Woods Extension Cord Storage Reel - Holds Up to 150 Feet of 16/3 or 125 Feet of 14/3 Gauge Cord - Tangle-Free Design for Indoor or Outdoor Use - Side-Mounted Crank - Red & Black

I wasn’t expecting to be so impressed by something as simple as a cord storage reel, but the Woods E-102 has proven to be a surprisingly useful and frustration-saving tool in our garage. For the price, it’s absolutely worth it. We have several long extension cords, including older ones that have developed twists and kinks over time. Trying to manually coil them often results in a tangled mess—what I jokingly refer to as "the orange squid." This tool completely eliminates that problem. It rolls up cords quickly and cleanly, even those with existing twists, without any real effort. For messy cables, i sometimes run it across my foot to keep it straight, but this is for older cables that have noticeable underlying twists. The build quality is solid for the price point. It’s not a premium-grade construction, but it feels sturdy enough that I’m not worried about it breaking with regular use. It's clearly built for functionality over flash, which is exactly what I was looking for. It’s lightweight, easy to carry, and stores neatly on a shelf or hook without taking up much room. The most important part is that it makes cleanup so much faster—no more struggling to get cords untangled or stuffing them into corners where they get damaged. If you deal with long power cords, holiday lights, or even rope that tends to get out of control, this is an inexpensive solution that just works. Highly recommended for anyone who values time and a bit of garage sanity.

Bought for mini lights, holds several lines, works well

Good product but could hold more cord. Might have to order a larger one

I think claims this reel would hold 150 feet of 16/3 or 125 feet of 14/3 cord are optimistic, but I can confirm that with modification, it will hold -- sort of -- 50 feet of 10/3 cable. No criticism intended as this is “off label” use never mentioned in the product description. In hopes it will help others, I only needed one modification to make this work. One of the cable plugs has to be firmly attached to the inside of the reel or the cable won’t roll up. The installed plastic clip is too small for 10/3 cable. I loosely looped a zip tie several times around the cable plug to create a permanent loop, and attached the loop to the plastic clip. The thick cable was a challenge to roll, so it took a bit of effort. The final several feet of cable didn’t fit on the reel, but most of it did, which is good enough for such an economical solution. The zip tie has to be loose enough to create a loop, so it can’t be snugged down. That means it’ll slide down the cable and you’ll have to chase it every time you roll up the cable. Inconvenient, but not a show stopper. This reel hits the sweet spot for storing 50 feet of 10/3 cable. It’s far from ideal, but it adequately solves a problem at a small fraction of the price of a full-bore solution, hence the 5 star rating.

UPDATE: We have abandoned the struggle of trying to wind our 100' 12-3 cord onto this reel. It was not a good plan. The reel is not hefty enough to handle it. Only use this reel for the recommended size cord(s). And then, for easier winding hook the middle of the cord into the center of the reel and wind -- then you won't have a problem with managing the cord ends while winding. Works very smoothly. Easy to find the middle of your cord, and mark the middle with a permanent marker or electrical tape. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I needed a simple cord reel to accommodate 100' of 12-3 cord, after the old plastic one broke. I use the cord for an electric mower and other outdoor tools. The heavier electrical cord is better for the various electric motors; potentially helps them last longer. Searching the local hardware stores and mega-depots was astonishingly disappointing. IF I could even find a cord reel, they were all very, very small and flimsy, unless I spent $80-100 or more for contractor grade -- not an option. I thought it amazing that stores that sell long, consumer-grade cords of various sizes didn't offer any cord reels that could wind and store them. After much searching online, I found this one at a reasonable price. It just barely accommodates my cord, IF I wind the cord from its middle. Otherwise, there is nowhere to fasten either large end so that you can start winding, AND either large end takes up so much room in the middle of the spool that it causes a huge, uneven lump in the wind, and you run out of space for the cord. The only place you can mount an end to start winding is a tab in the center of the inside of the spool. If I could stick an end through one of the outside holes and wind, it would be a great help. But the frame that holds the spool is mounted very close to the spool and an end coming through a side hole would prevent it from turning and winding. After first giving this five stars, I have edited it down to three, after much struggling and hoping to draw the designer/manufacturer's attention. Three stars isn't necessarily fair, since the reel wasn't designed for the size cord I have. It almost can't accommodate the 100' of 12-3, but in lieu of spending $100, I was struggling to make it work. I wish the company made one a size larger, too. I'm thinking, IF they read these reviews (which they would do if they are smart), perhaps they will re-engineer this one to deal with better accommodating the end pieces for winding. Plus, MAKE A SIZE LARGER FOR HEAVIER CORDS! This reel is entirely plastic, but the design and construction are mostly well done, except for what I've already mentioned. You can set it on the ground to wind the cord, which is a great help. A personal caveat-emptor regarding another cord-winder style -- the big-name depots and barns do sell, among others, a style of cord winders designed to entice you by making the winding look like magic. They wind the cord in such a manner that it twists and twists it. Since electrical cords are copper wire inside, the copper twists and cannot be straightened again. After a few uses, the cord is so irreparably twisted that it's impossible to deal with, since its basic shape is too altered to lay flat or rewind. Stick to a cord winder that winds and unwinds straight on/off the reel (like this one's design), so that the cord won't twist.

I found that the inside handle on this design is very much friendlier than some of those used on cheaper models. It makes it must easier to reel something without trying to bend the hand in an awkward position. I bought 3 and used them for Christmas lights. I think that they are overall a bit better built than the slightly cheaper ones with a less-robust handle design. I also got a lot of lights on the reel.

My old reel cracked so I hoped this reel would work for my electric cord. When I received the reel, I was happy to see they are the exact same reel as I had before if looks mean anything. My old reel lasted many many years, so hopefully this reel will do the same.

Works perfectly for our lights. I didn't realize how well it was going to work and only ordered one but decided after using it to purchase another. Easy to use too. Helps keep the lights from being tangled and saves time.