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I Finally Mounted a Cord Reel on My Garage Wall and Cleared the Floor
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items If your garage floor looks like a spaghetti bowl of extension cords and you've tripped over the same orange cable four times this week, this is for you. I spent way too long stepping around tangled cords before I finally wall-mounted everything and o...
Sections
7
Retractable Extension Cord Reels That Mount to the Wall
Heavy Duty Cord Management Hooks and Hangers
Power Strips and Surge Protectors Worth Mounting
Cord Wraps and Organizers for Loose Cables
Cable Clips and Cord Routing for Clean Runs
Garage and Workshop Lighting That Plugs Into Your New Setup
Retractable Extension Cord Reels That Mount to the Wall
Cords used to live in a pile behind my workbench. I'd spend ten minutes untangling before I could even plug in a drill. These reels changed that completely.
Grab this if your garage is deeper than 30 feet. I mounted it near the ceiling and the auto-retract actually works without jamming. No more yanking and swearing.
50 FT Retractable Extension Cord Reel
Use this for a heavier-duty setup. My buddy runs a table saw off his and it handles the draw without tripping. Bracket mounting took maybe 15 minutes.
SuperHandy Mountable Retractable Extension Cord Reel
Perfect for a smaller one-car garage where 50 feet is overkill. Mounted mine by the door and it reaches every outlet I need. Cord retracts with one tug.
ReelWorks Mountable Retractable Extension Cord Reel
Snag this for a workshop corner where you just need a quick plug-in spot. Compact enough that it doesn't eat wall space, and the cord locks at any length.
DEWENWILS Extension Cord Reel with 30 FT Power
Try this one if you want something that looks a little less industrial. Mounted it in my basement workshop and visitors actually comment on how clean it looks.
Link2Home 30 Ft Retractable Cord Reel 3 Outlets Wall
For anyone running power tools on the far side of a two-car garage. The triple tap at the end saved me from daisy-chaining power strips like a fire hazard.
Hyper Tough Cord Reel 50ft. 4 Power Outlets
Pair this with a ceiling mount bracket and forget cords exist. I went from tripping daily to not thinking about cords for months. Should have done this years ago.
50 FT Retractable Extension Cord Reel
Heavy Duty Cord Management Hooks and Hangers
Before I got organized, I had cords draped over nails and falling behind shelves. A few proper hooks turned my pegboard wall into something that actually works.
Toss your coiled cords on these instead of throwing them in a bucket. Each one holds a 100-foot cord without bending or popping off the wall.
Everbilt
Get these for lighter indoor extension cords. I keep two by the door so I always know where the leaf blower cord is. Sounds small, saves real frustration.
Hyper Tough extension cord and light storage wrap holds
Use this if you also need to wrangle garden hoses. I hung one on each side of the garage and suddenly the floor is clear for the first time since we moved in.
Crawford CMHH-6 Medium Duty Hose Hanger, Black
Swap out those bent nails for these. They click into the FastTrack rail and hold a surprising amount of weight. My 12-gauge cords hang without sliding off.
Rubbermaid FastTrack Hooks for Garage Storage
Grab one for that weird cord-hose hybrid mess near the spigot. Holds both without them tangling into each other. Took three screws and five minutes.
Suncast Corporation, Wall Mounted Garden Hose Holder
For the person whose garage wall is already full. These double hooks let you stack two coiled cords in one spot. Doubled my wall storage overnight.
Gladiator - Twin Garage Hook for GearTrack or GearWall
Keep this by the workbench for your most-used cord. The open design means you grab and go instead of fighting with a hook. Simple and it just works.
Stalwart Water Hose Holder ? Metal Storage Rack
Power Strips and Surge Protectors Worth Mounting
I used to have power strips on the floor collecting sawdust and getting kicked around. Mounting them on the wall or under the bench was a revelation.
Try this if half your plugs are bulky adapters that block adjacent outlets. The rotating outlets actually fit everything. Mounted mine under the workbench with screws.
Belkin BP112230-08 Surge Protector, 12 Outlets
Use this for a serious workshop setup. Metal housing means it survives getting bumped by lumber. I screwed it to the wall at hip height and run everything through it.
Tripp Lite 12 Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip
Perfect for that one outlet behind the freezer that's impossible to reach. Plug this in and suddenly you have six accessible spots. Saved me from an extension cord run.
General Electric 36735 6-Outlet Surge-Protector Wall Tap
Snag this if you want something that mounts horizontally along a bench edge. The metal body doesn't crack when you accidentally drop a wrench on it. Ask me how I know.
Woods 41546 Metal Surge Protector with 6 Outlets Lighted
For anyone on a budget who just needs something reliable on the wall. Nothing fancy, but it's been running my charger station for a year with zero issues.
Hyper Tough 6-Outlet Surge Protector with 900-Joule
Get this for mounting along a pegboard. Long body distributes the outlets so cords fan out neatly instead of bunching. My bench area looks organized for once.
12 in. 4 Outlet Metal Power Strip
Pair this with a phone mount near your workbench. Charge your phone while you work without running a cable across the floor. The USB ports are actually fast.
Hyper Tough Surge Protector Power Strip, 8 Outlets
Cord Wraps and Organizers for Loose Cables
Even with reels on the wall, I still had random cords in drawers and bins turning into knots. These little organizers stopped the chaos at the source.
Ditch zip ties forever. These reusable wraps keep every cord bundled and you can undo them in a second. I went through 100 in a weekend and ordered more.
VELCRO Brand ONE-WRAP® Ties Reusable Light Duty
Try these for your thicker outdoor cords. They wrap tight and have a buckle so nothing unravels in the bin. Color-coded mine so I can grab the right gauge fast.
Customer reviews for Heavy-Duty Wrap-It Storage Straps
Use this behind your desk or entertainment center where five cords run together. Keeps them in one neat tube instead of a rat's nest. Takes two minutes.
Command Cord Bundlers, White
Grab a set for coiling up those stiff 10-gauge cords that refuse to stay wrapped. The hook-and-loop is strong enough to hold them in place. Finally.
Heavy-Duty Wrap-It Storage Straps - 13" (8 Pack)
For anyone with a junk drawer full of phone chargers and USB cables. Twist these on and suddenly everything has its own little bundle. Oddly satisfying.
(3 pack) Nite Ize Gear Tie Reusable Rubber Twist Tie 12 in.
Snag these if you want a cheaper alternative to the Velcro brand. They work the same and come in a big pack. I keep a stash in every toolbox.
Hyper Tough 8 inch 75lb Black Cable Ties, 50 Pack
Stick these on the back of your desk or under a shelf. They hold cord bundles against the wall so nothing dangles. Removable without wrecking the paint.
(2 pack) Command Cord Bundlers, White
Cable Clips and Cord Routing for Clean Runs
Running a cord from the reel to the bench used to mean cables hanging loose and catching on everything. A few clips along the wall made the whole run invisible.
Use these to run a cord along a baseboard without drilling. They stick, they hold, and they come off clean. Routed my whole bench light cord with one pack.
Command Round Cord Clips, Clear
Get the assorted pack so you have the right size for every cord. I screwed these along the ceiling joist and my retractable reel cord runs perfectly overhead.
Gardner Bender Plastic Cable Clamp - Single Pack
For anyone doing a more permanent install along studs. Quick to hammer in and they hold 14-gauge cord snug without pinching. Did my whole garage in an hour.
Hyper Tough 1/2-inch Cable Staples, 25-Pack
Try this along a finished wall where you don't want cables showing. Painted mine to match the wall and my wife stopped complaining about the visible cord run.
