To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Recomend a retractable extension cord

X

X1 Mike

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2008
Messages
8,389
Location
Flagler, Fl
I'm looking for an automatic retracting extension cord. Fifty feet long would probably be enough and having more than one outlet would be another feature I'm looking for. I'm planning on mounting this in my garage so being mountable is obviously another requirement. I was at Lowes getting some stuff and saw the one below but I've never heard of the brand and am not sure if it's a quality unit.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Bayco-50-ft-3-Outlet-Plastic-Retractable-Cord-Organizer/1134705

I also have a good cord that I wouldn't mind loading up in a retracting reel if that is a possibility but I'm not sure they sell bare.


Thanks for any help. :thumbup: :thumbup:
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
D

dv8customs

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2007
Messages
162
Location
East Texas
I have two ceiling mount RoboReels. The cord is 12ga and 50' long, you can connect three things at once to it. I had one malfunction and customer service shipped a replacement out right away.
 
P

plc268

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 10, 2016
Messages
87
I have the 40 ft harbor freight one. It's ok. On mine, the triple tap is basically useless - two of the sockets are loose and wont grip on to a plug. The only reason why I haven't cut it off and and rewired a new socket on is because of laziness.

I forget how you were supposed to mount it, but I remember it being more of a pain in the *** than it should've been. The body of the reel interfered with the bracket, which meant you had to disassemble the reel off the bracket (and I remember at the time it took me a while to figure it out... manual was of little help).
 
B

bimmer1980

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 5, 2009
Messages
2,105
Location
York, PA
I have a couple of the Appleton cord reels... One I bought on craigslist for $15 and the other I got on Ebay for about $100....

I think they are very nicely made....

SAM_8217.jpg

DSC08141.jpg
 
R

royesses

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 28, 2009
Messages
789
I bought the Craftsman metal one. I didn't hang it up for about six months. Then the third time we used it it stopped pulling the cord back. Out of warranty. I took it apart. The cord is on a cheap plastic reel. The very large flat spring is captured in the plastic reel. The plastic reel split where the spring is captured and the spring end was against the cord. I don't recommend it. A very badly designed product.

Roy
 
P

PureLeaf

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 25, 2014
Messages
1,417
I had a craftsman one for many years, it eventually burned the interior plastic from a short or a surge, and covered the contacts. Cleaned it up a few times, eventually had to throw it out.

Replaced it with a Bayco, drove me nuts with the amount of effort it took to make the thing wind itself in its entirety evenly into the spoon.

Bought a Woodhead (1200 dollar unit) and a Coxreel (400 dollar unit) from an amazon price screw ups, both have been very nice units. Woodhead definitely was not worth the premium, and the casting makes it weigh a ton compared to the Coxreel's stamped steel.

Reelcraft or Cox reels would be the choice I would make.
 
J

JABgj

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 11, 2013
Messages
547
Location
So. California
The cheaper ones will take light use for a while and are not generally serviceable. Had a few at work that needed repair and the company did not sell parts for liability reasons.
I have a 30 footer from HD and it works but it is not a great or stout unit.
 
J

jloehlein

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 18, 2012
Messages
191
Location
Richmond, VA
X1 Mike said:
I was at Lowes getting some stuff and saw the one below but I've never heard of the brand and am not sure if it's a quality unit.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Bayco-50-ft-3-Outlet-Plastic-Retractable-Cord-Organizer/1134705
Click to expand...

I have that reel hanging from the ceiling in my garage and I don't like it. I've only got 35ft of the cord in the reel (the rest hangs free) and I have trouble feeding it back into the reel because there isn't enough space unless you wind it in thoughtfully (like you would a winch line). This would be even more frustrating if you wall-mount it with the full 50ft inside of the reel.
 
G

Gummi Bear

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
524
Location
Sunset, Texas
Reelcraft and CoxReel are the absolute top of the line. That is what we install in hospitals and industrial facilities. If you’re using it every day, and want it to last a lifetime, pony up for one of these. Hubbell is also in this category.

For home use, a Strongway from Northern looks pretty decent when I looked at them in the store. They are half the price of the premium.

For occasional use, you might get away with one from HF.



I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...

Henry David Thoreau
 
S

shoot summ

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 8, 2010
Messages
2,960
I have a Reelcraft, 40', 12ga, it's been installed for 7 years and has worked great.
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
S

Steve_P

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
5,185
Reelcraft. Expensive but no issues for 5+ year Got it at Enco or Zoro on sale
 
N

noid

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 15, 2010
Messages
1,341
Are you planning to use a 120v welder (most pull 20amp)? Do you have 20amp plugs?

