Moving a big spool
Roll a spool on its flanges on flat, firm ground at walking pace, with one person on each side. Tip it flat by lowering it, never by letting it fall. Lift anything over about 42 inches with a forklift: forks spread wide under both flanges, or a bar through the arbor hole on a crane or a spreader. Chock a spool whenever it stops on edge.
Step by step
Check the weight and the path
Look up the empty weight for the flange size and walk the route. Remove anything a flange could catch on and avoid slopes.
Roll on the flanges
With one person on each flange, push from the side at walking pace. Steer by pushing one flange a little harder.
Stop and chock
Slow the spool by hand, then wedge a chock under each side of a flange before anyone lets go.
Tip it flat with control
To lay a spool flat, two people lower it onto a flange, keeping hands on the top flange and feet clear of the bottom edge.
Lift big spools with a machine
Above 42 inches, use a forklift with forks spread under both flanges, or a bar through the arbor hole slung from a crane or spreader.
Weights to plan for
| Flange | Empty weight, lb | People to roll it | To lift it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 in | 23 to 24 | One | One person |
| 30 in | 39 | One | One person |
| 36 in | 64 to 77 | Two | Two people |
| 42 in | 90 to 100 | Two | Two people |
| 48 in | 106 to 177 | Two | Forklift or crane |
| 60 in | 187 to 347 | Two | Forklift or crane |
| 72 in | 204 to 592 | Two, on smooth level ground only | Forklift or crane |
| 84 in | 223 to 920 | Two, on smooth level ground only | Forklift or crane |
| 96 in | 250 to 1,199 | Two, on smooth level ground only | Forklift or crane |
Published empty weights for standard wooden builds. A spool that has been wet can weigh more.
Rolling
A spool on its flanges is a pair of wheels with an axle between them, and it wants to roll. Use that, but control it. Roll only on firm, level ground: concrete, asphalt or compacted gravel. Soft dirt and lawn let the flanges sink and twist; slopes let the spool run away. One person on each flange keeps it straight. To turn, push one flange and hold the other. Wear gloves for splinters and staples, and boots, because a flange edge on a foot is the commonest injury with spools.
Stopping and chocking
Never let go of a spool on edge until it is chocked. A short wedge of timber under the flange on the downhill side is the minimum; one on each side is better. On a truck deck, drivers chock every reel front and back before the straps go on, and the same habit is good in a yard or a garden.
Tipping a spool flat
To lay a spool down on a flange, two people stand on the same side, hands on the top flange, and lower it toward themselves while stepping back, so the bottom flange pivots on its edge. Keep feet out from under it. To stand it back up, reverse the move with a bar through the arbor hole for leverage. For anything over 42 inches, do this with a forklift or don't do it.
Lifting with a forklift
Spread the forks as wide as they go and slide them under both flanges, not under the drum; lifting by the drum can pull the flanges off. With a spool on edge, approach from the side so the forks pass under both flanges. Tilt back before raising. For the biggest spools, a bar through the arbor hole with chains to a spreader beam on a crane or a forklift jib is the safer lift, because the load hangs centred.
Check the forklift's capacity at the load centre. A spool's weight sits half a flange from the fork face: 36 inches out for a 72 inch spool, further than many capacity plates assume.
On a trailer or in a truck
Small spools can travel flat, strapped down. Large ones travel on edge, chocked front and back, strapped over the top to the rails, like on our flatbeds. Watch the height: a spool on edge on a trailer stands its flange diameter plus the deck height, and California's legal limit for a vehicle is 14 feet. A 96 inch spool on a high deck gets close to that.
When to ask for help
If the spool is over about 300 lb, if the route has stairs or a slope, or if you have no forklift for anything over 48 inches, have it delivered on a truck with the lift planned at your end. The reel weights page lists every size.
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.
- Arbor hole
- The centre hole a reel stand's spindle goes through; a torn or oval arbor hole takes a reel out of service.
- Chock
- A wedge under a reel's flange that stops it rolling on the deck.
- Bolted reel
- A heavier reel held together with through-bolts, used for utility and large cable; often returnable.
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Moving questions
Can I move a 48 inch spool by myself?
Roll it, carefully, on flat ground: at over a hundred pounds it is manageable on its flanges. Don't try to tip or lift it alone.
Will a spool fit in my pickup truck?
Up to 42 inches, laid flat, yes. A 48 inch reel will not lie flat in a standard bed between the wheel wells; it has to stand on edge, chocked and strapped, which is safer on a trailer.
Can I lift a spool with a single forklift tine through the arbor hole?
No. It tears the hole and the spool can swing off. Use both forks under the flanges or a proper bar through the hole.
Is a pallet jack any use?
Only for a spool laid flat on a pallet. Never try to slide a jack under a spool on edge; it will roll off the forks.