Our standout test showed the Zabiki could be extended to almost 6 feet before it bent. We also found that the durability of the PowerLocks blade extends beyond a resistance to grit and debris into kinking and general abuse as well. From what we could tell, in most ways its identical to the G-25 (same blade, same size, same tang, almost the same locking switch), so it appears that the additional cost is because of the spaced-out over-mold aesthetic. The back of the tape features vertical markings to accommodate difficult overhead measurements. Once enough mud and grit are pulled into the case, thats it for the tape. As a framer in the Pacific Northwest, hes working in an extreme scenario, but the point is still taken. Rather, they work on a spool system like a fishing rod. The solid feel of the tool and the smooth locking lever were also noted as high points. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. For each of the tests we performed, we awarded points between 0 and 4, depending on how well the tape measured up. One was a 1/32" divided normal tape, the other was a "self-centering" 1/16" tape. Look for high contrast between the color of the tape blade and the markings on the tape. The Stanley was in the small class of tapes that held up to this abuse. Pro Tool Reviews consults with innovators in the technology and design of tools to gain a broader grasp of where these products fit and how they work. They were the first to I grabbed off the bench. In stock and ready to ship. A detachable piece turns the standard FatMax tang into a much larger one. RUNNER-UP: Ryobi 25 ft. The increment markings are large, bold, and easy to read against the high-visibility yellow tape. Larger tangs can cause other problems as well. On the underside of the case, right where the tang sits, the PowerLock has a slightly loose piece of black plastic. ordered a Stanley fat max just now. Manufacturers love to tout the standout of their tape measures and there are plenty of jobsite jokes that go along with it. As Clement said, The blade of the tape measure almost always goes first. Thats because over time, grit, dirt, and debris enter the tape through the mouth and grind against the blade as it gets extended and retracted over and over. We were pretty impressed. Tape Measures - Starrett We independently review everything we recommend. The flexible fiberglass blade is coated with a rust-resistant coating that gives it some stabilityit didnt flip this way and that in the wind as some reel tapes are prone to doing. The 8 Best Tape Measures of 2023, Tested and Reviewed - The Spruce Some of these tapes give you a little more bang for your buck with additional scales for certain applications. Its a basic tool whose pared-down simplicity makes it light, tough, accurate, easy to handle, and affordable. The downside of throwing the blade is that you often give up standout length because of the action. The tang was very large and had a vertical piece that could hook from underneath. First, the belt hook is a simple metal clip. In the Machinist community, what's the preferred tape? Its an interesting feature, but as mentioned earlier, most people familiar with tape measures unconsciously do this already just by sliding their index finger forward and braking the blade at the mouth of the case instead. Tape measures with standard scales rather than metric scales are easiest to read. Who Makes HART Power Tools and Are They Any Good? For my Popular Mechanics piece, I dropped a Stanley FatMax 25 feet onto asphalt and it only showed some scuff marks.1, Another thing to look for is the design of the tang (the metal hook at the end of the tape). Tape measures can use imperial or metric measuring units, or both. The auto-lock feature on the Milwaukee Compact Autolock tape measure conveniently locks the blade into place for quick measuring. The tape measure held up impressively after our drop testit had no scratches or damage after being dropped three times from a 12-foot ladder. In our opinion, its the DeWalt Tough Series tape measures. Emily Estep We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. The only downside we found with this tool was that the blade lock had a tendency to stick, and we had to apply quite a bit of pressure to engage it. This Stanley Fatmax tape measure features large font numbers and blade markings that are easy to read against its yellow tape. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products. Weve been in business since 2008 covering tools, writing reviews, and reporting on industry news in the construction and lawn care industries. about practical machinist With more than 10.6 million unique visitors over the last year, Practical Machinist is the most visited site for metalworking professionals. I have seen 3/16 out with brand new tape. Our tester found both inside and outside measurements to be precise, and the tape is very easy to read. As with all the tapes we tested, the Milwaukees measurements were spot-on. The bottom of the tape measure features an opening behind the blade hook that allowed our testers to control the recoil speed with their finger. After reading what we could, talking to our experts, and taking years of experience using tape measures into account, we found that the most important features of a tape measure are blade durability, case durability, tang (the metal hook at the end of the