Used reels in bulk

Who buys reels in bulk

Bulk orders come from businesses that use reels as reels, or as material. Cable rewinders and wire distributors want matched sets they can fill and ship. Rigging and wire rope shops want sturdy mid-size reels. Event and staging companies want reels to store power and signal cable between shows. Furniture makers want a run of matching reels to build a set of tables for a bar or a restaurant. Garden centres and farm stores want small spools to resell. Pallet and crate makers and timber recyclers sometimes want large broken reels for the wood. Each needs reels in numbers, and each cares about a different thing: size consistency, condition, wood quality or price.

What bulk usually means here

Any order large enough that it changes how the reels are gathered: more than about ten mid-size reels of one size, more than a few dozen small spools, or more than a handful of large reels. Small numbers can come straight from what is sorted after a recent pickup. Bulk orders are built up over several pickups, so they need a little time and a clear specification.

Writing a bulk specification

The more exact the request, the faster it can be filled. A good bulk request says:

• size: the flange diameter, and if it matters the traverse and drum, as a range ("36 to 38 inch flange, 24 to 28 inch traverse");
• build: nailed wood, plywood, or either;
• arbor hole: if the reels go on stands, the hole size (most wood reels have 3⅛-inch holes);
• condition: ready to use for cable, good for building, or parts;
• appearance: whether stencils, labels or stains matter;
• quantity: the minimum that is useful, and the most you would take;
• timing: when you need them, and whether a partial delivery helps.

Matching and mixing

Cable mills build to their own patterns, so two "48-inch" reels from different mills can differ by an inch or two in flange, several inches in traverse and noticeably in drum size. Published tables show this clearly: Southwire's A-38 nailed reel is 48 x 28 x 24 inches, Prysmian's 48-inch wood reel 48 x 22 x 24, and Okonite's 50 x 32 x 24. A bulk order that needs exact matching takes longer to fill than one that accepts a range. If the reels are for tables or displays, a range is usually fine; if they are for automated rewinding, exact matching may matter.

Delivery of bulk orders

Bulk reels go out by truck. Mid-size reels are stood on their flange edge and strapped; small spools are stacked and wrapped; large reels ride on their rims, chocked. The receiving site needs a way to unload: a forklift, a dock or a flat area where reels can be rolled down a ramp. Give the delivery address and describe the unloading. Deliveries across the eight counties around Philadelphia are routine; further out can be quoted.

Truckload sizes

As a guide to how many reels make a load, Sonoco publishes the most reels of each size it fits in one of its trucks, from 200 reels of 36 x 24 x 17 to 100 of 48 x 28 x 24 and 22 of 72 x 36 x 36. Bulk orders of smaller reels can share a truck with other deliveries; very large orders are their own truckload.

Returnables are never in bulk stock

Large numbers of identical reels sometimes look like a manufacturer's fleet, and sometimes they are. Steel reels, stencilled wooden reels and reels with deposit tags belong to their makers and are never sold here, however many there are. Every reel in a bulk order is a one-way reel.

Lead times and staging

Bulk orders are built up from several collections, so allow a few weeks for twenty or more matched reels. We hold them together as they arrive, and deliver once the set is complete. If your project has a hard date, such as a festival opening or a restaurant launch, give it at the start, and we will say honestly whether it can be met. Partial deliveries are possible when some reels are needed sooner than others.

Uniformity checks

For a bulk order, we compare flange diameter, overall width, wood tone and build across the set, and set aside outliers. Expect slight variation even in a matched set; reels are industrial packaging, not furniture stock.

Typical bulk projects

Wedding venues and caterers want matched cocktail tables; breweries and beer gardens want outdoor seating; film and television crews want set dressing; exhibitors want trade-show booth furniture; shopfitters want retail fixtures; landscape architects want playground and park features.

Questions

Can you hold reels for me while an order builds up?

Yes, for a reasonable time, once the order is agreed. Say how long the window is.

Do you offer a lower price for bulk?

Price for bulk orders is agreed in the reply, based on the specification and delivery. Accepting a range of sizes or weathered reels lowers it.

Can I order a repeat delivery each month?

Yes, if supply allows. Steady orders for common sizes are the easiest to repeat.