Guide

Cable reel size chart

A cable reel size chart from 12 to 96-inch flanges: typical traverse, drum and arbor hole for each, and the cable each size usually carries.

One chart, three cable makers

This chart gathers the reel dimensions published by three North American cable makers, Southwire, Okonite and Prysmian, into one table, grouped by the size classes used across this site. Each row is a real reel from a maker's own reel table, not an average or an estimate. Sizes are in inches and weights in pounds, empty. The arbor hole is shown where the maker publishes it; Okonite's and Prysmian's tables do not list it, so those rows show a dash.

Published cable reel dimensions by size class (inches, pounds)
Class	Reel	Flange	Traverse	Drum	Overall	Arbor	Weight	Source
12-inch	G-.898 plywood spool	11¾	10	5	11¼	2	3	Southwire
	G-1.235 plywood spool	13½	10	5	11¼	2	3	Southwire
	14 x 10 x 5	14	10	5	11.3	—	5	The Okonite Company
18-inch	18 x 10 x 6	18	10	6	11½	—	11	The Okonite Company
	N-1 plywood reel	15¾	7	8	8¼	3⅛	6	Southwire
	N-2 plywood reel	15¾	14	8	15¼	3⅛	7	Southwire
	G-2.333 plywood spool	15¾	13¼	5	14½	2	5	Southwire
24-inch	24 x 12 x 10	24	12	10	15	—	23	The Okonite Company
	24 x 18 x 10	24	18	10	21	—	24	The Okonite Company
	C-3 nailed wood	23	10	12	13	3⅛	30	Southwire
	N-5 plywood reel	23¾	17	12	18½	3⅛	20	Southwire
	N-7P plywood reel	23¾	22	12	25	3⅛	30	Southwire
30-inch	A-10 nailed wood (NR 30.22)	30	22	16	25	3⅛	66	Southwire
	A-11 nailed wood	30	23	17	26	3⅛	60	Southwire
	N-7 nailed wood	30	17	17	20	3⅛	50	Southwire
	30 x 18 x 12	30	18	12	22	—	39	The Okonite Company
	29.5 PLY	29½	18	12	20	—	40	Prysmian Group
36-inch	36 x 18 x 12	36	18	12	22½	—	64	The Okonite Company
	36 x 24 x 17	36	24	17	28½	—	77	The Okonite Company
	H-13 nailed wood	36	16.38	18	19.38	3⅛	76	Southwire
	N-24 nailed wood	36	28	14	31¾	3⅛	83	Southwire
	38 wood reel	38	27	20	31	—	90	Prysmian Group
42-inch	A-29 nailed wood (NR 42.28)	42	28	21	32	3⅛	154	Southwire
	C-22 nailed wood	42	24	24	28½	3⅛	167	Southwire
	N-34 nailed wood	42	29	17	32¾	3⅛	114	Southwire
	42 x 26 x 18	42	26	18	30	—	90	The Okonite Company
48-inch	A-38 nailed wood (NR 48.28)	48	28	24	32	3⅛	212	Southwire
	C-29 nailed wood	46	24	24	30	3⅛	250	Southwire
	48 wood reel	48	22	24	26	—	178	Prysmian Group
	50 x 32 x 24	50	32	24	36½	—	143	The Okonite Company
54-inch	54 x 32 x 26	54	32	26	36½	—	164	The Okonite Company
	54 x 32 x 26 (heavy)	54	32	26	38	—	234	The Okonite Company
	N-48 nailed wood	50	30	21	34	3⅛	198	Southwire
60-inch	A-62 nailed wood (NR 60.28)	60	28	28	34	3⅛	397	Southwire
	S-62 steel (returnable)	60	28	28	34½	3	340	Southwire
	59 wood reel	59	40	32	44	—	300	Prysmian Group
	58 x 32 x 28	58	32	28	36½	—	187	The Okonite Company
66-inch	A-76 nailed wood (NR 66.28)	66	28	30	34	3⅛	473	Southwire
	N-76 nailed wood	66	28	30	32½	3⅛	370	Southwire
	S-77 steel (RM 66.32, returnable)	66	32	36	38	3	400	Southwire
	66 x 36 x 36	66	36	36	42½	—	292	The Okonite Company
72-inch	72 x 36 x 36	72	36	36	41½	—	335	The Okonite Company
	72 x 42 x 36	72	42	36	47½	—	385	The Okonite Company
	72 x 48 x 36	72	48	36	54½	—	397	The Okonite Company
	72 wood reel	72	36	36	42	—	616	Prysmian Group
	A-99 nailed wood	68	38	36	44	3⅛	536	Southwire
84-inch	84 x 54 x 48	84	54	48	61½	—	639	The Okonite Company
	85 wood reel	85	39¾	42	46	—	830	Prysmian Group
	S-120 steel (RMT 84.36, returnable)	84	36	42	43	5¼	895	Southwire
	S-153 steel (RMT 84.45, returnable)	84	45	42	52½	5¼	930	Southwire
96-inch	96 x 48 x 48	96	48	48	55½	—	758	The Okonite Company
	96 x 54 x 56	96	54	56	61½	—	816	The Okonite Company
	96 wood reel	96	48	42	54	—	1150	Prysmian Group
	S-300 steel (RMT 96.60, returnable)	96	60	42	68	5¼	1082	Southwire