tape) size, stand-out, and ease of locking lever. However, theyre not accurate enough for woodworking. Both the knobby rubber over-mold and the huge end clip made this one tricky to use compared to simpler models. Large font numbers and distinct blade markings make it simple to read. She has conducted research and testing for hundreds of home products ranging from bed sheets to vacuums. They also noted that they could control the speed of the blade as it fed out and retracted, which prevented the blade from whipping around wildly. The only drawback to this tape measure is that it was a bit too bulky to fit in a tool belt. Metric and standard (SAE) Tape Measures at Lowes.com However, they noted the body was a slightly awkward length that made for tricky math for inside measurements. After all, when theyre not in our toolboxes or on a workbench, we usually clip tape measures to our belts. Those looking for a quality compact tape measure need look no further than the LEXIVON 16-foot tape measure, which comes with both imperial and metric measurements and graphic markings to denote 16-inch and 19.2-inch standard framing measurements. This tape measure features identical markings on the back side of the blade, making it effortless to read in any position. The case is made from heavy molded polyethylene and features a partial rubberized grip along the top and bottom edges. It was dead-on accurate when we tested it with the Lixer Calibrator, meaning both the push and pull measurement are right where theyre supposed to be. The tape comes with the standard graphic notations every 16 and 19.2 inches. Lock doesnt work. Length: 25 feet | Markings: Imperial | Standout: 7 feet 7 inches | Autolock: Yes. The tape measure has stud markings that are conveniently placed every 16 inches. Used Stanley lever locks for years but their quality has seemed to have diminished. For length, we only looked at 25-foot tapes. In the industry it has become a bragging right to have the tape with the longest stand-out, with some tapes claiming to go as far as 13 feet. Self Lock Evolution 26-ft Auto Lock Tape Measure. Unfortunately, neither one measured up to the success of the General Contractor Tape Measure. Stanleys 33-599 Max Steel was the highest quality 25 tape Ive ever had excellent ergonomics, the blade steel was more durable, possibly thicker stock, 10 standout while only 1 wide, they lasted a long, long time, which is probably why they were discontinued. ELK 25-ft Auto Lock Tape Measure - Lowe's Thats not us. My experience is that tapes below $8 or $10 arent worth the cheap plastic theyre made of, and no tape measure is worth more than $20. Over the years it has replaced the PowerLock as the standard on jobsites. We awarded points for durability and the quality of materials and workmanship and noted when a tape included both imperial and metric measurements. Rather than the user needing to manually press a blade lock, the Komelon secured the blade in place by itself. Clement summed things up: Go simple. Stanley has a 25-foot auto-locking version of our upgrade pickFatMax with a unique tang-extension system. He spent 10 years in high-end construction as a carpenter, foreman, and supervisor. If I need it more accurate, it's caliper time. *At the time of publishing, the price was $0. As stated earlier, the PowerLock has been around for over 50 years and the one thing that has changed over time is the case. Tape Measure Self Adhesive for Easy Use on Sewing Machine Table. Id gladly pay more for a tape that lasts and works better bring that model back and Ill buy a case of them. The locking lever is strong and easy to use, with a nice texture that prevents the thumb from slipping. The belt hook is a standard but functional design. Metric. The tang on the PowerLock is minimal, but very effective. Because of the 1-inch blade, the body of the PowerLock is a slim 1 inches wide. Our testers felt it was uncomplicated to distinguish between each increment so measurements are more accurate. A good tape measure is all you need. The Best Tape Measures of 2023 - Tested by Bob Vila We used the other tallies to determine the best-intended usage for the tape measures that excelled in our tests. The body of the tape is exactly 3 inches long (which is printed right on the case), so if youre measuring a room from wall to wall, you can extend the tape until the back of the case touches the wall and just add the 3 inches to what you read on the tape. The strength of the clip is part of the equation, a design that slides on and off your belt without too much difficulty is the other. GGG-R- 791H, which establishes uniform standards for accuracy, graduations, and size. Small black diamonds appear every 19.2 inches, another standard spacing for wall studs or floor joists, although 16-inch O.C. It features a smooth rubberized overmold, a steel belt/pocket clip, and hook-under tang forks that allow the user to snag the upper or underside of the item being measured. The good is far more better than the bad. Every tape has a slightly different tang, and both Clement and DeBoer warned against large ones. Some (not all) of the newer measuring tapes also offer metric measurements. So which one is the best? It wasnt all that long ago that paying more than $20 for a tape measure was a lot. The Compact Tape Measure is a perfect size, but the blade lock is really difficult and we often had to use