Battery Tender Cord Reel

[bluesurf]

I'm looking for a ceiling/stud mount retractable reel to house an extended battery tender cable of 25-50 foot in. Something along the lines of a spring-loaded compressor hose reel, but empty and that I can load with my own battery tender cable.

I have searched but not found...thanks in advance for any suggestions!

 

[Steevo]

Get a drop light reel and use that with your own cord ends.

 

[G_P]

You could always use a normal extension cord reel and cut the plugs off and add your own connectors.

Sent from my C5120 using Tapatalk 2

 

[fordzilla90]

I would imagine that you could use a normal power cord reel and just replace the ends with the appropriate ends and disregard the ground.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

 

[bluesurf]

I might end up using a light/power cord reel, but was hoping to find an empty one. Also, I already have two battery tenders with 25' extension cords, so didn't want to waste the cord.

Thanks for the responses thus far!

 

[Ray916MN]

I don't have reel solution for you. I just hand coil my 25' battery tender cords and rubberband them.

 

[HOTFR8]

Will the lead be 12 volt or power 240 volt ? Why not just run a power lead that winds up ?

For mine I have a lead and switch that hangs from the roof.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I'm looking for a ceiling/stud mount retractable reel to house an extended battery tender cable of 25-50 foot in.

I would not extend the low voltage side of any battery charger. Copper wire is not perfect and there will be voltage drop over that length. This means the chargers microprocessor will not be reading the correct voltage.

 

[bluesurf]

I would not extend the low voltage side of any battery charger. Copper wire is not perfect and there will be voltage drop over that length. This means the chargers microprocessor will not be reading the correct voltage.

I already have manufacturer approved 25' extensions that have worked fine for years, hence my reticence to purchasing a reel that is already populated
The various batteries are occasionally measured to ensure appropriate charging, and so far everything is up to snuff.

I appreciate the concern and feedback, thanks!

 

[bluesurf]

Will the lead be 12 volt or power 240 volt ? Why not just run a power lead that winds up ?

For mine I have a lead and switch that hangs from the roof.

12V, and I was just trying to avoid purchasing something that had its own wire as I already have multiple 25' tender wire extensions. Maybe I should purchase in bulk direct from overseas and resell

 

[HOTFR8]

Most tenders do not like having an extension on the 12 volt side as they need to be close to the battery. Some newer tender type chargers do have a 12 volt extension lead.

Where abouts are you ?

 

[Jack Olsen]

It's a cool idea, in any case. Seems like there ought to be some kind of lower-gauge reel available for a 12V line.

 

[shopnut]

Generally, most cord reels are going to have a set of slip-rings to allow the rotation of the spool without twisting the inlet cord many times.

For those drawn into this thread by the title looking for what some here are suggesting, I rigged up several of the Battery Tender extension reels in the past and they work really well. As others have warned, don't go too long on the 12V side. My reels are 25 ft and they charge the battery fine, but if I try to connect another 25ft extension beyond that (50' total), the charger won't top the battery off properly. YMMV for the brand charger you are using (I use the Deltran "Battery Tender Plus" models).

Link: Battery Tender Reel Discussion

 

[someone else]

Check electronic supply houses that cater to audio and video broadcast, like Markertek. They got allll types of wire reels meant for a/v wire but work fine for everything else. Just make sure if you get something meant for video cable at say, 25ft go up in size to compensate for wire diameter. I've used more than one reel in this fashion.

 

[Delta74]

does it have to be self retracting? or do you just want something out of the way and not have to deal with eleastic bands?

if you just want Out of the way, the dollar store is your friend, you can buy little cord rollers like 3 for a buck on that stupid cardboard hanger, and roll your own, gentle tug and out comes the cable, a few spins by hand and its neatly rolled up again.

Dont get me wrong but auto retracts would be nice, but I personally cannot justify the cost, not when the cheap *** part of me knows I can get hand wound ones for 33 cents each. Good luck thou, and let us know what you come up with as I have a bunch of C-tecks kicking around.

 

[lilscorpion]

Generally, most cord reels are going to have a set of slip-rings to allow the rotation of the spool without twisting the inlet cord many times.

For those drawn into this thread by the title looking for what some here are suggesting, I rigged up several of the Battery Tender extension reels in the past and they work really well. As others have warned, don't go too long on the 12V side. My reels are 25 ft and they charge the battery fine, but if I try to connect another 25ft extension beyond that (50' total), the charger won't top the battery off properly. YMMV for the brand charger you are using (I use the Deltran "Battery Tender Plus" models).

Link: Battery Tender Reel Discussion

Great idea. Gotta find a cheap reel now.

 

[bluesurf]

lilscorpion, if you find a cheap small reel like that, then please do let me know where. I've walked the local Sears, O'Reilly's, Ace Hardware, etc., and haven't been able to find something for less than $25. Since I need 2, and don't want to spend $50 for this little project, then I still am without a solution. There are diamond-plated Tasco ones at Costco for $30 each, but they are still in the "tempting, but no" pile. I'm not really a cheapskate, but I can be frugal at times.

At this point, rss feeds are set up for CL, etc., and I'll just wait until something pops up.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

 

[lilscorpion]

lilscorpion, if you find a cheap small reel like that, then please do let me know where. I've walked the local Sears, O'Reilly's, Ace Hardware, etc., and haven't been able to find something for less than $25. Since I need 2, and don't want to spend $50 for this little project, then I still am without a solution. There are diamond-plated Tasco ones at Costco for $30 each, but they are still in the "tempting, but no" pile. I'm not really a cheapskate, but I can be frugal at times.

At this point, rss feeds are set up for CL, etc., and I'll just wait until something pops up.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

I know how it is...I need three and there's no way I'm gonna spend $30 a pop. I'm looking around now and will let you know .

 

[shopnut]

bluesurf/lilscorpion - Watch Sears for an inexpensive cord reel to use as a donor. Several years ago, they had a 50% off sale on the equivilent of this currently offered reel: 20ft Work Light #73942 link. List price was $20 so I picked up a bunch at $10/each - figured I would use them for something (and I did ).

Maybe it will show up soon on a holiday sale .

 

[bluesurf]

Thanks for the link, shopnut. I saw this in person the other day, but was hoping for a sale then.

We were out today for a road bicycle ride on a mixed-use trail, and the thought of using a retractable dog leash collar occurred to me....

btw - nice motorcycle collection; I've had a few of those myself.

 

[shopnut]

bluesurf - I'll report back here if a see a "reel" deal pop up again (I'm always looking ).

Thanks for the kind comment on the M/C's. I have some riders and some collectors. Your mention of the cycles reminded me that I hadn't updated my signature for my latest acquistion - an RZ500 (it's added now!).

 

[ranger302]

Great idea. Gotta find a cheap reel now.

^^^^^ This is what I did.