Legrand Wiremold CordMate Cord Cover 9 ft. Kit
Grab these for quick routing jobs. Tap them in with a hammer and the cord stays put. I used them to run speaker wire across the garage ceiling. Clean lines.
Hyper Tough Cable Clips and Clamp Set 140 Pieces
Swap these in when you need something lower profile than a plastic clamp. Almost invisible once installed. Great for running thin cords along a shelf edge.
OOK, Picture Hanging Wire, 9 Foot, 100 lb, Steel, Silver
Slide this over a bundle of cords running to the same spot. Turns five ugly cables into one clean tube. Used it from my power strip to the tool wall. Night and day.
1/4 inch Cord Protector Wire Loom Tubing Cable Sleeve
Garage and Workshop Lighting That Plugs Into Your New Setup
Once the cords were off the floor, I realized my lighting was still terrible. Plugging good lights into the wall reels made the whole space actually usable.
Grab two of these and link them together. My garage went from cave to operating room. They plug right into the retractable reel so I can position light anywhere.
Hyper Tough 4 ft 5000 Lumen LED Shop Light, White, 2-Pack
Use this if you want something with a pull chain. Hung it right above my workbench and the difference is unreal. Actually seeing what I'm cutting now.
(2 pack) Hyper Tough 3200 Lumen 4 ft Slim LED Shop Light
For anyone who wants to daisy-chain lights across the ceiling. I linked three together on one circuit and covered the whole two-car garage. Bright and even.
Feit Electric 4 Ft. Single-LED Shop Light Fixture
Keep this plugged into your reel for portable task lighting. When I'm under the car or behind the water heater, I just pull the reel cord and clip this wherever.
Customer reviews for DEWALT 20V MAX* LED Work Light
Snag this for tight spots where a shop light won't fit. Clamped it to a shelf while wiring a switch and it lit up exactly the area I needed. Strong spring too.
Work Light Clamp
Try this in the corner of the garage that never gets light. Screwed it to the wall, plugged into the nearest outlet, done. No more working in shadows by the door.
Maxxima 2ft. Utility Led Shop Light Fixture, Linkable
Pair this with your overhead lights for hands-free detail work. Changed a car battery at night wearing this and could actually see the terminal bolts. Lifesaver.
Energizer Vision HD+ Focus LED Headlamp
Wall and Ceiling Mounting Hardware for a Clean Install
None of this works if your reel falls off the wall at 2 AM and scares the whole house. Learned that one the hard way. Proper anchors and brackets matter.
Use these if you're mounting into drywall without a stud. They hold serious weight and won't pull out. My 50-foot reel has been hanging for a year, rock solid.
TOGGLER SnapToggle BA 3/16" Toggle Bolts
Grab these for making a custom ceiling mount bracket. Bolted two together with a short board and my reel hangs perfectly centered. Cost maybe five dollars total.
50 Pack Simpson Strong Tie L90 9" Reinforcing Angle
For anyone mounting directly into a stud or joist. These bite deep and hold. I sleep better knowing my heavy reel isn't going anywhere.
3/8 x 6" Lag Bolts
Try these for lighter accessories like cable clips and cord hooks. They go in with a screwdriver, no pre-drilling. Mounted my power strip and cord hangers with these.
E-Z Ancor 25310 Twist-N-Lock Self-Drilling Drywall Anchor
Snag a pair of these to create a shelf mount for your reel if the included bracket isn't long enough. Powder-coated so they won't rust in a damp garage.
Everbilt 14826 16 in. x 10 in. White Heavy Duty Shelf Bracket
Get this before you start drilling into walls. Found out the hard way that my garage studs aren't evenly spaced. This one beeps on the edges so you know exactly where to drill.
Customer reviews for Hyper Tough 3-Sensor Stud Finder
Keep this handy for tightening mounting bolts. Half my install was just ratcheting lag bolts into joists. A good socket set makes the whole project go twice as fast.
TEKTON 3/8 Inch Drive 12-Point Impact Socket Set