Cord Reel Suggestions or Comments

[John in OH]

I’ve been searching through numerous threads here of advice on buying an inexpensive cord reel for my shop. I’ve found a lot of info here, but not too much specifically on recommendations … well, not too much other than that the expensive steel reels are the best, but I’m not prepared to spend over $200 for an extension cord!

I had hoped for a reel made in the US, but other than the high-end reels, that doesn’t look too promising. So, I’ve narrowed my search down to two possible reels … both are similar in style and rating and have similar user review ratings:

Tasco reel from Home Depot (China) -- $70



Reelcraft LG3050-143-9 (China) -- $150



Does anyone have any actual experience with either of these reels?

I was going to consider a Cordomatic from Klein, but it appears that Klein no longer makes cord reels and a lot of other reels like Craftsman, Bayco and Reelworks have been trashed in recent user reviews.

I’m kind of leaning toward the Tasco since I could buy two of them for the price of one Reelcraft, so, is the Reelcraft really worth twice the cost of the Tasco?

Any comments or suggestions? Any other reels similar to these that you might recommend?

 

[sberry]

John, this promises to be a no nonsense thread. The last ones I got were small units I scored from an auto parts shelf in the back with an inch of dust, I said, you let these go for that, yup, sold, as I remember they had a 25 cord one size above minimum? I could do without the 3 way. I think a guy would find he could do without a ton of wiring by having a reel in the right spot.

I would be interested in a good generic model too.

I use this one a little, one tool at a time grinder or sawzall, limited, it works and I move it in the summer to the apron.

 

[badgcoupe]

I got the Craftsman pro reel and it's worked just fine, I've been using it almost daily for over a year now and have had no issues. The only minor issue if I were to nit pick would be sometimes it doesn't retract all the way because the cord spools up to much on itself and it hits the casing, easily fixed by pulling it out a foot and angling the cord to the not so full side.

 

[supra90turbo]

I salvage Bayco droplight reels from work.
Once the light dies, they throw the whole thing out, and I just re-end it with a repair outlet from the hardware store.

I wouldn't put a ton of amps through it, but it works just fine for angle grinders, etc.

 

[KPSquared]

Robo-reel. . .got great response on here.

 

[W_KY]

I've had this one for about 3 months.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...ural&cm_cat=netconcepts&cm_pla=Google&cm_ite=

While I know there are nicer ones out there, it has worked ok for me. Biggest drawback I can find is that sometimes it doesn't feed in perfect so all the cord isn't retracted. Some guidance with the feeding process normally resolves this.

 

[ElectroLight]

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...ural&cm_cat=netconcepts&cm_pla=Google&cm_ite=

Biggest drawback I can find is that sometimes it doesn't feed in perfect so all the cord isn't retracted. Some guidance with the feeding process normally resolves this.

That's the same one HF sells, right down to the cord don't fit issue. I've had mine for 5 years now, does the trick and 40 feet long is a nice feature.

 

[John in OH]

That's the same one HF sells, right down to the cord don't fit issue. I've had mine for 5 years now, does the trick and 40 feet long is a nice feature.

I considered the Northern Tool Reelworks reel as it appears to be a comparable product to the Reelcraft and Tasco, and is priced at $70 same as Tasco and is also made in China.



However, I was put off somewhat by the recent customer reviews ... the last SIX reviews since Nov. 8, 2012, all gave this reel a "one star" rating based mostly on poor retractability. Since I'll be mounting the new reel on the ceiling, I want to make sure that it does a reasonable job pulling itself back up into the spool housing. Admittedly, many customer ratings prior to Nov. 8, gave up to "five stars".

 

[W_KY]

It seems to do fine until about the last 3-5 ft. Depending on how much cord you want left hanging out (since it will be mounted higher) it might not be as big of an issue.

 

[sberry]

I like the 40 ft idea. I might have to try that.

