The invention relates to a pay-off retainer. The pay-off retainer comprises an operation box, a pay-off part and a tension control part, wherein the pay-off part comprises a pay-off spool and a braking mechanism, the top of the pay-off spool is provided with a wire supporting cylinder, the bottom of the pay-off spool is connected with a rotating shaft, the braking mechanism is arranged on the rotating shaft, the braking mechanism comprises a brake drum, a brake block, a return spring and a brake rib, the tension control part is arranged on an operation door, the tension control part comprisesa control spring, a pay-off pulley block, a connecting rod mechanism and a limiting handle, one end of the control spring is fixedly connected with the operation door, the other end of the control spring is connected with the brake rib of the braking mechanism, the pay-off pulley block comprises a first force bearing pulley, a second force bearing pulley and a sensing pulley, the first force bearing pulley and the second force bearing pulley are fixed at the inner end and outer end of the inner side face of the operation door respectively, and the sensing pulley is slidably arranged in a vertical sliding groove in the inner side face of the operation door through a sliding block; the connecting rod mechanism comprises a sensing rod, a linkage rod and a control rod, and a control handle isrotatably connected to the operation door through a mounting end.