Large wooden spools
Large wooden spools, 48 to 96 inches across, come off utility, undergrounding and industrial jobs. We set aside the sound ones for buyers: venues, landscapers, farms, set builders and anyone who wants a reel that is taller than a person. Tell us the size, the count and where it is going; the big ones arrive on our truck.
The sizes, and what they weigh
| Flange | Height on edge | Empty weight, lb | Usual build | Request |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 in | 4 ft | 106 to 177 | Nailed or bolted | Ask |
| 60 in | 5 ft | 187 to 347 | Nailed or bolted | Ask |
| 72 in | 6 ft | 204 to 592 | Bolted, often with an arbor plate | Ask |
| 84 in | 7 ft | 223 to 920 | Bolted, often with an arbor plate | Ask |
| 96 in | 8 ft | 250 to 1,199 | Bolted, often with an arbor plate | Ask |
Weights are published empty weights for standard builds. Light duct reels weigh less; the heaviest cable builds weigh the top of each range.
Who uses big spools
Landscapers use them as raised beds and garden features, set into gravel with the drum planted up. Venues and planners use one or two as a centrepiece, a bar or a photo backdrop. Farms and ranches use them as feed stands and climbing pieces for goats. Film and set builders use them as industrial dressing; a stack of 72s reads instantly as a cable yard. Contractors buy them for what they were made for: winding their own cable, rope or hose on a reel that will survive the work.
What makes a good one
- Flat flanges. Sight across the face. A warped flange will rock on the ground and look worse every season.
- Sound staves. Push a screwdriver into the drum staves near the bottom; soft wood means rot.
- A round arbor hole. If you will put a pole, a pipe or an umbrella through it, a torn or oval hole is a problem.
- Tight bolts. On bolted reels, every nut should be present. Missing ones can be replaced with standard hardware.
- No owner's stencil. A reel that belongs to a cable maker goes back to it, not to a buyer.
Getting a large spool to you
Anything over 48 inches is a truck job. A 60 inch reel can weigh more than 300 lb, a 96 inch reel more than half a ton. We deliver on a run going your way, stood on edge on the deck, chocked and strapped like any load. At your end we need a firm, level place to set it down that a truck can reach, and for the larger sizes a forklift with long forks. If you do not have one, a local equipment rental yard does; tell us and we will plan the delivery window around it.
California's legal height for a truck is 14 feet. A 96 inch reel on a flatbed deck is close to it, so the very largest reels travel on a step deck, which sits lower. That is our problem, not yours; it is just why the biggest sizes sometimes take longer to schedule.
Choosing a size by use
Laid flat with a flange as the top, a reel stands as tall as its overall width: about 30 inches for Okonite's standard 42 inch build, which is dining-table height. Large reels laid flat are taller and much wider, so they suit standing tables and counters. For a garden feature that reads from across a lawn, 72 inches is about the smallest that has presence. For an event centrepiece, think about the doorway as much as the room: a 96 inch reel will not fit through a standard double door on edge, and it is too heavy to tip through by hand.
Buying more than one
Matched sets of large spools take longer to put together, because they have to come from the same kind of job. If you need four identical 72s, say so and give us time. See spools for events and gardens for how we put sets together.
Words on this page
- Flange
- The round end of a reel; its diameter (24 to 96 inches and up) is how reels are sized, sorted and loaded.
- Bolted reel
- A heavier reel held together with through-bolts, used for utility and large cable; often returnable.
- Arbor hole
- The centre hole a reel stand's spindle goes through; a torn or oval arbor hole takes a reel out of service.
- Step deck
- A trailer with a lower rear deck, used when tall reels would break the 14 foot height limit on a flatbed.
- Deck
- The flatbed or step-deck trailer floor; 102 inches wide on a California legal trailer.
- Chock
- A wedge under a reel's flange that stops it rolling on the deck.
Read next
Large spool questions
How tall is a 96 inch spool on its edge?
Eight feet, the flange diameter. On a flatbed it stands about thirteen feet above the road, which is why the very largest travel on a step deck.
Can a large spool sit outside?
Yes, for years if the flanges are kept off wet soil. Set it on gravel or pavers, seal the end grain, and check the bolts once a season.
Can you place it for us?
We can set it down where the truck can reach on a firm surface. Moving it further across a garden or into a venue needs your own forklift or a rigging crew.
Are large spools safe for children to climb?
Treat a large reel like any heavy structure: check for loose staves and splinters, chock it so it cannot roll, and don't let it stand on a slope. We sell reels as they are; they are not play equipment.