 

[bobcatdan]

I've had this one for about 3 months.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...ural&cm_cat=netconcepts&cm_pla=Google&cm_ite=

While I know there are nicer ones out there, it has worked ok for me. Biggest drawback I can find is that sometimes it doesn't feed in perfect so all the cord isn't retracted. Some guidance with the feeding process normally resolves this.

I have the 65' model from northern at work. No complaints and I would recommend it to anybody.

 

[frankush]

This one's made in the US, but is more money.

http://www.arizonatools.com/12-gauge-reels/detail/GEN2200-1006/

 

[Jason Lister]

Reelcraft LG3050-143-9 (China) -- $150



Does anyone have any actual experience with either of these reels?

I have that exact reel in my garage. It gets pulled out probably 8-10 times a week and never abused. It works, but I did have the first one break a recoil spring. It was under the warranty and reelcraft did honor it, but they did make a mention that they do not manufacture those reels at all.

I asked if I could upgrade to one of their industrial reels, but that was a no go. Personally, I wish I had just paid the $330 and got the reel I wanted and not had to worry about it anymore. I baby this reel now as much as possible, just to make sure it will work for me next time.

 

[sberry]

At 70 vs 330 the cheap one looks pretty good but at 150 to 330 the good one looks a lot better.

 

[Jason Lister]

At 70 vs 330 the cheap one looks pretty good but at 150 to 330 the good one looks a lot better.

Exactly my point.

 

[Requin6]

I considered the Northern Tool Reelworks reel as it appears to be a comparable product to the Reelcraft and Tasco, and is priced at $70 same as Tasco and is also made in China.



However, I was put off somewhat by the recent customer reviews ... the last SIX reviews since Nov. 8, 2012, all gave this reel a "one star" rating based mostly on poor retractability. Since I'll be mounting the new reel on the ceiling, I want to make sure that it does a reasonable job pulling itself back up into the spool housing. Admittedly, many customer ratings prior to Nov. 8, gave up to "five stars".

I have had the 75ft version for the past couple months and I am enjoying it. It winds up the cord all the way to the stop for me everytime. In fact I have to be careful not to let the cord go before it reaches the stop or else it will whip it in place.

 

[machine_punk]

This one's made in the US, but is more money.

http://www.arizonatools.com/12-gauge-reels/detail/GEN2200-1006/

The picture in this link looks like it shows the EXACT same casing as the original 'reelcraft' posted by the OP. The cord ends are different, but the case is exactly the same.

Kev

 

[Modifieddriver]

John, this promises to be a no nonsense thread. The last ones I got were small units I scored from an auto parts shelf in the back with an inch of dust, I said, you let these go for that, yup, sold, as I remember they had a 25 cord one size above minimum? I could do without the 3 way. I think a guy would find he could do without a ton of wiring by having a reel in the right spot.

I would be interested in a good generic model too.

I use this one a little, one tool at a time grinder or sawzall, limited, it works and I move it in the summer to the apron.

I have 4 of what appear to be the same thing. I don't know the brand, but it's a good intermediate quality.

It's a several steps up from the old CORDOMATIC drop light reels, which I still have in use today.

I bought my first Cordomatic new, after that the rest I bought at swap meets and pawn shops.

That's where I'd be shopping, unless it's needed NOW.

 

[John in OH]

This one's made in the US, but is more money.

http://www.arizonatools.com/12-gauge-reels/detail/GEN2200-1006/

The picture in this link looks like it shows the EXACT same casing as the original 'reelcraft' posted by the OP. The cord ends are different, but the case is exactly the same.

Kev

Frankush and Kev may be on to something here! Saf-T-Lite lists a model 2200-3000 that claims to be Made in USA even though the case, as Kev points out, looks like a carbon copy of the Reelcraft case!

http://www.saftlite.com/ProdDetail.aspx?pid=576&gid=1&fid=5



A quick search on the internet finds two listed prices of this Saf-T-Lite model 2200-3000 at between $123 and $130. I'm willing to pay that for a US made reel, but due to the apparent similarities between this unit and the China-made Reelcraft unit, I need to do a little more homework.

