Reading the reel
How to read an electrical cable reel tag
The reel tag is the single most useful document on a surplus cable drum. It is printed by the manufacturer, attached before shipping, and it carries the facts a buyer needs to price the material without unwinding it.
Most tags follow the same pattern: a product description, the conductor size, the voltage rating, the length on the reel, the standard it is listed to, and a lot or date code. Reading four of those fields is usually enough to start a quote.
The four fields that decide the value
Construction tells you what the cable is: THHN, XHHW-2, MC, TC, SER, 15 kV XLPE with concentric neutral. Size tells you the conductor, in AWG or kcmil, and the conductor count for multi-conductor cable. Voltage class separates 600-volt building wire from medium voltage cable, which is priced on an entirely different scale. Footage tells you how much is left, which is often less than the reel's original capacity.
The fields that help but do not decide
Lot codes, date codes, listing marks (UL, cUL), sunlight-resistance and direct-burial ratings all matter to the next user, and they should be photographed along with the rest of the tag. They rarely change the offer on their own, but a missing listing mark on medium voltage cable is worth knowing about early.
When the tag is gone
Read the print on the jacket. Cable is surface-printed with its size, insulation type, voltage rating and often the standard it meets — for example 4/0 AWG XHHW-2 600V or 2 AWG THHN THWN-2. A close photograph of that print in good light identifies most cable even when the reel is unmarked.
If both tag and print are gone, the reel is treated as unidentified material. It can still be quoted, but on a more conservative basis, and a sample cut from the end helps.
Questions about this
What is the most important thing on a reel tag?
The construction and the footage. Together they identify the product and how much of it exists, which is most of a quote.
Can you quote from a photo of the tag?
Yes, and it is the preferred way to start. Photograph the tag flat, in focus, with the whole label in frame.
What if the tag shows a length but the reel looks partly used?
Say so. The tag length is the original length; the remaining footage is what gets quoted, and we will confirm it on pickup.