Alert 5020TF-4C Retractable Extension Cord Reel, Outlets, Circuit Breaker, Black

This product works as advertised. I mounted it to the ceiling in my garage (8' ceiling), this works well for me. I used the included mounting plate and made sure I attached it to a ceiling joist. Since I was using the same plug the garage door was plugged into I made sure I installed the mounting plate just behind the fully opened garage door. Pros: has a 15amp circuit breaker (important if you have a wood working tool and a vacuum plugged in and operating at the same time). Cons: If attached to the ceiling the 20' length is a consideration (I wish I had looked for a longer cord length - perhaps 30')

This thing is awesome. So quick to install. I hung it in my two car garage right by the garage door opener where an open outlet was in the ceiling. Therefore, it's centrally located and can reach every corner of the garage easily. Makes it really handy when you need power anywhere or are working just outside your garage. Retractable cord mechanism seems to be working well thus far. The quad outlet is great for multiple tools. Get it and enjoy!

Works

Love this thing! Solid construction, and the quad outlet with indicator light is great! I have no issue with the breaker being on the male plug end because I have the reel hanging 6' off the floor, and plugged in at 6' high. Easy to reset if I have to.

I ordered the Alert Stamping 12g retractable power reel because I found it to have relatively positive reviews and it was on the lower end of the price scale. Upon opening the package, the quality of the item appeared much better than the picture provided. It's a sturdy looking fellow. It comes with options to mount the unit on the wall or ceiling, however mine seemed to be missing some parts; the locking pin for ceiling hanging was not included. I figured no big deal, I used a thin lag bolt and nut to secure it. I think that there were other parts missing as well such as the hanging hook but I can't be sure as there was no parts list included in the instructions. The cord seems to reel up pretty well though it does need a little help at times, that's not a big deal to me, it works well enough. Despite these small shortcomings I was still pretty satisfied until I tried using a 14 amp power tool with it. The reason I purchased the item was because it was rated to 15 amp and had a breaker. (Only the single tool was plugged in) Well, the power tool trips the breaker every time, so the cord is now relegated to the low power items in my shop, which isn't really helpful at all. I'm not sure if this is ignorance on my part, buying a 15 amp rated cord for a 14amp tool, or if this is the fault of the item, but it seems like it should be stated somewhere I would think. Two stars seems too low but three seems generous. Two and a half.

I hung this from my ceiling to provide access to the plug on my garage ceiling that the garage door opener is plugged into. I use it to plug in my table saw and other wood working tools not located next to the wall in my garage. I chose this particular unit because it is one of the few with wire that is rated at 15 amps for under $100. Mine has 4 breaker protected outlets even though the description said 3 and it has handled the load from my (up to) 15 amp table saw without issue. There is even a light on the outlet to let you know it has power. A feature I didn't notice in the description is that the 4 outlet box is rubber coated which cushions it if you drop it to the floor which makes it feel even more durable. Only complaints are that it sometimes takes several tries to get the locking mechanism to click in and when rewinding it sometimes binds if the cord piles up on one side of the reel but usually pulling a couple of feet out allows it to fully retract. I've had for just a few months but so far no regrets. It is certainly better than dragging a cord from one of the few wall outlets and seems pretty sturdy.

Easy to install. Works as expected.

My wife came outside yelling at me the garage had smoke coming from somewhere and something smelled like it was burning. I run inside to find the end plug melted into out wall plug with the so called breaker kicking on and off on it. No visual flames yet happen so quick but smoke pouring from the outlet. 1 200watt air filter and 1 led overhead lighting unit plugged into it. 300 watts? Dont think so something faulty I think in the internal breaker. Was it new? We all know how things end up back on the shelf alot.