Hewes reel for Jobo 2500

[adelorenzo]

Has anyone used one of these?

http://www.freestylephoto.biz/2500120-Hewes-Pro-Stainless-Steel-Reel-120-Reel-for-Jobo-2500

I use the Jobo multi-tank for sheet film and am interested in using it for roll film. I know that the plastic Jobo reel will do two rolls of 120 in this tank using a spacer. I always use Hewes reels for my 120 film so was thinking about giving this one a try.

Does the Hewes take two rolls of 120 or is it one roll only? Is there enough space on the reel for a roll of 220?

 

[Muihlinn]

120 SS reel is for one 120 roll, unless you manage to load two in it back to back (major PITA). 220 needs its own SS reel, what I don't know if they ever made one which fits a jobo core.

 

[resummerfield]

I have that exact same Hewes reel for the Jobo 2500 series. I’ve only processed 120 film and that film fills the reel about halfway out. So the reel should be able to hold a 220 roll.

But even though the Hewes reel seems to have enough space remaining to load 2 rolls of 120 at the same time, the problem would be loading the film. The Jobo plastic reels take two 120 films, but they pull the film into the reel from the outside spiral. The SS reels load from the center and wind the film toward the outside. Perhaps if you taped two 120 films together and then loaded them?

Hewes also makes a SS reel for 35mm film that fits the Jobo 2500.

All the Hewes SS reels are first class, and I find them much easier to use that the standard Jobo plastic reels.

 

[Renato Tonelli]

I have been using them but I never put more than one roll of 120 onto each reel - I am afraid of unknowingly overlapping the two rolls. This has happened to me with the Jobo plastic reels, despite the built-in stops.

Hewes has confirmed that the 120 reel is actually a 120/220 reel and that YES!, it will take a 220 roll of film.

They are so convenient for my workflow: I don't have to unspool the film from the reel for the wetting agent solution - I simply place the whole reel into a container with the Photo-Flo. They are also easier and faster to clean and dry.

 

[bill@lapetelabs.com]

I've used 120 and 35mm Hewes reels in a 1500 series JOBO tank, the 1520+1530+1530 tank plus a SS 1564 center core and a modified plugged light trap and a 1505 cog in the tank lid. The 1564 SS center core will hold 8-35mm reels or 5-120 reels, but not the 220 Hewes reel, that reel can take 1-220 or 1-120 roll of film, but not 2-120 rolls.
The extra weight of the SS reels and core will place excess strain on the older motors of the CPP2, the later model CPP2s have a heavier motor and can take it. You will need a JOBO lift to effectively work with this setup.
Bill

 

[adelorenzo]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, I think I'll definitely order a couple of these. Once I got used to processing 4x5 in the Jobo tank, doing 120 by hand just seems like a pain in the butt now.

I use my Jobo tank on a motor base used for print drums so no worries about the motor.

 

[angusparkengusparker]

Just to add my two cents. There are four kinds of 120 Hewes reels that can be used in a Jobo. Standard Hewes SS reels 120 or 220 can be used with a special SS square rod core in a Jobo 1500 series drum - these reels have a much smaller core and are not specifically designed for a Jobo although they will work. These standard reels are 40% cheaper - although I don't know what the SS rod core costs. Then there are two 120 Hewes reels designed specifically for the Jobo - they have a much bigger 1 inch core for the plastic core that is used on Jobo plastic reels. There is a version for use in the 1500 series drum and another for the 2500 series.

Since there are no 220 films anymore in B&W (and I'm assuming that none of us are doing C41 where there is still some 220) then I would for simplicity sake and easy of use load one 120 film on one reel for the 1500 drums - and get as many reels as film you plan to develop in whichever 1500 series you want to use. I don't think it wise to try and load two 120 films on these smaller reels - in fact I don't think it can be done with the Jobo specific reels. These Jobo specific Hewes reels for the 1500 drums run around $50 each.

I guess if you only have a 2500 drum then it could make sense to get the larger Hewes reels made specifically for it - but they cost $100 each and are more difficult to load being bigger and use more developer. In my option, you are still better off buying a 1500 drum second hand and getting either the standard 120 Hewes reels with the SS core or the special 120 Hewes reels for Jobo 1500 drums for the plastic core.

All these reels can be found here: http://www.freestylephoto.biz/search?q=hewes

FYI: My observations are based on experience as I have used the standard 120 reel with SS core in a 1500 drum, the Jobo specific 120 reel with plastic core in 1500 drum and the Jobo specific 120 reel with plastic core for the 2500 drum. Right now I have standardized on four Jobo specific Hewes reels on a 1500 series drum (with extension) and I do my 4x5 in an 3010 Expert Drum. The one other concern I might have if you have an older Jobo processor with a weak motor is the extra weight of the SS core if you use the standard Hewes reels - it could put a strain on your processor.

 

[angusparkengusparker]

Selling two 120 reels for 2500 drum here on APUG Classified now if anyone is interested....