Used cable reels

The checks

A reel that carries cable takes real loads: the weight of the cable on the drum, the pull of the cable coming off, and the torque of a drive pin in the drive hole. So the checks are about strength, not looks.

• Flanges flat, with no split or missing boards, and no warp that would bind on the payoff.
• Staves (lagging) all present, sound and tight on the drum.
• Arbor hole round, not cracked or oval, and the right size for common spindles.
• Drive holes intact, not torn or stretched.
• No nails, staples or splinters standing proud on the drum where cable would sit.

What the checks can't tell you

Internal rot in a stave, a nail that has rusted through inside a flange, or a hairline crack under paint may not show. For heavy or critical cable, inspect again before loading, and don't exceed the load a reel of that size was built for.

Inspect each reel when it is delivered, and tell the driver about any you won't accept before the truck leaves.

Choosing

Give us the cable's outside diameter, the length, and the arbor size your stands take. We suggest a flange, drum and traverse. The capacity calculator shows the arithmetic, and the reel supply program covers larger orders.

Load ratings

Wooden reels don't come with a stamped load rating once they leave the cable maker, so judge capacity by build and size. As a rule of thumb, a reel can carry roughly the cable it was built for: a 48-inch reel that arrived with building wire shouldn't be loaded with heavy aluminium feeder. When unsure, choose a size up and keep the cable below the flange rim.

Matching the reel to the payoff

A reel only works if it fits the equipment. Reel jacks and payoff stands take a bar through the arbor hole, so the hole must match the bar: common sizes run from about 2 inches on small reels to 4 inches on the largest. Reel trailers and powered payoffs may also need drive holes at a set radius for the drive pins.

Flange size matters for clearance too. A 72-inch reel won't fit a stand built for 48-inch reels, however well it would hold the cable. Tell us the stand or trailer you use and we pick reels to suit.

Typical buyers

• Electrical contractors rewinding partial reels into smaller lengths for service calls.
• Plants storing spare motor leads, control cable or welding cable.
• Utility and telecom crews needing extra reels for cut lengths.
• Rewinders and cable resellers who sell cut lengths on reels.

Questions

Are used cable reels safe to reuse?

Checked ones are, within the load the reel was built for. Inspect again before loading heavy cable, and reject any reel with rot, a cracked arbor hole or torn drive holes.

Do you sell reels for very heavy cable?

Large nailed reels, yes. Bolted and steel reels for the heaviest cable usually belong to makers and aren't sold.

What if a delivered reel looks unsound?

Check each reel on delivery and point out any you won't accept to the driver before the truck leaves.

What arbor size do you stock?

Whatever comes through pickups, typically 2 to 4 inches depending on reel size. Tell us your bar diameter and we select reels that fit.

Reel words on this page

Flange

The round side discs that hold the cable in. Flange diameter, edge to edge, is the size a reel is known by.

Lagging / staves

The boards nailed around the drum, and the protective boards sometimes nailed across the flanges over finished cable.

Arbor hole

The centre hole a spindle, shaft or payoff bar passes through.

Drive hole

A smaller hole off-centre in the flange that a drive pin uses to turn the reel.

Payoff

The stand or trailer a reel turns on while cable is pulled off it.

One-way reel

A reel nobody is collecting. Once empty, it belongs to whoever holds it.

Nailed vs bolted

Nailed reels are held together with nails and built for one trip; bolted reels have through-bolts and steel plates for many.

Reel tag

The label or plate carrying the maker, the reel number and sometimes the return terms.