If so, invest in a reel that has the option for 15/20 amp plugs.

https://amzn.to/2Jloljp
 
T

tarbellb

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 17, 2011
Messages
5,770
Location
Oregon
Top dollar industrial units- Appleton, Woodhead, Coxreels, Reelcraft in order of price likely too.

Bayco arent bad for a casual DIY shop.
 
OP
X

X1 Mike

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2008
Messages
8,389
Location
Flagler, Fl
DerekV said:
I have this one and I like it (12g, triple tap, 40ft)
https://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200660257_200660257?adv=false

They also have a 65 footer
https://m.northerntool.com/products/shop~tools~product_200665711_200665711?adv=false
Click to expand...



I like those a lot, we may have a winner. The 12 ga is nice, It is just for my home garage and won't actually be used that often.


Funny the reason I started thinking about this is that I am in the process of organizing my garage and had to cut a Kobalt wall rail for hanging a hand truck. I used a M12 jigsaw instead of getting out my Dewalt miter saw and cut it perfectly square. I realized I went to the M12 just because it was easier than getting a cord out. This may only be used once a week so although I want quality pro level isn't needed.
 
W

Wamsutta

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 8, 2014
Messages
10,884
Location
Amarillo, Texas
Gummi Bear said:
Reelcraft and CoxReel are the absolute top of the line. That is what we install in hospitals and industrial facilities. If you’re using it every day, and want it to last a lifetime, pony up for one of these. Hubbell is also in this category.

For home use, a Strongway from Northern looks pretty decent when I looked at them in the store. They are half the price of the premium.

For occasional use, you might get away with one from HF.



I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...

Henry David Thoreau
Click to expand...


You beat me to it. That's what I was going to say. :thumbup:
 
T

Tonyuk

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 9, 2017
Messages
1,539
Location
Scotland
The ones sold for outdoor use tend to be a bit better made and heavier duty imo, i usually go for them but don't know the brands of them tbh.
 
OP
X

X1 Mike

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2008
Messages
8,389
Location
Flagler, Fl
If you are going to ask advice you should at least post up what you ended up with. :thumbup:

I bought the 40 foot Ironton that DerekV suggested from Northern Tool. Thanks for the heads up!!!!

I also bought a retractable air line from HF last weekend. It was an open box buy and I offered 35 bucks!

I have the air line held up by two 3/8" x 2 1/2" lag screws and two 1/4" Toggler brand toggle bolts (Claim to hold 265 lbs.) and the electric is held by one 3/8" x 2 1/2" lag and two 1/4" Togglers. They aren't going anywhere. :thumbup: :thumbup:

Now I need to make a thread on how to get the air to the reel. I'm thinking PVC. :FIREdevil
 

Attachments

  • Electric reel.jpg
    Electric reel.jpg
    44.2 KB · Views: 87
  • Air and electric.jpg
    Air and electric.jpg
    86.7 KB · Views: 89
R

royesses

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 28, 2009
Messages
789
X1 Mike said:
If you are going to ask advice you should at least post up what you ended up with. :thumbup:

I bought the 40 foot Ironton that DerekV suggested from Northern Tool. Thanks for the heads up!!!!

I also bought a retractable air line from HF last weekend. It was an open box buy and I offered 35 bucks!

I have the air line held up by two 3/8" x 2 1/2" lag screws and two 1/4" Toggler brand toggle bolts (Claim to hold 265 lbs.) and the electric is held by one 3/8" x 2 1/2" lag and two 1/4" Togglers. They aren't going anywhere. :thumbup: :thumbup:

Now I need to make a thread on how to get the air to the reel. I'm thinking PVC. :FIREdevil
Click to expand...

I just got the FlexZilla reel today. Except for the color and decals it is exactly the same as your Ironton, only its 50 foot. Seems to be a decent quality product. Heavy with a heavy mounting bracket. Operates very smooth. Has 3 outlet lighted end on the wire.

Roy
 
OP
X

X1 Mike

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2008
Messages
8,389
Location
Flagler, Fl
Funny thing about my new set up is tonight I just did brakes on my truck and I lost some of the convenience of having it. As you can see in the one picture I have a dumpster in my driveway as I just put a new roof on my house thanks to Mathew and Irma. So it is nice to have but hopefully tomorrow I won't have to go around so much ****. :thumbup:
 
J

James-W

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 3, 2013
Messages
12,432
Location
Southeastern Wisconsin
I used to have one that I got from Sears many years ago. It wasn't really an extension cord, it was a light and the cord wasn't very heavy duty, but as a light it worked quite well. I would think if you need an extension cord then get at least a 12 gauge cord and a 10 gauge would be even better. That way if you need to run the cord a long ways it should work out OK.
 