How to read a row

Reel sizes follow the order Okonite sets out in its Technical News on reel anatomy, under the NEMA WC 26 packaging standard: Flange x Inside Traverse x Drum. Overall width is the traverse plus both flange thicknesses. So a row reading 42, 28, 21, 32 is a reel 42 inches across, with 28 inches between the flanges, a 21-inch core, and 32 inches from outside face to outside face.

Southwire's reels carry catalogue codes: the A and C series are nailed wood reels, N covers nailed and plywood reels, G is small plywood spools, and S is steel reels, which Southwire marks returnable. Some rows also show the designation Southwire lists beside the code, such as NR 42.28 for its A-29 or RMT 96.60 for its S-300 steel reel.

What the chart shows

Same flange, different reels. Within one class, traverse and drum vary widely. The 72-inch class runs from 36 to 48 inches of traverse in Okonite's table alone.
Same dimensions, different weights. Okonite lists two 54 x 32 x 26 builds, at 164 and 234 pounds. Prysmian's 72 x 36 x 36 weighs 616 pounds against Okonite's 335.
Steel appears at 60 inches. From the 60-inch class up, Southwire publishes steel reels beside wooden ones of the same size.
Arbor holes grow with weight. Small plywood spools have 2-inch holes, wooden reels 3⅛ inches, and steel reels 3 to 5¼ inches in these rows (up to 7⅝ inches across Southwire's full steel range).

Using the chart to identify a reel

Measure your reel's flange, traverse and drum, then find the closest row. If a code is painted on your reel, look for it in the Reel column first. A close match tells you the build, the likely weight and whether it is the kind that goes back to its maker. Then open the size class page for handling notes and the catalogue entries for that size. If nothing matches closely, your reel is probably from another mill; the class still tells you how it handles and who wants it.

Truck counts

For planning a large pickup, Sonoco's EcoReel programme publishes the most reels of each size that fit one of its trucks:

Most reels Sonoco lists for one pickup truck, by reel size (flange x traverse x drum, inches)
Size class	Reel listed	Reels per truck
36-inch	36 x 24 x 17	200
42-inch	42 x 26 x 18	120
48-inch	48 x 28 x 24	100
54-inch	54 x 32 x 36	60
60-inch	60 x 28 x 28	39
66-inch	66 x 36 x 36	24
72-inch	72 x 36 x 36	22
84-inch	84 x 46 x 42	9
96-inch	96 x 60 x 42	8

Limits of the chart

These are examples, not a complete catalogue of every reel in use. Cable mills build to order, sizes change, and other makers use their own patterns. Check a maker's current table before relying on a specific row for engineering work, such as matching a reel to a cable's bending radius or a reel stand's capacity. The dates the sources were checked are below.

Questions

What is the most common cable reel size?

Across job sites in this region, the 36- to 48-inch nailed wood reels are the most common mid-size reels, and small plywood spools under 24 inches are the most common overall.

Why are there no prices in the chart?

Because reels do not have list prices. See what is a wooden spool worth.

Last reviewed 2026-11-09.