60-inch flange reels
A 60-inch reel carries utility and medium-voltage cable. We plan on 24 empties per 53-foot flatbed, on edge in two rows, between Dura-Line's 50 and 66-inch rows. Okonite's nearby builds weigh 187 to 347 lb empty.
- Empties per 53 ft deck (est.)
- 24 to 28
- Empty weight
- 187 to 347 lb
- How it loads
- On edge, 2 rows
- Form answer
- 48 to 71 in
What ships on a 60 inch reel
Underground distribution cable, larger feeders for plants and data rooms, and solar collection cable all come on reels around 60 inches. Okonite has no 60 inch row; its 58 and 62 inch builds run from 187 to 347 lb, with capacities from 3,000 to 7,000 lb of cable. Utility crews, data-centre contractors and solar builders are the main sources.
Sixty inches is five feet across. On edge, a reel this size is taller than most people's shoulders, and the drum on nearby builds is 28 to 32 inches. Bolts through the drum, with nuts on the outside of the flange, mark a bolted reel.
How 60 inch reels load
Sixty inch reels stand on edge in two staggered rows. Dura-Line's chart lists 26 to 30 at 50 inches and 22 to 26 at 66 inches; we plan 60 inch reels at 24 to 28 and count on 24. A full deck weighs roughly two to four tons depending on the builds. Each reel is chocked under the flange.
Resale or recycling
Heavier bolted 60 inch reels are often returnable, and many are stencilled. Sound one-way reels go to growers and ranches and to contractors with large cable to store. Rot at the bottom of the flange, from standing in wet ground, is the usual reason one is recycled.
How we grade a reel is on resale or recycling; what makes one worth more is on what reels are worth.
Staging and lifting 60 inch reels
Sixty inch reels come off utility and solar jobs in batches, often from a laydown yard. If you can, sort them by size and by whether they are stencilled before the truck comes; it speeds up loading and tells us at once which ones should go back to their owner. Leave a forklift lane between rows.
What buyers do with them
Ranch and farm use, large cable storage, and a few landscape and garden uses. They are big and heavy enough that most buyers want them delivered, which suits a run that is passing anyway.
Where 60 inch reels pile up
These are the area pages where 60 inch reels are among the usual sizes we see:
- City of IndustryLos Angeles County
- CarsonLos Angeles County
- ComptonLos Angeles County
- El SegundoLos Angeles County
- PacoimaLos Angeles County
- Canoga ParkLos Angeles County
- LancasterLos Angeles County
- PomonaLos Angeles County
- Huntington BeachOrange County
- OrangeOrange County
- Buena ParkOrange County
- CoronaRiverside County
- Jurupa ValleyRiverside County
- FontanaSan Bernardino County
- Rancho CucamongaSan Bernardino County
- ChinoSan Bernardino County
- San BernardinoSan Bernardino County
- RedlandsSan Bernardino County
- VictorvilleSan Bernardino County
- Oro GrandeSan Bernardino County
- HesperiaSan Bernardino County
- Apple ValleySan Bernardino County
Pickup maths for 60 inch reels
In Southern California, 60 inch reels are what LADWP's underground cable replacement and Southern California Edison's distribution and undergrounding work leave behind, along with feeders for data centres in Vernon and El Segundo and collection cable for desert solar. They are the most common size in utility contractors' laydown yards.
| 60 in reels | Share of a 53 ft deck | What it looks like | Empty weight, lb |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 8% | Ride-along | 374 to 694 |
| 5 | 21% | Ride-along | 935 to 1,735 |
| 12 | 50% | Part load | 2,244 to 4,164 |
| 24 | 100% | Full run | 4,488 to 8,328 |
| 48 | 200% | More than one deck | 8,976 to 16,656 |
Computed by the load planner from the planning count of 24 per deck. Estimates, not promises.
Mixed stacks: try the planner
Most yards have more than one size. The reel load planner adds 60 inch reels to the rest of your counts and shows how much of a 53 ft deck they take, and whether that is a ride-along, a part load or a full run.
60 inch reel questions
How many 60 inch reels fill a run?
We plan on 24 to 28 on a 53 foot flatbed, on edge. It is an estimate between two rows of Dura-Line's chart.
Where do 60 inch reels come from?
Mostly utility cable replacement, data-centre feeders and solar collection cable.
Why does flange rot matter?
A rotten flange edge cannot be rolled or chocked safely, and it will not resell.
Should I sort 60 inch reels before the truck comes?
If you can. Sorting by size and by stencil speeds loading and settles returns before we arrive.
Do you deliver 60 inch reels to buyers?
Yes, on a run going that way.
Do 60 inch reels come from solar projects?
Yes, from collection-cable work, along with utility and data-centre jobs.
Can 60 inch reels sit outside before pickup?
They can, on hard ground and chocked, but bottom-flange rot starts quickly in wet soil.