M

mike93lx

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Dec 9, 2013
Messages
37,847
Location
Richmond, VA
James-W said:
I used to have one that I got from Sears many years ago. It wasn't really an extension cord, it was a light and the cord wasn't very heavy duty, but as a light it worked quite well. I would think if you need an extension cord then get at least a 12 gauge cord and a 10 gauge would be even better. That way if you need to run the cord a long ways it should work out OK.
Click to expand...

How much cord are you expecting to put in the reel? 10 gauge is silly overkill for what a reel gets us3d for probably 99% of the time
 
OP
X

X1 Mike

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2008
Messages
8,389
Location
Flagler, Fl
mike93lx said:
How much cord are you expecting to put in the reel? 10 gauge is silly overkill for what a reel gets us3d for probably 99% of the time
Click to expand...

Mine is 12 gauge and in my opinion it is just right. Heavy duty enough to handle some load and small enough to be easy to handle.
 
J

James-W

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 3, 2013
Messages
12,432
Location
Southeastern Wisconsin
mike93lx said:
How much cord are you expecting to put in the reel? 10 gauge is silly overkill for what a reel gets us3d for probably 99% of the time
Click to expand...
For Halloween we do a hot dog roast with juice boxes. We grill the hot dogs on two grills and then we put the hot dogs in two Nesco warmers and we also have a bun warmer to keep the buns warm.

The area where we do the hot dog roast is roughly 100 feet from the garage. We are using three 12 gauge extension cords from different circuits in order to run the three electric appliances. It would be nice if we could have a reel with heavy gauge wire so we would only need to have one long cord instead of three.
 
D

DerekV

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 12, 2016
Messages
1,070
Location
Central TX
X1 Mike said:
If you are going to ask advice you should at least post up what you ended up with. :thumbup:

I bought the 40 foot Ironton that DerekV suggested from Northern Tool. Thanks for the heads up!!!!

I also bought a retractable air line from HF last weekend. It was an open box buy and I offered 35 bucks!

I have the air line held up by two 3/8" x 2 1/2" lag screws and two 1/4" Toggler brand toggle bolts (Claim to hold 265 lbs.) and the electric is held by one 3/8" x 2 1/2" lag and two 1/4" Togglers. They aren't going anywhere. :thumbup: :thumbup:

Now I need to make a thread on how to get the air to the reel. I'm thinking PVC. :FIREdevil
Click to expand...

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::beer:

While far from perfect, the Ironton is perfectly fine for occasional home use and it doesn't break the bank.
 
B

Bretny

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 31, 2017
Messages
3,918
Location
Dutchess county NY
What ever kind you get make sure it has in/out feed rollers that roll.
We had some at work that just used the plastic housing and no rollers. It got a big grove in it making the cord bind up. Would just roll up in one area. Kind of a pain in the ***
 
M

mike93lx

ALLIANCE MEMBER
Joined
Dec 9, 2013
Messages
37,847
Location
Richmond, VA
James-W said:
For Halloween we do a hot dog roast with juice boxes. We grill the hot dogs on two grills and then we put the hot dogs in two Nesco warmers and we also have a bun warmer to keep the buns warm.

The area where we do the hot dog roast is roughly 100 feet from the garage. We are using three 12 gauge extension cords from different circuits in order to run the three electric appliances. It would be nice if we could have a reel with heavy gauge wire so we would only need to have one long cord instead of three.
Click to expand...

You'd buy a 10 gauge retractable cord reel for Halloween?
 
J

James-W

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 3, 2013
Messages
12,432
Location
Southeastern Wisconsin
mike93lx said:
You'd buy a 10 gauge retractable cord reel for Halloween?
Click to expand...
There are other things I could use it for as well as for Halloween. For example, I have an electric chain saw I use for cutting brush by the back fence. I have an electric leaf blower that I take all over the yard. Granted I wouldn't need such a heavy cord for these two items, but having the heavier cord certainly wouldn't hurt. But beyond that, what difference does it make if I buy a 10 gauge cord or I go blow a bunch of money at the casino? At least this way I have something tangible to show for it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom