Buy empty reels

What is available to buy

Empty reels for sale come from the same pickups as everything else on this site: one-way reels collected from contractors, distributors and job sites around Philadelphia and South Jersey, checked, sorted by size and set aside for people who want them. That means what is available changes week to week. There is no warehouse of identical reels and no fixed list. What there usually is, at any time, is some mix of small plywood and nailed spools, mid-size nailed wood reels from 30 to 48 inches, and a smaller number of large reels. The catalogue entries marked Buy show which types turn up often enough to ask for.

We do not sell returnable reels. Steel reels and wooden reels stencilled with a cable maker's name belong to that maker, so they never come up for sale here, even when they look perfect.

Who buys empty reels

• Makers and furniture builders looking for a 24- to 48-inch reel to turn into a table, often with a smooth plywood or tight nailed flange. See spools for tables.
• Contractors and rewinders who need sound reels to wind cable, wire rope or hose onto, usually in matching sizes. See empty reels for re-spooling.
• Growers, gardeners and farms wanting small spools for hose, fencing wire, irrigation line or as stands. See spools for farm and garden.
• Businesses that need reels in numbers, for displays, events, storage or resale. See used reels in bulk.

How to ask

The request form beside this page works for buying as well as selling. Choose Buy reels (nothing is preselected), then give:

• the reel type if you have one in mind, or what the reel is for;
• the flange size you want, or a range ("anything from 30 to 36 inches");
• how many;
• your ZIP code, so we can work out delivery or collection.

On the second step the form asks for a delivery address, because a buyer's address is where the reel is going. In the message box, say anything that matters for your use: a minimum traverse for a table base, a particular arbor hole size for a reel stand, plain wood only with no stencils, and so on.

Condition grades

Every reel we sell is described plainly, without a grading scheme that means nothing outside this site:

• Ready to use. Flanges flat, staves tight, arbor hole round, no rot. Will carry cable again.
• Good for building. Structurally sound, with weathering, stains, old labels or minor surface damage. Fine for tables and stands, not ideal for a heavy cable load.
• Parts. Sound boards or flanges from a reel that will not hold together as a reel. Occasionally wanted by makers for tops.

The reply to a buy request says which grade the reels on offer are.

Collection or delivery

Small spools can be collected or delivered with other pickups in the same area. Larger reels are delivered by truck, and for reels from 48 inches up the delivery address needs a way to unload them: a forklift, a loading dock or flat ground where the reel can be rolled off a ramp. Say what is available at your end. We do not ship reels by parcel carrier; they are too heavy and awkward for that to make sense.

What reels cost

Price depends on size, condition, how many and where they are going, and we give it in the reply rather than on a list. Small spools cost little. Matched sets of clean mid-size reels cost more. Delivery is quoted with the reel. If cost matters more than condition for your use, say so, and we will offer weathered reels that still do the job.

Reels that are hard to find

Some requests take time to fill: very clean reels with no printing at all, matching sets of more than about ten large reels, specific arbor hole sizes, or reels of an unusual width. We note those requests and come back when the right reels come in from a pickup. If you have a deadline, give it.

Visiting and choosing in person

Most buyers choose from photos, which we send before anything is loaded. For bigger orders, such as a restaurant fitting out a patio or a contractor buying a matched set, ask whether viewing is possible before delivery. Bring a tape measure and a list of what each reel is for.

Gift and craft requests

Students, scouts, art teachers and community gardens sometimes ask for a single spool for a project. Tell us the purpose; small requests are easier to meet when a truck is already passing.

Seasonal stock

Supply swells after spring and autumn building rushes.

Questions

Can I come and choose a reel myself?

Ask in the request. Because reels come and go with pickups, browsing a yard is not the usual arrangement, but for a large purchase it can sometimes be arranged.

Are the reels treated with chemicals?

Most cable reels are plain softwood or plywood. Some are marked as heat treated for export, which uses heat, not chemicals. If you need untreated wood for a food garden or for indoor furniture, mention it.

Do you deliver to Delaware or north Jersey?

Our pickup area is the eight counties around Philadelphia. Delivery further out can be quoted for larger orders.