72-inch flange reels
A 72-inch reel is a utility and industrial reel. Dura-Line's chart puts 20 to 24 empties on a 102-inch wide flatbed, on edge in two rows; we plan on 20. Empty weights run from about 204 lb for a light duct reel to 592 lb for Okonite's heaviest 72-inch build.
- Empties per 53 ft deck (est.)
- 20 to 24
- Empty weight
- 204 to 592 lb
- How it loads
- On edge, 2 rows
- Form answer
- 72 to 96 in
What ships on a 72 inch reel
Seventy-two inch reels carry medium-voltage utility cable, large industrial feeders, solar collection cable and long lengths of duct. Okonite lists several 72 inch builds, with traverses from 36 to 48 inches and empty weights from 335 to 592 lb. Dura-Line's 72 inch duct reel is much lighter, at about 204 lb.
At six feet across, a 72 inch reel on edge looks over most people's heads. Okonite's 72 inch builds have a 36 or 40 inch drum, and through-bolts and steel plates at the arbor hole are standard. The stencil, if there is one, is usually on the outside of a flange.
How 72 inch reels load
Twenty to twenty-four empty 72 inch reels fit on a 48 or 53 foot, 102 inch wide flatbed, stood on edge in two rows with the flanges staggered, according to Dura-Line's chart. We plan on 20. A forklift with long forks or a crane truck is needed to lift them; the driver brings the straps and the chocks.
Resale or recycling
Many 72 inch reels belong to someone. Utility and cable makers' reels are often stencilled and returnable, and we will say so. One-way 72s with sound wood resell to ranches, growers and contractors; damaged ones are broken down and 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 72 inch reels
At 72 inches, reels are often stacked in a laydown yard with dozens of others. Before the truck comes, check the bottom of each flange for rot, from standing on wet ground, and set aside any with broken staves or bolts. The driver will chock each reel under both flanges as it goes on the deck.
What buyers do with them
Ranchers use them for cable, rope and hose storage and as heavy benches, and contractors take them for large cable they buy in bulk. A few buyers want them as landmarks or play structures; we sell only sound ones for that.
Where 72 inch reels pile up
These are the area pages where 72 inch reels are among the usual sizes we see:
- VernonLos Angeles County
- CommerceLos Angeles County
- Santa Fe SpringsLos Angeles County
- Long BeachLos Angeles County
- CarsonLos Angeles County
- Rancho DominguezLos Angeles County
- WilmingtonLos Angeles County
- TorranceLos Angeles County
- Sun ValleyLos Angeles County
- Van NuysLos Angeles County
- Santa ClaritaLos Angeles County
- PalmdaleLos Angeles County
- LancasterLos Angeles County
- AnaheimOrange County
- TustinOrange County
- RiversideRiverside County
- Moreno ValleyRiverside County
- PerrisRiverside County
- OntarioSan Bernardino County
- FontanaSan Bernardino County
- San BernardinoSan Bernardino County
- VictorvilleSan Bernardino County
- Oro GrandeSan Bernardino County
- AdelantoSan Bernardino County
Pickup maths for 72 inch reels
Seventy-two inch reels are common at port terminals, where shore power and crane cable come on big reels, at utility substations and in solar laydown yards across the Antelope Valley. The Oro Grande cement plant and the steel businesses in Fontana use heavy cable that arrives on them too. Many are stencilled and some are returnable to their makers.
| 72 in reels | Share of a 53 ft deck | What it looks like | Empty weight, lb |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 10% | Ride-along | 408 to 1,184 |
| 4 | 20% | Ride-along | 816 to 2,368 |
| 10 | 50% | Part load | 2,040 to 5,920 |
| 20 | 100% | Full run | 4,080 to 11,840 |
| 40 | 200% | More than one deck | 8,160 to 23,680 |
Computed by the load planner from the planning count of 20 per deck. Estimates, not promises.
Mixed stacks: try the planner
Most yards have more than one size. The reel load planner adds 72 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.
72 inch reel questions
How many 72 inch reels make a full truck?
20 to 24 empties on edge, per Dura-Line's chart. We plan on 20.
How heavy is an empty 72 inch reel?
From about 204 lb for a light duct reel to 592 lb for Okonite's heaviest build.
What lifts a 72 inch reel?
A forklift with long forks, or a crane or boom. They cannot be hand-loaded.
What happens to stencilled 72 inch reels?
We tell you who owns them. Often the maker runs a return program for them.
Can a 72 inch reel go on a deck with smaller ones?
Yes. Smaller reels load flat at the front and the large ones stand on edge behind.