can absolutely do this on your own. Let's just be straight about what it involves.
The Ada County Landfill at Hidden Hollow, off Seamans Gulch Road, takes bulky household items and charges a disposal fee, so check their current rates before you go. For a single treadmill, the fee usually isn't the hard part. You can also try calling Republic Services, Boise's curbside trash hauler, to ask whether they'll take a large item and what they charge.
Steel racks, benches and plates are a better story. Scrap yards like Western Recycling take scrap metal, and depending on what steel's doing that month, you might get paid a little instead of paying. Scrap yards generally want clean steel, so strip the plastic shrouds and the console off first.
So the tipping fee isn't the problem. The problem is a pickup you may not own, two friends who owe you a favor, and getting a heavy machine up a flight of stairs without punching a hole in the drywall. That's what ends most DIY attempts.
If it's sitting in your garage and you've got a truck and a buddy, go do it. Save your money. If it's in a basement, or there are several pieces, or your knee already hates stairs, that's when Junk Removal from a crew with dollies and straps earns its keep. For simple and reliable junk pickup, a good crew will take a door off its hinges if that's what the landing needs.
Good to know: Clearing out a home gym often turns up old pills and supplements in a cabinet. Medications don't belong in a junk haul or the trash. Take them to a permanent prescription drug disposal location, like a take-back box at a pharmacy or police station.
Frequently asked questions
Does Boise have curbside pickup for big exercise equipment?
Homes in Boise have curbside trash through Republic Services. Calling Republic Services is the way to find out whether they'll take a bulky item and what it costs, so check before you set anything on the curb.
Where can I bring it if it still works?
Bring it to a resale shop like Play It Again Sports, or call Idaho Youth Ranch first to see if they have room. That's a good time to drop your post-decluttering donations off too, so it's one trip.
What areas do you cover?
We work across the Treasure Valley, including Boise, Garden City, Meridian, Eagle, Nampa and Caldwell.
What's the easiest way to get rid of it?
Related reading: Junk Removal Boise Prices: What Your Quote Actually Includes and Junk Removal in Boise: Old Lawn Mowers, Grills and Yard Tools.
Sell or donate it if it runs, scrap the steel if it doesn't, and haul it yourself if it's on the ground floor and you've got help. For anything else, call (208) 593-2877, tell us what you've got and where it sits, and schedule your pickup. If the honest answer is "just run it to Hidden Hollow yourself," we'll tell you that too.
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