Reels for rope and wire rope users

Who uses rope reels in the Metroplex

• Crane rental and service companies replacing hoist and boom rope on mobile and tower cranes
• Rigging shops making slings and assemblies from bulk wire rope
• Towing and recovery operators replacing winch lines
• Tree care and utility vegetation crews with long synthetic lines
• Elevator contractors with hoist and governor rope
• Oilfield and industrial suppliers with drilling line, sand line and winch rope
• Marine and lake users with mooring and anchor line

What makes a good rope reel

Wire rope is heavier per foot than most cable, and a reel full of it puts real load on the drum and flanges. A rope reel needs tight staves, flanges that sit square, and a round, ideally plated, arbor hole that turns true on a stand. Rope should be wound with even tension and good lay, and a reel that wobbles makes that impossible. The Okonite reel tables show how much the rated load changes with build at the same size: a 72 by 36 by 36 in reel is rated for 4,500 lb in its standard build and 8,000 lb in its heavy one. For rope, err on the heavy side. See 72 in reels for the full range at that size.

Sizes rope users ask for

Steel reels and returns

A lot of wire rope arrives on steel reels that go back to the rope supplier. We don't take those unless the owner releases them. The wooden reels that come with rope, often heavy nailed reels and drums, are usually one-way, and those are the ones we buy or recycle.

Cutting to length

Rope shops cut rope from a master reel onto smaller reels or into coils for customers. That leaves a steady supply of partly used master reels and a steady need for smaller take-up reels. We can supply the take-up reels and collect the emptied masters on the same visit.

Winding rope onto a used reel

Rope winds best onto a reel whose drum is large enough for its diameter; small drums kink wire rope and set a permanent bend in it. Rope makers publish minimum drum-to-rope ratios for their products, and a rigging shop will know them. Start each layer tight against a flange, keep the wraps close together, and keep tension steady so upper layers don't cut down between lower ones. Secure the tail through the flange or with a clamp, never with a nail that could nick the strands. A used reel that passes our checks will do this job as well as a new one, provided it's the right size and build.

Inspecting a rope reel between uses

Wire rope wears reels faster than cable does. Look for grooves cut into the flange inner faces by the rope's edge, staves crushed where heavy wraps sat, and arbor holes enlarged by braking loads on a stand. Any of those means it's time to retire the reel from rope service, though it may still be fine for lighter work.

Grease, lubricant and recycling

Wire rope is lubricated in manufacture, and reels that carried it often have grease on the drum and flanges. That's fine for reuse with rope, but greasy wood can't go to most mulch or bedding outlets. Mention it when you send rope reels for recycling, and we'll route them accordingly.

Questions