- Thread starter Ryan
- Start date
gahrajmahal
Well-known member
Looks great! I had a “wonder winder” that was the same concept except you mount it on the wall. It worked great for many years.
Interesting. Not much more than a bucket with a crank in the lid.. . . gives me ideas.
mobiledynamics
Well-known member
A blast from the past when I just saw that on the homepage. I think I had 2 of those like a decade or 15 ago. Most of my cords these days of various gauges are now home-DIY SJEOW or SEOOW cable with Hubbel Ends. I just roll them up in fairly large loops and just hang them.
It's been a long time, but it get's tired real quick with that crank in a buck. Especially with larger gauge or longer wire.
It is well built though, but a large Cox reel or the like is much easier to unwind
It's been a long time, but it get's tired real quick with that crank in a buck. Especially with larger gauge or longer wire.
It is well built though, but a large Cox reel or the like is much easier to unwind
I've had a WonderWinder in the box for I don't know how many (at least 15) years. Seems like a good idea but I've never found a decent place to mount it in the garage.
MushCreek
Well-known member
I have two heavy 100' 10 gauge extension cords that I wind up on a garden hose winder. It can hold both of them, and has wheels to drag it around our property. I picked it up at a yard sale for $5.
Spencer Was Here
Well-known member
So, do you have any retractable cord reels? If so do you always pull them out to full length before using?
OP
He was addressing my situation - generator, long 12/3, large loads over a long period.
LegacyIndustrial
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Cords are a giant PIA, looks like a nice solution.
I've had a few reels. They are fine for most stuff. You need to be careful what you plug in to them. They have slip ring contacts and you don't want to over heat those. The coiled cord comment is for heavy loads (max rating) over a long time. I've see them get hot from being coiled. Being in bucket might add to the problem.
mobiledynamics
Well-known member
I just remembered what I did not like with this cord in a bucket. The weight....the unit is well built. When empty, + cord, and then carrying it, with it swaying back and forth as you leg as you walk with all the weight .........it was annoying.
It's alot easier just taking a long looped cord, even heavy SO cable and just running the hand through it and carrying it over the shoulder.
It's alot easier just taking a long looped cord, even heavy SO cable and just running the hand through it and carrying it over the shoulder.
PelicanPines
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I purchased 3 x 50' 12/3 cords. Bought those Orange Crank rollers. 50' is not heavy... and with multiple cords... I can power multiple things or extend to 100'... I won't ever need more than 75. 50 will get me just about anywhere outside to an expected "internal Load Center"
Attachments
andyvh1959
Well-known member
I'm skeptical, not worth it. I have a few 100' power cords and 50' power cords that still lay out straight and untwisted because when I manually coil them up I make sure not to allow twist into the cord/reinforcing. I create about a five foot long section into a loop I hold in my left hand, then with my right hand I coil on another five foot section that I make sure is not twisted as I collect it next to the previous loop in my left hand.
People that just wrap the cord up looped over their hand and elbow end up with a figure 8 twisted mess. Any reel, vertical like above or horizontal like the bucket style still need the cord relaxed and untwisted as the cord is reeled in. I'll just do it manually.
People that just wrap the cord up looped over their hand and elbow end up with a figure 8 twisted mess. Any reel, vertical like above or horizontal like the bucket style still need the cord relaxed and untwisted as the cord is reeled in. I'll just do it manually.
KnurledNut
Well-known member
Neat contraption.
Ive been doing a method similar to this video for too long and it would be hard to change to anything else even if it was easier.
P.S. Shirt/beer is optional.
Ive been doing a method similar to this video for too long and it would be hard to change to anything else even if it was easier.
P.S. Shirt/beer is optional.
CraigStu
Well-known member
I have a couple of the orange plastic reels that I like. But I may need to check out that winder. Big advantage I see is the thing sits wherever w/ no tendency for the cord to start unwinding.
IndyGarage
Well-known member
Well, it's not quite as high tech as the Roboreel. Which is a good thing.
I use extension cords constantly. I have a couple of the orange generic cords and a couple green christmas light cords I use around the shop, and one heavy 100 foot extension cord. But we all know the problem with putting out and picking up cords. 25 and even 50 footers aren't bad if they are lower gauge - but heavy gauge cords are tough. If it is cold out they are even tougher.
So I have a garage journal confession. I actually bought a Roboreel. And my review is two words: It *****.
It ***** because the stupid thing isn't heavy enough to hold itself in position when you pull the cord out. I put it on a table and promptly drug it onto the floor - several times. It ***** because mine doesn't retract all the time - seems the cord doesn't wind evenly on the spool and gets stuck. And it really ***** because you can't attach anything that pulls a lot of amps or that has spikes in power through it, because the protection circuit will shut it down.
Forget running my plasma cutter or even a high amp grinder - or pretty much anything I want to run in my shop through it - you will end up spending 5 minutes trying to figure out what just broke - then determining that the brain in the roboreel thinks you are doing something dangerous - so you go get a standard extension cord and string it out and then do the thing that the roboreel won't let you do.
I tried to like it, but now it sits in the corner, because if I pull it out I'm liable to have it fall on the floor and break, and if I use it, i'm afraid it will shut down.