But this unit looks promising! Anyone have experience with this brand or model?

 

[woody 73]

This might not be what you are looking for but around 2008 when I had my garage built ,the tool store salesman talked me into a product called reelcraft and it has worked very well for the last 5 years. He also talked me into a reel for my air line from a company called American reeling and so far it has not given me any problems.

Both products are made out of heavy guage steel and they they were not cheap; but in my last garage my small hand crank reel was a pain in the **** and I was determined to get the kind with a return spring , glad I did.

 

[frankush]

Here it is again for $115. I wonder if this is one of those items that fly under the radar, as far as percent of "Made in Usa" content. Does the Chinese one maybe have a Chinese cord? You might want to call Saf-T-Lite and ask them. I am interested in what you find out. With the heavy cord, if it's made in the US, I'd consider buying one as well.

http://www.tooldiscounter.com/ItemDisplay.cfm?lookup=GMI2200-3000

 

[John in OH]

Here it is again for $115. I wonder if this is one of those items that fly under the radar, as far as percent of "Made in Usa" content. Does the Chinese one maybe have a Chinese cord? You might want to call Saf-T-Lite and ask them. I am interested in what you find out. With the heavy cord, if it's made in the US, I'd consider buying one as well.

http://www.tooldiscounter.com/ItemDisplay.cfm?lookup=GMI2200-3000

Frankush, so here's the discouraging answer directly from Saf-T-Lite ... the model 2200-3000 is NOT made in the US, but made in China (despite what their website says), and the model 2200-3015 is made in Indonesia. However, the smaller, light-weight model 2630-3000 is a US made product:

30' 16/3 cord, Made in USA, $60

Unfortunately, I want a heavier-duty reel ... 40' of 14/3 minimum. So, unless some other reel made by a US manufacturer pops up, I'll probably be stuck having to buy a China product. Can't believe it that no US manufacturer can make a competitively priced, moderate duty, cord reel!!

It's not clear to me the COO of the many other more moderately priced reels in Saf-T-Lite's product line.

 

[John in OH]

I considered the Northern Tool Reelworks reel as it appears to be a comparable product to the Reelcraft and Tasco, and is priced at $70 same as Tasco and is also made in China.



However, I was put off somewhat by the recent customer reviews ... the last SIX reviews since Nov. 8, 2012, all gave this reel a "one star" rating based mostly on poor retractability. Since I'll be mounting the new reel on the ceiling, I want to make sure that it does a reasonable job pulling itself back up into the spool housing. Admittedly, many customer ratings prior to Nov. 8, gave up to "five stars".

I picked up another little fact that needs to be considered when choosing a retractable reel! I stopped in a Northern Tool store today to take a look the Reelworks reel ... 40' of 12/3 wire. They didn't have one hanging for display, so I opened a box to look one over and was surprised to find that the in-line circuit breaker is adjacent to the PLUG on the inlet cord rather than at the multi-port outlet. As you can see in the photo in the above posting, no breaker is shown in either line; however, in actuality there is a breaker adjacent to the plug as shown marked below:



This arrangement may be OK if the reel is mounted on the wall, but I plan to mount mine on a 12' ceiling and sure don't want to drag out an 8' step ladder and clear set-up space each time the breaker pops!! Many of the other reels have the breaker adjacent to, or integral with, the cord outlet. So, word to the wise, make sure you know where the circuit breaker is located before you buy a reel!!

 

[John in OH]

I'm still in the market for a reel so giving this a bump just to see if anyone has any more words of wisdom regarding cord reels.

 

[oilslick]

Mee to

 

[Oldbear]

I salvage Bayco droplight reels from work.
Once the light dies, they throw the whole thing out, and I just re-end it with a repair outlet from the hardware store.

I wouldn't put a ton of amps through it, but it works just fine for angle grinders, etc.

I do the same... plus I have pieced a few back together to save the shop money. Both of my drop reels are old drop lights...

 

[John in OH]

Thought that I’d give an update on my cord reel search. After spending way too much time searching the internet for cord reels, reading buyer reviews, and looking at reels in stores, I came to the conclusion that the reliability of most of the inexpensive to moderately priced reels is rather low.

My solution is a compromise! After thinking about the layout of my shop, I decided that I could use two separate reels; one smaller 14/3 reel in the bench/machine tool area and a second larger 12/3 reel in the general work bay area. I rejected all of the reels with 16/3 cords.

For the smaller reel, I selected one of the most inexpensive reels, the China-made Craftsman Professional reel with 30’ of 14/3 cord. It received an average “2.5/5” rating from 31 reviewers. It’s currently on sale at 10% off for a final price of $45.



For the larger reel, I selected the “made in USA” Reelcraft model L-4545-123-3 reel with 45’ of 12/3 cord. It appears to be a heavy-duty looking reel that got an average “4.75/5” rating from 12 reviewers. Rather pricey at $290, but it is one of the cheapest of the heavy-duty models.



I hung the Craftsman reel from the 12’ high shop ceiling this evening. It looks nice and feels like a decent enough reel. It has a steel housing and flexible cord with a small circuit breaker integral with the multi-plug receptacle; however, only time will tell of its reliability.



Haven’t received the Reelcraft unit yet, but I’ll give a quick update when it’s received.

There is one newer reel product on the market that I considered but finally rejected. Northern Tool now has a fairly heavy-duty looking Klutch reel priced at $200. It looks decent enough in the sales photos, but I just couldn’t bring myself around to paying that much for what is probably a Chinese reel. Rather spend an extra $90 for a US made reel and help an American keep his job.

 

[JayL]

I too use the Craftsman Pro 14/3 for my 110V supply in the shop. I welded together a base for it so it can swivel much more efficiently.





For the 220V line I got the Rockler 12/3 one as price is ok for me.




added a swivel base too

 

[dirtmister16]

i have a 50 foot craftsman setup. has three plugs inline and works great in my garage, been using it for quite a few years no with out a hitch. cold or hot weather doesn't seem to bother it much at all.

 

[Dberglind]

I have the lesser $30+- reel from Lowes/HD. They are yellow and have a relatively short 22'? line. Three outlets[in line] and an indicator light to let you know they are hot.

I have them in four different garages plugged in to the outlet that powers my garage door opener, so pretty much in the center of two car garages.

Never fails, let's me get electric to a vehicle parked outside the door[ok, the FRONT of a car parked outside] are small and as I repainted them flat white, no one even sees them.

Handiest of ALL my tools. I would suggest a couple of these well placed before I would suggest another that was longer. One placed inside the garage door, the center one, one near the man door....

I also have a HUGE 100' industrial one that lives outside and is about to be moved to inside the behemoth [80 feet long behemoth, I can reach ANYWHERE with that reel]. $5 for five of them at an auction. Some were air, some were double air/water, one was the Walmart nursery department HUGE one....

I have this one at home as well. Have had if for about 5 years, and have never had any problems. Great for the price. http://www.lowes.com/pd_203376-1373-FL-800N4_0__?productId=1233131&cm_mmc=SCE_PLA-_-Electrical-_-ExtensionCordsSurgeProtectors-_-1233131&CAWELAID=1368032803&kpid=1233131&%22cagpspn=pla%22

I considered the Northern Tool Reelworks reel as it appears to be a comparable product to the Reelcraft and Tasco, and is priced at $70 same as Tasco and is also made in China.



However, I was put off somewhat by the recent customer reviews ... the last SIX reviews since Nov. 8, 2012, all gave this reel a "one star" rating based mostly on poor retractability. Since I'll be mounting the new reel on the ceiling, I want to make sure that it does a reasonable job pulling itself back up into the spool housing. Admittedly, many customer ratings prior to Nov. 8, gave up to "five stars".

