Cable reel questions
These are the questions buyers and sellers of empty wooden cable reels ask us most, answered plainly: how reels are sized, what they hold, what a used reel's condition means, how returns work, and how freight and lot size set the price. If your question isn't here, the request form on the contact page or info@cablereelsforsale.com reaches the desk.
Buying reels
We sell empty nailed wood and plywood reels in lots, delivered anywhere in the US a truck can reach. The questions below cover what to send, what arrives and how small an order can sensibly be.
Selling reels
We buy sound wood reels from any maker, mixed sizes included, and arrange the pickup. The selling questions cover what we take, what we leave, and how payment is set.
Sizes and measuring
Every reel is three numbers in inches: flange, traverse, drum, in that order, following the NEMA WC 26 / EEMAC 201 packaging standard. Most sizing questions come back to reading or measuring those three.
Capacity
How much a reel holds depends on all three numbers and on the cable's outside diameter. The formula is short; the capacity calculator does it for you.
Condition and grading
A used reel is judged on its arbor hole, staves, flanges and drive holes. We describe each in plain words on the write-up rather than with a letter grade.
Returns and take-back programs
Some reels can go back to their maker; most can't. These answers explain the difference and where the take-back programs stop.
Freight and lot size
A trailer costs about the same however many reels ride on it, so the count on board decides each reel's share. Sonoco puts the range at about 8 reels of 96x60x42 to about 200 of 36x24x17 per trailer.
All questions
What do I need to tell you to buy reels?
The size as flange x traverse x drum, how many, the condition you will accept, the delivery ZIP, the date, and how the truck gets unloaded. A photo of a reel you already use, with the stencil showing, helps most.
Do you keep reels in a warehouse?
No. Reels stay at the seller's site until they are sold, then a trailer takes them straight to the buyer. That keeps handling and freight down.
Can I order a mix of sizes in one delivery?
Yes. Each size is listed on the quote with its own count and condition note, and mixing sizes often fills a trailer that one scarce size couldn't.
Is one reel worth ordering?
Sometimes, if a lot is already passing near you or you can collect it. On its own truck, one reel can carry a trailer's whole freight bill, so we show that figure before you decide.
Can I see the reels before I commit?
Ask for photos by size group when the quote comes through. Pictures of the pile, a stencil and the worst reel in each group show you more than a description can.
Which reels will you buy?
Empty nailed wood and plywood reels that can carry cable again, from any maker. Off-brand and non-returnable reels are welcome.
Which reels won't you buy?
Steel and plastic reels, and wood reels with a split arbor, a flange cracked through the ply, rot reaching the drum, or most staves missing. We say which ones before pickup.
When do sellers get paid?
On the terms printed in the written offer, which you agree to before a truck is booked. The amount follows the signed count on the bill of lading.
Do I have to load the reels myself?
Loading is usually done with the seller's forklift. If there isn't one, tell us, and the offer will plan a liftgate or hired equipment instead.
What does 42x28x20 mean?
A 42 inch flange diameter, a 28 inch traverse between the flanges, and a 20 inch drum. The first number is always the flange.
How do I measure a reel with no stencil?
Measure straight across a flange through the center for the flange, between the inside faces of the flanges for the traverse, and across the barrel for the drum. Add the out-to-out width across the outside faces if it has to fit equipment.
What is out-to-out and why does it matter?
It is the full width of the reel across the outside of both flanges, including the flange thickness and any bolt heads. It decides whether the reel fits a stand, a van door or a trailer deck.
How do I work out how much cable a reel holds?
Subtract an inch or two of rim clearance from the flange, square it, subtract the drum squared, multiply by the traverse and by 0.0654, then divide by the cable diameter squared. The answer is in feet, with every measurement in inches.
Why does the formula overstate what fits?
It assumes perfect square rows. Real winds nest unevenly, hand-wound cable sits looser, and makers leave extra clearance, so treat the result as a ceiling.
What is the first thing to check on a used reel?
The arbor hole. If it is split or worn badly out of round, the reel can't turn safely on a shaft, whatever the rest looks like.
Are a couple of loose staves a problem?
Not usually. A loose or missing stave or two can be nailed back or replaced, and the reel carries cable again. Many missing, or rotten staves, end its working life.
What does weathered mean on a write-up?
Gray, sun-faded faces, old stencils and fine surface checks, with the structure still sound. It affects looks, not strength.
How should empty reels be stored?
Stood on a flange on gravel, concrete or timbers, out of puddles, with sizes grouped and stencils facing outward. Reels left lying on wet soil rot from the lower rim inward.
What makes a reel non-returnable?
It was sold with the cable and the maker doesn't expect it back: no deposit on the invoice, no return label, no program that covers it. It belongs to whoever bought the cable.
Should I return reels to the maker instead of selling them?
If a reel carries a deposit or credit, yes, return it. If no program will take it, selling it as part of a lot is the usual route.
Why won't one maker's program take another maker's reels?
Each program is built around its own reels. Service Wire's free return, for instance, accepts only its own labelled nailed reels of 30 to 72 inch flanges in full truckloads; Dura-Line's credit covers only its own steel reels.
Why is freight such a big part of the price?
Empty reels fill a trailer by space, not weight, and a trailer costs much the same however full it is. Each reel pays its share, so 8 big reels each carry far more than 200 small ones would.
How can I lower the freight per reel?
Buy or sell enough to fill a trailer, add a second size to fill the deck, be flexible on dates so a load can be shared, and have a forklift ready at your end.
Do you ship to Canada or overseas?
No. We buy and sell within the US only, and we don't offer export packing or fumigation.
Can a reel stand on its flange on the trailer?
Smaller reels often ride stood on a flange and stacked, or laid with flanges overlapping to use the trailer's volume. Large reels usually ride on their rims, chocked and strapped.