The cable is surprisingly flexible, and I ran into no big issues with winding and unwinding it, although there is something to keep in mind. To get the most use out of a cable reel, you need to fully unwind it. for example, fully wound, the maximum current on this model is 1200W. Fully unwound it is 3120W. So, you have to fully unwind 50 metres of cable to use it safely with multiple appliances at the same time. No, we wouldn’t recommend it. Connecting two or more extension leads together, sometimes referred to as ‘daisy chaining’, is benign on its own but the problem lies in the likelihood that you will be plugging in too many devices that use too much power all at once. This overloading, as described above, increases the electrical resistance in the chain and is often the root cause of fires. Also on the power, you’ll see there is a thermal reset switch on this model too. When you compare them you can quite clearly see they are almost identical in that respect. I just prefer the feel and wind of this slightly different model.

Centurion EXT1038 2 Way UK 3Pin Plug 10amp Extension Reel with 10 Metre Heavy-Duty Winding Cable and Safety Cut Out Switch All our extension leads are fully tested & inspected before dispatch & comply with BS7671 IET guidance notes. Some claim to have run four 2000 Watt heaters on one lead. If they did, it wouldn’t be for long and defies science 😀 After all you have a max Watts rating of 13 Amps * 240 Volts (3120 Watts). One heater on full power, or two half power is the most you sensibly want to push through this power cord! If you do manage to overload the cable and pop the fuse then you’ll not have much trouble replacing, it is designed for easy swap over. Proud to be trading for Ten years with long established relationships with suppliers and customers.Option 2 (image 4)- two off 20metre coils assembled with a splashproof plug & coupler to ease coiling & uncoiling At the time of writing this article, the centurion EXT was on sale for around 15 quid. That’s not bad at all for a ten-metre cable reel, fully enclosed in a plastic casing. Of course, with the low price come a few minor faults, but for simple home use it is fine, and a lot of people don’t want to spend the Earth for their extension leads. as far as safety is concerned I have only seen one issue – a user tried to charge up their car and it melted the plug. Long before that happened the fuse should have blown so I am not quite sure what happened there but most cars charge on 30 Amps or more, and since this cable is only rated for your standard 13 Amp household, I highly advise not to misuse the product. It is certainly not safe beyond its rating! Pros: Cable reels are usually operated by a crank handle, but there are automatic models and other types out there too. Of course, this is another thing that goes wrong, leaving you to wind the cable by hand; a very monotonous job indeed.

The earlier models seemed to be a bit flimsy and were prone to break or come off. There haven’t been any recent reports of this at all. You need to be careful when winding or unwinding a cable reel as it is so easy to get the cable twisted, knotted and tangled up without realising it until it’s too late. Then you have to spend some time carefully untangling it, and it can be really frustrating. This is a common problem with some self-retracting cable reels. In fact, for me apart from the most obvious attributes, the hand coil is the biggest advantage. If you coil up well after use, laying your cable reel is a matter of seconds. It doesn’t need to be untidy either. If you use the old over under method you’ll not damage your cable either. Here’s a good tutorial. I know the guy is American but I’ve fast forwarded you to the right point in the video and you only need watch a few seconds to get the idea: The cable itself seemed fine to me, but the outer housing probably wouldn’t take much of a beating, so you’ll have to be careful about dropping or standing on it. I also wouldn’t ever use this outside in wet conditions. A further word of warning: the maximum power handling of longer extension cables, such as cable reels designed for indoor or outdoor use, depends on the cable being completely unwound. If you’re planning on using high powered electric garden tools, then the cable must be unwound to prevent excessive heat build up in the cable reel. Where a wound cable reel might only handle 1,000 watts (1KW), the same reel may be rated at around 3,300 watts (3.3KW) when the cable is unwound to its full length. And similarly, don’t be tempted to tightly wind up a standard extension cable in the name of neatness if you’re going to be using it with power hungry appliances – items with a high power draw can cause the cable to heat up dramatically and create a fire hazard.When fully wound, the cable has a maximum current of 3 amps, or 720 watts, which isn’t a great deal and probably wouldn’t be enough to run your lawnmower without getting too hot. However, once you unwind the cable, that maximum current jumps to 10 amps (2400 watts) which is much more practical and should allow you to run two electric garden tools at the same time without issue.

Now, if you have a smaller garden, the idea of unwinding 50 metres of cable might sound like a bit oof a nightmare, but thankfully, this product is also available in smaller sizes of 20 and 25 metres. With regards to this being waterproof it most certainly is not and should not be used in the wet. The cable is 1.25mm and you can send a sensible 3000 Watts of power through the lead without cutting out BUT make sure the cable is unwound. If the cable is still reeled and you put some hard work on it, then it’ll overheat and cut out. I had one that failed and actually melted the cable together once (not this model or manufacturer) but worth remembering just how important it is to unwind the cable. The bright green design of this cable reel from Status is something you’ll either love or hate, but beyond that, this competitively priced cable reel is definitely one worth some serious consideration.This is another great extension lead for use in the house or out on the patio in good weather. It is not really suited to be used in a heavy-duty way, but there are other products available if that’s what you’re looking for. Just don’t expect all the features found on this one. Ready for use with a PAT test also included in price & a copy of the test results for your own records. Although this is advertised as ‘heavy duty’, you should take it with a very large pinch of salt. The plastic used for the casing and other parts isn’t the best, and in some parts felt a bit loose or less than robust. So you’ll like the design – as you place in your plug, the lid will come down and encapsulate the plug creating a water tight seal. Here’s a look at that: The main thing that I think will put people off is the bright green casing and cable. Personally, I didn’t really like it, and thought it made it more difficult to see the cable in the grass. It did make things easier when the sun went down though, so I guess it comes down to personal opinion.