We have a couple of these at work, and they ****. The last 8 feet wont go back into the reel.

 

[John in OH]

I too use the Craftsman Pro 14/3 for my 110V supply in the shop. I welded together a base for it so it can swivel much more efficiently.

I like those swivels!

How long have you been using the Craftsman Pro 14/3 ??

 

[ilovevocs]

I have the craftsman as well, works great until someone pulls the cord out so far that it won't retract. It's never an issue for me but I seem to hang out with restarted people that think they should tug on the thing until my ceiling starts to deflect.


John, that reel craft unit is a really nice
Looking piece. I didn't know I needed a new cord reel until I read this post. Congrats and best of luck with your purchase, please report back once you have some time on the unit.

 

[Roots]

Quite pricey, but exceptional quality Cox Reels.

 

[JayL]

I like those swivels!

How long have you been using the Craftsman Pro 14/3 ??

I've had it for almost 2 years now. Aside from having to help glide the cord on the last few feet to retract I've had no issues with it.

 

[Maexle]

i got this one and i love it:

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3463355&cagpspn=pla&CAWELAID=309546633ne

 

[durallymax]

Good choice on the Reelcraft. Along with all our our air hose reels from them we have 4 of the cord reels as well. Very well built reels.

 

[John in OH]

Received the Reelcraft cord reel about two weeks ago, but hadn’t had the chance to get it installed until today. The Reelcraft unit looks to be a really solid, heavy-duty unit. It’s fairly compact, larger than the Craftsman Pro, but a lot smaller than typical hose reels and a little smaller than I expected.



Installation was more difficult than for the single-point Craftsman. The Craftsman mounts via a simple single hook supplied with the unit and results in a semi-swivel, sort of loosey-goosey installation (See next pic and Post #28 above).



The Reelcraft requires four bolts and is a solid mount. I used two lengths of unistrut to span the 24” between ceiling joists and mounted the Reelcraft from the unistrut. I mounted it between the two overhead doors near the openers and from this location it should be able to serve ½ of the shop space and extend about 20’ outside of the doors.





Quick comparison of the Craftsman Pro vs. the Reelcraft L4545-123-3:

Amp Rating - Cman, 13a ; RC, 15a
Extension cord - Cman, 30’ of 14/3 ; RC, 45’ of 12/3
Extension cord end - Cman, tri-plug ; RC, single plug
Extension cord guides - Cman, none ; RC, four rollers
Protection - Cman, circuit breaker in tri-plug ; RC, none
Primary cord - Cman, 2’ of 14/3 ; RC, 4’ of 12/3
Reel mount - Cman, single-point, semi-swivel ; RC, solid bolted mount
Country of origin - Cman, China ; RC, USA
Price - Cman, $50 ; RC, $290

I really like the look and feel of the solid mount Reelcraft, but at nearly 6x the cost of a Cman, it’s pretty hard to justify for a home shop. It really burns me that no one makes a simple Cman-type reel in the US as I’d gladly pay more for a Cman-type reel if it were US-made (as witnessed by my willingness to spend $290 on a US-made Reelcraft).

I’m looking forward to getting some use time on these two reels to see how well they perform and how reliable they prove to be.

 

[Speed-Racer]

http://www.nationalelectricmfg.com/heavydutyreels.html

The tool truck rebadge National electric, which is made in the USA. If 10amps will work for you this high is a quality product. Have several of the lights with this reel and it will last.

http://www.tooltopia.com/national-electric-23t50.aspx

 

[tomshep]

Another Craftsman Pro user here. 3 outlets and a light to indicate power. Satisfied.

Tom

 

[rick carpenter]

If you don't need a reel, a 5 gallon bucket with a metal coffee can screwed to the bottom works great. Cut a hole in the side at the bottom to let about 6' of the male plug out, wrap the rest around the coffee can.

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=157144