So this low-tech version might be a better answer - although it still costs 215 bucks, which is what I paid for Mr. Roboreel.
I use extension cords constantly. I have a couple of the orange generic cords and a couple green christmas light cords I use around the shop, and one heavy 100 foot extension cord. But we all know the problem with putting out and picking up cords. 25 and even 50 footers aren't bad if they are lower gauge - but heavy gauge cords are tough. If it is cold out they are even tougher.
So I have a garage journal confession. I actually bought a Roboreel. And my review is two words: It *****.
It ***** because the stupid thing isn't heavy enough to hold itself in position when you pull the cord out. I put it on a table and promptly drug it onto the floor - several times. It ***** because mine doesn't retract all the time - seems the cord doesn't wind evenly on the spool and gets stuck. And it really ***** because you can't attach anything that pulls a lot of amps or that has spikes in power through it, because the protection circuit will shut it down.
Forget running my plasma cutter or even a high amp grinder - or pretty much anything I want to run in my shop through it - you will end up spending 5 minutes trying to figure out what just broke - then determining that the brain in the roboreel thinks you are doing something dangerous - so you go get a standard extension cord and string it out and then do the thing that the roboreel won't let you do.
I tried to like it, but now it sits in the corner, because if I pull it out I'm liable to have it fall on the floor and break, and if I use it, i'm afraid it will shut down.
So this low-tech version might be a better answer - although it still costs 215 bucks, which is what I paid for Mr. Roboreel.
Used Wonder Winders for years. As posted above the issue is the reel needs to held down while you spool and un-spool the cable. Without that it takes too many hands and what not to hold everything.
Have several mounting bases around the shop so I can move the Wonder Winder where I need the cord.
It's simple but effective!
I had one of those orange plastic reels but found it terrible to use.
.
.
.
Have several mounting bases around the shop so I can move the Wonder Winder where I need the cord.
It's simple but effective!
I had one of those orange plastic reels but found it terrible to use.
.
.
.
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
For what it would cost for a winder to store my 75' 8/4 SOOW genny cord, I'll just keep hand looping.
jblnut
ALLIANCE MEMBER
That would be a nice thing to have around a house where you want to keep things clean. It's a bit pricy but looks like a nice unit !!
I instantly thought of the various length 4/3 SOOW cords we use to power augers in our grain drying system and found myself wondering if maybe a 55gal barrel version is available
I instantly thought of the various length 4/3 SOOW cords we use to power augers in our grain drying system and found myself wondering if maybe a 55gal barrel version is available
slimpickins
Well-known member
I used to work on an audio crew and we wound 150-200 ft cords by hand into loops just coiling them by hand. We used a reverse looping method where 1-3 loops go on the inside and the same number on the outside. Uncoiling was just using a hand under hand from inside the coil - basically your hands being the spool. Not sure if that makes a clear picture but I've done it that way ever since. To this day I wind my cords that way and I can just stack them in a box or one of the big drawers in my shop and they never get tangled or twisted. No velcro ties, nothing. I even use it on my big 10/3 extensions which is a little harder but still works. The only time it doesn't work is when it's -40 and then even the -40 rated cords are a little too stiff. At those temperatures you can literally "push the wire" and it can stay straight. I wind them up as best I can and bring them in the garage to warm up and then re-wind them the usual way.
Ryan, your 5 days of below freezing temps makes me laugh. We have weeks of -25 to -40 weather and it's pretty much business as usual. Here's few things you are missing out on: (lol)
When you live in this climate I guess we are just ready for it as a matter of course.
Cheers
Ryan, your 5 days of below freezing temps makes me laugh. We have weeks of -25 to -40 weather and it's pretty much business as usual. Here's few things you are missing out on: (lol)
- At -30 tires get flat spots when parked for a few hours and it takes a mile or so of driving before they flex and warm up enough to smooth out.
- Below -20 to -25 salt doesn't melt ice and snow and they spread sand and gravel on the roads.
- The sand/salt mix is varied depending on temperature for best effectiveness.
- If it stays cold enough for long enough, the condensation from car exhaust from all the cars builds up on the roads as ice and it starts to get pretty slick. Salt doesn't help. It has to get up to about -20 before the salt can start to melt it.
- The salt they use is mostly potassium chloride (i.e. potash) which is a fertilizer, so when it melts in the spring it helps the grass in the ditches grow. Sodium chloride (i.e. table salt) kills plants.
- When we get extreme cold below -40, tire rims can shrink enough that the seal from tire to rim fails and to solve this they will smear a tar coating in the bead channel of the rim to help the tire seal to the rim. (I've only had to do that once).
When you live in this climate I guess we are just ready for it as a matter of course.
Cheers
nadogail
Well-known member
I am a fan of the Cord Wheels, I keep one in my van and another in my workshop.
MatBirch
Well-known member
In my shop, I had the one that just pulls the cord in and drops in into the mesh bag hanging below it. I loved it. I had it mounted right next to my air hose reel. I kept a rag clipped to a length of paracord dangling beneath each one, so I could just grab the rag in one hand, and pull the hose/cord through it as I wound it back up. Everything stayed nice and clean.