Guide
Cable reel sizes, explained
Wooden cable reels are sized by flange diameter, from about 12 inches for small spools to 96 inches and more for utility reels, and each size comes with a drum diameter and a traverse width that set what it can carry.
People say "a 48" and mean the flange: the round end board, measured edge to edge. Two 48-inch reels can still differ by several inches in drum and traverse, which is why a size chart gives ranges, not single numbers.
The size chart
| Flange | Drum | Traverse | Flange thickness | Arbor hole |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 in | 10–14 | 12–16 | 1.25–1.75 | 2 to 3 in |
| 30 in | 12–16 | 14–18 | 1.5–2 | 2 to 3 in |
| 36 in | 14–20 | 18–24 | 1.75–2.5 | 3 in |
| 42 in | 18–24 | 20–28 | 2–2.5 | 3 in |
| 48 in | 20–28 | 24–32 | 2–3 | 3 to 3¼ in |
| 60 in | 28–36 | 28–36 | 2.5–3 | 3¼ in |
| 72 in | 32–42 | 32–42 | 3–3.5 | 3¼ to 4 in |
| 84 in | 40–48 | 36–48 | 3.5–4 | 4 in |
| 96 in | 48–60 | 42–54 | 3.5–4.5 | 4 in |
These are common builds of nailed wooden reels across makers. Any particular reel should be measured; makers vary their drums and traverses to suit the cable they ship.
How the parts relate
The flange sets the outer limit; the drum sets the inner one. The space between them, minus a couple of inches of clearance at the rim, is the winding depth. Multiply that depth by the traverse and you have the cross-section that cable fills. A big drum reduces capacity but protects stiff cable from bending too tightly, which is why fibre and medium-voltage reels have large drums for their flange.
Sizes by use
- 12 to 24 inches
- Data, low-voltage and control cable; welding and magnet wire; small hobby spools.
- 30 to 42 inches
- Building wire in bulk, MC, tray cable and smaller feeders.
- 48 to 60 inches
- Feeders, collection cable, fibre and medium-voltage runs.
- 72 to 96 inches
- Primary underground, transmission conductor and long lengths of heavy cable.
Sizes and handling
Up to about 30 inches, one person can tip and roll a reel. From 36 inches a second person or a hand truck helps. From 42 inches use forks. From 72 inches plan the lift: tine length, centre of gravity and blocking all matter, and the truck needs a clear approach.
Naming in metric
Some makers list reels in millimetres. A 1,200 mm flange is about 47 inches, and 1,500 mm is about 59. Convert, then round to the nearest common size when asking for a quote.
Asking for a size
When requesting reels, give the flange diameter first, then the minimum drum your cable needs and the traverse range your stand accepts. "Forty-eights, drum at least 22, traverse under 30" is a request we can fill quickly from stock.
Small spools and plywood reels
Under 24 inches the world changes. Data, security and alarm cable come on plywood spools of 12 to 18 inches with a cardboard or plywood drum, and fine wire on plastic. These spools are light, stack flat and are often reusable many times indoors. They sell in bulk to workshops, rewinders and crafters rather than one at a time.
Overall width and payoff stands
A payoff stand or trailer takes reels up to a maximum flange diameter and a maximum overall width, the measurement outside both flanges. Overall width is traverse plus both flange thicknesses. A 48-inch reel with a 28-inch traverse and 2½-inch flanges is 33 inches wide overall. Check both numbers against the stand's rating before buying a reel to use on it.
Questions
What size are wooden cable reels?
Most in contractor yards are 24 to 72 inches across the flange, with 36 and 48-inch reels the most common.
Is the size the flange or the drum?
The flange. Drum and traverse are given separately.
What is the biggest reel you handle?
Up to 96 inches, planned one at a time.
What reel size do contractors use most?
In Chicagoland yards, 36 and 48-inch nailed reels are the most common empties.
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.
- Drum (barrel)
- The cylinder between the flanges that the cable winds around.
- Traverse
- The inside width between the flanges: how wide a layer of cable can be.
- Arbor hole
- The centre hole a spindle, shaft or payoff bar passes through.
- Payoff
- The stand or trailer a reel turns on while cable is pulled off it.
More reel guides
- What empty reels are worth
Size, build and condition decide it. What gets paid for, and what does not.
- Do supply houses take reels back?
When the counter or the maker behind it takes reels, and what happens to the rest.
- Returnable vs one-way reels
Reading the tag, the stencils and the build to know whose reel it is.
- Which makers take reels back
Published maker return programs, their minimums and their condition rules.
- Measuring a reel
Four measurements, one tape and a minute per reel.
- Nailed vs bolted reels
How each is built, why bolted reels make more trips, and how each is handled.
- When a reel can't be reused
The defects that end a reel's working life, drawn and explained.
- Disposing of wooden reels
Four ways out for a wooden reel, with the dumpster last.
- Staging reels for pickup
Stand, chock, sort and leave room for the forks.
- Reel weights by size
Empty weights worked out from the wood, and what each means for loading.
- The reel capacity formula
How much cable fits on a reel, worked through step by step.
Reels to clear or a size to find?
Tell us what you have or what you need. One work order covers pickup, buyback, recycling and supply.
Or write to info@chicagowoodenspools.com with the count, flange sizes and a photo of the stack.