Questions about empty reels
Plain answers on selling, recycling and buying empty cable reels around Philadelphia: returnables, sizes, what reels are worth and how pickup works.
The short answers people ask for first. Each one links to the page with the full story.
Questions about timing
How soon can you collect?
Large loads are usually scheduled within a week or two. Small loads are collected when a truck is nearby, which can take a little longer.
Can you collect on weekends?
Sometimes, by arrangement, when a site is open and someone can meet us.
What if the weather is bad?
Heavy rain, snow or ice can delay pickups from unpaved yards or steep driveways. We reschedule rather than risk getting a truck stuck or a reel dropped.
Questions about records
Do you give receipts?
On request. A pickup record lists what was taken, with counts, sizes, outcomes and the address.
Can you sign a site's disposal log?
Tell us in advance what paperwork the site needs, and we will say whether we can complete it.
Questions about reuse
Who ends up with the reels you collect?
Contractors and wire shops re-spooling cable, farms and landscapers winding hose, rope and fencing, makers building furniture, and event companies dressing venues.
Can I paint or stain a reel for indoor use?
Yes. Sand it, brush off dust and splinters, and seal it. Avoid reels with oily stains or unknown residues indoors.
Is the wood safe for a vegetable garden?
Most cable reels are untreated timber or plywood, but check for preservative stamps or green tints, and line raised beds if unsure.
Questions about this website
Where does the information on reel sizes come from?
From reel makers' published size charts and standards, linked at the foot of each page with a last-reviewed date.
Do you sell my details?
No. See the privacy page.
Questions about selling and pickup
Do you buy empty wooden spools?
Yes, sound one-way reels: wood, plywood and bolted wood reels you own, with flat flanges, a tight drum and a round arbor hole. Whether a given list is paid for, collected free or recycled depends on condition, size, count and access. See sell your empty reels.
How do I get a quote?
Send a reel list with the form on any page: sell, recycle or buy, the reel type, a flange size, a count and a ZIP code. Two photos help. The reply sorts the list into what we would pay for, collect free, recycle, or leave for its maker.
Do you pick up just one or two reels?
Yes, when they are near other pickups. Small pickups are grouped by area. See one or two reels.
How many reels make a full truck?
It depends on size. Sonoco's EcoReel table puts it at about 200 reels of 36 x 24 x 17, 100 of 48 x 28 x 24, 22 of 72 x 36 x 36 or 8 of 96 x 60 x 42. See large loads.
Do I need a forklift?
For reels from about 48 inches up, a forklift on site makes loading quick. Without one, say so in the request and the truck is planned with its own handling.
Which areas do you cover?
Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties in Pennsylvania, and Camden, Gloucester and Burlington counties in New Jersey. See areas.
Questions about ownership
How do I know if a reel is returnable?
Steel construction, a stencil with words like RETURNABLE or PROPERTY OF, a painted reel number, or a deposit tag. Southwire, for example, ships wooden reels non-returnable with no deposit and steel reels returnable with charges. See returnable or one-way.
Will you buy a steel reel?
No. Steel reels belong to the cable maker. We tell you which maker, so it can go back and the buyer can be credited.
Can I keep a reel a contractor left behind?
Ask the contractor first. Reels left on a site usually belong to them, and some belong to the cable maker.
Do cable makers take back empty reels?
Some do, with conditions. Service Wire takes its own-label nailed reels from 30 to 72 inches in full truckloads; Sonoco's EcoReel collects truckloads of viable wood and polyfiber reels. See manufacturer reel return programs.
Questions about value and condition
What is a wooden spool worth?
There is no list price. Ownership, condition, size, count, access and timing decide it. See what reels are worth.
What counts as a broken reel?
A split flange, missing or loose staves, a cracked or oval arbor hole, soft or rotten wood, fire damage. See broken reels.
Do you take broken reels?
Yes, for recycling: the wood is chipped or recovered and the steel scrapped. Mixed with sound reels or near other pickups, collection is usually free.
Are plastic spools worth anything?
Rarely as spools. Most go to plastic recycling. See plastic reels.
Questions about buying
Can I buy a single spool for a table?
Yes. Give the height and top diameter you want. See spools for tables.
What size spool makes a good table?
A 24-inch reel with a 12-inch traverse makes a coffee table about 15 inches high; a 36 x 24 x 17 reel stands about 28½ inches, near dining height. See choosing a spool for a table.
Do you deliver?
Yes, across the eight counties. Large reels need a way to unload them at your end.
Do you sell reels in bulk?
Yes, built up from pickups to a specification. See used reels in bulk.
Are the reels treated with chemicals?
Most cable reels are plain softwood and plywood. Some are heat treated for export, which uses heat only. Ask for plain, unpainted reels for indoor or garden use.
Questions about measuring
How do I measure a cable reel?
Flange diameter edge to edge, traverse between the flanges at the drum, drum diameter, and the arbor hole. See measuring a reel.
What does 42 x 28 x 21 mean?
Flange by inside traverse by drum, in inches, the order cable makers use under NEMA WC 26.
What is an arbor hole?
The hole through the centre of the reel that a reel stand's shaft passes through, usually 3⅛ inches on wooden reels.
What is lagging?
Boards nailed across the flange rims to protect the cable in transit. They are removed on site.
Questions about the service
Is there a phone number?
No phone number is published. Email info@phillywoodenspools.com or use the form, and give your number if you want a call.
Do you have a yard I can visit?
Reels are collected where they are and delivered where they are needed. For large purchases, ask about viewing.
Last reviewed 2026-11-09.