Most people coil up long electrical cords by looping them around one arm. This gets the job done, but it's hard on the cord: Each loop you make causes the cord to twist a quarter turn, wearing out the cord's insulation and leaving kinks that cause tangles. The plastic Reel-A-Pail quickly winds up cords or pneumatic air hoses without twisting — just like an oversized deepsea fishing reel. The cord plays out effortlessly as you walk it off the reel; to reel it in, turn the crank with one hand and guide the cord into place with the other. (If the cord is dirty, reel it in through a rag held in your guide hand.) A