A two-person reel
At 42 inches a reel reaches chest height on its rim and weighs from about 90 to 170 pounds empty. Nobody carries one. It is rolled, lifted with a forklift or a pallet jack under the drum, or walked up a ramp by two people. The 42-inch class is the mid-point of the nailed reel range and one of the most common sizes on commercial and industrial jobs in this market, where it carries feeders, service entrance cable and medium-voltage cable for building services.
Published examples
- Southwire A-29 nailed reel, also designated NR 42.28: 42 x 28 x 21 inches, 32 inches overall, 3⅛-inch arbor hole, 154 pounds.
- Southwire C-22 nailed reel: 42 x 24 x 24 inches, 28½ inches overall, about 167 pounds.
- Southwire N-34 nailed reel: 42 x 29 x 17 inches, 32¾ inches overall, 114 pounds.
- Okonite 42 x 26 x 18 wood reel: 30 inches overall, 90 pounds.
Sonoco lists up to 120 reels of 42 x 26 x 18 in one of its trucks.
What drives weight at the same size
The examples above share a flange but differ by almost 80 pounds. The drum is the main reason: a 24-inch drum needs more and longer staves than a 17-inch one, and makers building for heavier cable use thicker flange boards. If you are planning to lift a 42-inch reel by hand, assume it is at the heavy end.
Who wants 42-inch reels
Contractors who cut feeder lengths for their own crews reuse them. Rewinders want them in matched sets. Makers want them for round tables seating four, at a height of about 28 to 33 inches depending on the traverse, which is close to a standard dining table. Outdoor bars and restaurants use them as standing tables. Sound 42-inch reels are wanted steadily.
Condition at this size
Forklift damage is the main risk. Forks pushed through a flange to lift the reel split the boards, and a reel dropped on its rim cracks along the grain. Check both flange faces for splits that go through both layers. Check that the drum is round and every stave tight, and that the arbor hole has not been worn oval by a reel stand. Weathering on the face is cosmetic.
How they are loaded
A truck carries 42-inch reels standing on their rims in rows, chocked and strapped. With a forklift on site, loading is quick. Without one, two people can roll each reel up a ramp, which takes longer and needs a level approach. Say in the request whether a forklift is available.
Stencils at this size
A 42-inch reel is within the range some manufacturers take back. Service Wire, for example, accepts its own-label nailed reels from 30 to 72 inches in full truckloads. Look for a maker's name or reel number before counting a 42-inch reel as yours to sell.
In South Jersey and the Pennsylvania suburbs
Warehouses along the Route 130 and New Jersey Turnpike corridors in Burlington and Gloucester counties, and commercial buildings around King of Prussia, Conshohocken and Plymouth Meeting, generate 42-inch reels steadily. Service entrance and feeder cable on those projects comes on reels of this size, and the electrical contractor usually leaves several at the building's electrical room or loading dock when the job ends. They are worth clearing before the building is handed over, while a forklift is still on site.
Tables at this size
A 42-inch flange makes a round table that seats four at a pinch. With Southwire's A-29 standing 32 inches tall on its flange and the C-22 at 28½ inches, the height is right for dining with a little adjustment. The top is heavy: a nailed 42-inch flange alone can weigh 40 pounds or more, so the table should stay where it is put.
Shop counters and display islands
Retailers, market stalls and pop-up shops sometimes build counters and display islands from 42-inch reels: two reels with a plank across, or a single reel with a larger round top. The drum hides storage, cables and stock. For that kind of use, choose reels with intact flange faces and no protruding nails, and sand the edges well where customers will touch them.
Fitting through garage doors
Standing on its rim, a 42-inch reel needs an opening a little over three and a half feet tall. Most residential garage doors manage that easily; some older narrow doors on carriage houses and cellar bulkheads do not.
Questions
What does NR 42.28 mean?
It is the designation Southwire lists alongside its A-29 nailed wood reel: the numbers are the 42-inch flange and the 28-inch traverse.
How many 42-inch reels make a pickup worthwhile?
Even a handful, if they are sound. A dozen makes a good stop anywhere in the area.
Last reviewed 2026-11-09.
