Customer Reviews

Reelcraft L-4545-123-3 Spring Driven Cord Reel with 45-Feet of 12/3 Cord and Single Outlet

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Unlike cheap offshore reels in many of the cheap tool catalogs, this one has a very strong spring that winds up 45 feet of 12/3 SO cord effortlessly. It has top quality Hubbell wiring devices and strain reliefs, as well as a durable powder coat finish. The cord feed-out can be adjusted in 90 degree increments relative to the mounting base, so it can easily go on a wall, ceiling, or floor. This product is a classic case of "you get what you pay for". To me, Reelcraft is the "Snap-On" of cord and hose reels. Go into any working garage and see what type of reels they have on cords, air hoses, and grease guns. They will probably be Reelcraft, because they work great and last forever. I am totally happy with this purchase, just as I am with a Reelcraft 50' air-hose reel I have been using for more than 10 years without problems.

I wanted a cord reel to hang from the ceiling in my garage out of the way, yet immediately accessible without having to get an extension cord, unwrapping it re-wrapping it, etc. This one, though much more expensive than the variety you'll find at the local hardware store, is built like it will last my lifetime and my kid's too. Heavy gauge metal everywhere with no corners cut. It comes packed like it was china too with heavy styrofoam all around. I found a Reelcraft ceiling mount on another web site and it, too, is made to last. I would not hesitate to buy anything from this company as they obviously build their stuff for the commercial, every-day-use market. I've used it for quite awhile now and have nothing but good things to say about it.

Reelcraft L-4545-123-3 Electric Cord Reel with 12/3-Gauge 45-Foot Cord

This cord reel is designed and manufactured to be used in commercial settings such as automobile repair facilities, where it's used dozens of times every day, year in and year out. Shops can't be bothered with the frustration or breakdown, of inferior cord reels.

- every aspect of this reel is high quality; heavy steel, strong spring, powder-coat finish, large support bracket, design, and workmanship, etc. As long as it's not abused, this product should last for decades. By comparison, the cheap imports are mostly plastic to keep the price low -- some even have plastic internal parts that wear out or fail too easily.

- simple to pull out the cord length needed, and stop on any "click". When done, it rewinds with ease and authority every time. You don't need to baby it for the last 10' to get it all on the reel - it just goes on. The large rubber cord-stop can be easily moved so more, or less, cord hangs from the roller bracket.

- the 45' 12/3 cord is rubber sheathed, so it stays soft and flexible even in cold weather. Unlike less expensive reels that might use the smaller 14 gauge or even 16 gauge wire, the 12/3 cord is more than adequate for any 110 volt tool, or even multiple tools. Top-of-the-line Hubbell brand plug and receptacle are used.

- the 4' 12/3 pigtail should be long enough for most installations. The right-angle fitting that protects where the pigtail goes into the unit, also keeps the cord close to the reel and out of the way. If the combined draw via this cord will be greater than 15 amps, the pigtail needs to be plugged into a receptacle that's on a 20 amp circuit.

- this is the smallest commercial cord-reel of this length. The reel itself is only 12" in diameter and the unit projects a mere 13" from the wall.

- the roller bracket can be re-attached in any of 5 locations around the reel, for mounting on a wall, ceiling, bench, or wherever you want; so don't worry if the Amazon photo has it in the wrong place for your installation. For example, refer to Customer Images for a different mounting location than Amazon's photo shows.

- packing was excellent, with large molded plastic-wrapped foam blocks completely protecting the reel from damage. Unsurprisingly, there was no shipping damage.


There are other commercial-grade cord reels on the market, such as the Coxreel, but I don't see how theirs could be any better. I also own a Grizzly H5695 12/3 cord reel, which costs 1/5 as much as this one, and is a terrific value. However, comparing the Reelcraft to that Grizzly is like comparing a Milwaukee drill to a Ryobi drill. Commercial quality versus homeowner quality.

This is a lot to pay for a cord reel, but commercial grade reels are expensive.

Highly recommended.

I had a cheap offshore reel that died very quickly. I've had the Reelcraft for some time now and you get what you pay for. This is a strong, reliable unit. Mine is mounted on the ceiling of my garage. For me that's a perfect location. But it can also be easily mounted to a wall or other location.

Having worked as an electrician I can vouch for the fact that Reelcraft used quality (Hubbell) parts throughout. This unit has a very strong spring that winds up 45 feet of 12/3 cord effortlessly. The #12 wiring throughout really does make a difference. Plug a good leaf blower into this unit vs a #16 gauge extension cord most of us have, and you'll feel the difference.

A Tip: Be sure that the unit is connected directly into an electrical outlet. If, in order to locate the Reelcraft in `your' best location, you MUST use an extension cord, be sure it's made of #12 wiring. No reason to have a Reelcraft that can do a great job if it has to suck power through a tiny extension cord straw.

Update December 2010 - Unit still functioning perfectly. Can recommend.

Although you may a bit more for this item, it will last the rest of your life -- assuming reasonable service/use. I used just about all the others, and found the others to be one-way sales (toss in garbage when breaks.) Frequently, when new, the *others* give some clue how they will ultimately fail as well as how they will perform. Stiff cold-sensitive cable, increasing and inconsistent spring tension (in lieu of constant tension, thin bases, poor DFM, etc seems to plague the others. However, the ReelCraft works like a charm. After seeing the ReelCraft in the professional arena being used day-after-day in the harshest of environments and 12 years later working like the day it came from the factory - I decided to bight the bullet and spring for what will be my last Power Cord Reel Purchase.

This a quailty product a cord reel that works and mounts securly. not one of those cord reels that hang by a eye lag and you have too feed the cord back in the reel.