Reel size
84-inch cable reels
Eighty-four-inch reels are for the heaviest cable on regular jobs: large power cable and utility work. They are rare in the one-way market because most are built to go back to their makers.
The numbers
- Flange thickness
- 3.5 to 4 in
- Height on its flange
- about 43 to 56 in
- Handling
- Heavy forklift or crane; plan the route before lifting
- Weight method
- Two flange discs plus the stave shell, at 28 to 40 lb per cubic foot
What it carries
Large power cable, utility primary and some transmission-class cable, and wire rope on heavy industrial jobs. Builds are heavy bolted wood or steel.
Who empties them
Utility contractors, steel and heavy industry in Northwest Indiana and the Calumet, and large plants. Usually one or two at a time.
Buyback, return or recycling
Mostly returnable; we list those for their owner. One-way 84-inch reels are taken when a reuse or recycling route is set, and broken ones are recycled with steel separated.
Uses for buyers
Landscape centrepieces, very large displays and heavy cable storage. Few buyers have the equipment to move them.
Where they turn up around Chicago
Heavy utility work, the steel and process plants of the Calumet and Northwest Indiana, and a few very large data-centre and plant projects. They are uncommon, and almost never in groups larger than two or three.
Moving one is a job for a heavy forklift or a crane truck, and a site that knows how to block it.
Checking one
- Confirm ownership before anything else.
- Check bolts and steel plates for corrosion.
- Inspect the flange faces for deep cracks across several boards.
- Plan the lift: centre of gravity, tine length and blocking.
Planning a move
Before an 84-inch reel moves, agree four things: who owns it, what lifts it, what carries it, and where it goes. The lifting gear must be rated with margin for the reel's weight; the carrier needs a deck long enough to block it; and the destination must be ready to unload it the same day.
How much cable it holds
Layered capacity at the middle build shown above, with 2 inches of clearance below the flange rim. Real cable packs less neatly; treat these as upper figures and check with the capacity calculator.
| Cable diameter | Length | Layers × turns |
|---|---|---|
| 0.25 in (6 mm) | 196,340 ft (59,845 m) | 72 × 168 |
| 0.35 in (9 mm) | 99,100 ft (30,205 m) | 51 × 120 |
| 0.5 in (13 mm) | 49,080 ft (14,960 m) | 36 × 84 |
| 0.65 in (17 mm) | 27,840 ft (8,485 m) | 27 × 64 |
| 0.8 in (20 mm) | 18,450 ft (5,625 m) | 22 × 52 |
| 1 in (25 mm) | 12,270 ft (3,740 m) | 18 × 42 |
| 1.25 in (32 mm) | 7,440 ft (2,265 m) | 14 × 33 |
| 1.5 in (38 mm) | 5,450 ft (1,660 m) | 12 × 28 |
| 1.75 in (44 mm) | 3,860 ft (1,180 m) | 10 × 24 |
| 2 in (51 mm) | 3,070 ft (935 m) | 9 × 21 |
In metric
- Flange
- 213 cm
- Traverse
- 91 to 122 cm
- Drum
- 102 to 122 cm
- Empty weight
- about 318 to 612 kg
Questions
How heavy is an 84-inch reel?
Roughly 700 to 1,350 pounds empty for common wooden builds by our estimate. Steel builds weigh far more.
Do you buy 84-inch reels?
One-way ones in sound condition, when a buyer or reuse route is lined up. Most 84-inch reels are returnable.
Is an 84-inch reel ever used as furniture?
Occasionally, as a table top for events or a landscape centrepiece. It needs a crane or heavy forks to place.
Who owns most 84-inch reels?
Cable makers and utilities. Check the tags and plates before treating one as yours.
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.
- Traverse
- The inside width between the flanges: how wide a layer of cable can be.
- 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.
- Returnable reel
- A reel its maker expects back, usually stencilled or tagged to say so.
- Reel tag
- The label or plate carrying the maker, the reel number and sometimes the return terms.
Selling or buying 84-inch cable reels?
Pick buy, sell or recycle, the product, the count and your ZIP, and the full request opens with those filled in.
Or write to info@chicagowoodenspools.com with the count, flange sizes and a photo of the stack.