Seven feet of reel
From 84 inches up, reels stop being something a yard crew moves casually. An 84-inch reel stands seven feet tall on its rim and weighs from about 640 to over 900 pounds empty. Okonite's reel table lists an 84 x 54 x 48 wood reel, 61½ inches overall, at 639 pounds. Prysmian's 85-inch wood reel, 85 x 39¾ x 42 inches and 46 inches overall, weighs 830 pounds. Southwire lists two steel reels in this class, both marked returnable: the S-120 (RMT 84.36) at 84 x 36 x 42 inches, a 5¼-inch arbor hole and 895 pounds, and the S-153 (RMT 84.45) at 84 x 45 x 42 inches and 930 pounds.
Steel is common at this size
As reels get bigger, makers use steel more, because a steel reel can be filled and returned many times. At 84 inches, a good share of the reels in a utility yard are steel, and those are the maker's property. Southwire describes its steel reels as returnable and charged, with credit when they come back within 12 months. The arbor bushings on steel reels are much larger than on wood: 5¼ inches on these two, compared with 3⅛ inches on most wooden reels.
Truck space and planning
Sonoco's truck table counts nine reels of 84 x 46 x 42 per truck. Nine reels fill a truck that could carry a hundred 48-inch reels. Collection at this size is always planned: the truck, the loading equipment and the route are arranged for the reels, and a single 84-inch reel is collected only when it fits around other work.
Handling and lifting
- A forklift rated for well over 900 pounds at the reel's centre, with long forks under the drum, or a crane or reel trailer.
- Firm, level ground at the reel and at the truck.
- Chocks on both sides whenever the reel stands on its rims.
- A clear area: nobody between the reel and anything solid while it moves.
If the site cannot provide equipment, say so in the request; a truck with its own lifting gear changes the plan and the day.
Where they are found
Reels this large carry heavy medium- and high-voltage cable and large trunk cables. They come from utility transmission and distribution work, large substations, power plants and the biggest industrial and data-centre sites. In this market that means laydown yards serving utility projects, industrial land along the river, and big construction sites in Bucks County and South Philadelphia.
Reuse and recycling
Sound wooden 84-inch reels go to heavy-cable rewinders and storage users. Damaged ones are worth taking apart for their heavy timbers and steel fittings. Steel reels go back to their makers.
Counting and describing 84-inch reels
Because each one is a significant item, list 84-inch reels individually if you can: build (wood or steel), any stencil or number, and condition. For wooden reels, note the flange construction (two or three layers), whether tie rods are present, and whether there is an arbor plate. For steel reels, note the maker and the reel number painted or stamped on the flange; that is all we need to tell you where it goes. A photograph of each reel's flange face is ideal.
Wood from a big reel
When an 84-inch wooden reel is past reuse, it is still a substantial amount of timber. The flange boards are long and thick, and on heavy builds they are often hardwood or dense softwood. Sound boards are recovered for blocking, cribbing and woodworking, and the rest is chipped. The tie rods, nuts, washers and arbor plates go for scrap steel. Taking one apart is slow work with a bar and a saw, which is why it is done at the yard, not on site.
Wide loads and permits
An 84-inch reel lying flat is seven feet across, most of the width of a standard eight-and-a-half-foot trailer deck. Stood on its rim, it rises well above the deck, so overall height matters for low bridges, overpasses and underpasses on the route. Planning a load of several means checking legal width and height limits, choosing roads without low clearances, and sometimes using a lowboy or step-deck trailer instead of a flatbed.
Breaking one down
When a reel this size is beyond reuse, it yields a surprising amount of timber and steel. Breaking it down safely takes saws, pry bars and care with tension in the boards.
Questions
What does RMT mean on Southwire's steel reels?
It is part of the designation Southwire lists for those reels, followed by flange and traverse. Southwire marks them returnable.
Can you pick up a single 84-inch reel?
When it fits a planned route with suitable equipment, yes. Tell us what lifting equipment is on site.
Last reviewed 2026-11-09.