two hands to operate it. Other tape measures feature an auto-lock, which automatically locks the tape in place when it is pulled out. The Milwaukee 25 ft. General Contractor Tape Measure was our previous upgrade pick for its pro-grade durability. It was prone to kinking and bending much more than other tape measures we tested. Autolocking tape measures are convenient for use with only one hand since the tape stays in place until the button is pressed to retract it. What Batteries Are Compatible With HART Tools? Whether youre an electrician or not, Klein makes some durable tape measures and its magnetic models hold stronger than most. In our testing, we found that the 1-inch blades were the easiest to use overall, even if it meant sacrificing some stand-out. On the good side, the Blade Armor version has an industrial thermo-plastic coating over the first 3 inches of the tape, where the wear is the hardest. The Komelonalso had an over-engineered protective case and was the most futuristic-looking tape we found. The best tape measure The PowerLock is easy to use, durable, affordable, accurate, and capable of doing its job without additional features that aren't necessary for around-the-house work. For the diagonals, we planted the tang at the lower corner, extended the tapes, and then bent them over with a twist in order to read the upper corner. A few of the other tools had something similar with varying degrees of success. Ryobi doesnt do a whole lot in the hand tool department, but they do have a highly affordable 25-foot tape measure. Our testers noted that the recoil was smooth and quick, and the auto-lock feature made one-handed measurements effortless. I got one from Sawblades.com At westech a few years back, they had girls in bikinis handing them out. For price, there really isnt a huge range. We tested its calculations, and while theyre accurate, its much quicker to figure estimates on a standard construction calculator. The Stanley blade is coated with a Mylar polyester film, which our testing proved to be superior to most of the other tapes. *At the time of publishing, the price was $21. We put 34 tape measures to the test in our lab and evaluated them on their ease of use, accuracy, performance, and durability. When we went looking for the best tape measure, we wanted it all: durability, standout, accuracy, visibility, hook grip, ergonomics, and features. Because the laser needs to hit a surface in order to take a measurement, you cant really use one to figure the length of a tabletop or a board. Milwaukee's Stud, DeWalt's XP followed by its Tough Series, Crescent Lufkin's Shockforce, and others have been pushing the durability expectations to new levels. A button, located where the normal toggle would be, retracts the tape. Our site will provide more than 500 pieces of new content this year absolutely free for our readers. Practical Machinist is the easiest way to learn new techniques, get answers quickly and discuss common challenges with your peers. The longer standout is better because you can measure longer distances without needing to hold up the tape. A very long time ago I was at my laminate distributors open house and there was a Gundlach display table. Length: The Milwaukee Stud comes with a 25-foot length, which is pretty standard for construction use, but there are also 30-foot tapes. Almost completely surrounded by overmold, its a compact model with a smaller blade and a somewhat tame 7-foot standout. The Zabiki comes with a 3-rivet tang for durability and features a sturdy case with a partial rubberized grip. It clips easily onto a tool belt or pocket with only one hand. Thats not accurate enough for construction or woodworking projects. But again, those tools didnt fare well in other categories. Of all the tapes tested, the GP-25 was the most expensive, but it only housed a 1-inch blade. 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They also have a Contractor series thats more appropriate for typical jobsite use and thats the line we recommend. However, it had difficulty recoiling when the tester stopped it during a long or full-length recoil. Guerrero prefers working with a 25-foot tape measure for DIY projects. 15 Father's Day Tape Measure Designs, Father's Day Personalized Tape Measure SVG File, Glowforge, Laser ready, Measuring Tape SVG, For Dad. Practical Machinist is the easiest way to learn new techniques, get answers quickly and discuss common challenges with your peers. Still, using the PowerLock for a carpentry project, we were comforted knowing that it is 100 percent dead-on accurate. It also features premarked (in red) 16-inch notations for easy stud locating, and black diamonds every 19.2 inches (another typical framing spacing). Lufkin. It also lacked durability and became deformed after our drop test, affecting its accuracy on certain measurements. Fathers Day is fast approaching us already, which is a scary proposition for anyone who hasnt really put any thought [], Too Many Cordless Impact Wrenches To Choose From? Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. When we dragged the weighted sandpaper over the PowerLock, the coating showed some surface scratching, but the printing remained fully intact. Go with a 35-foot if youre consistently measuring more than 25 feet at a time. 1. Another category of measuring tools is the laser distance measurers. It winds at an easy pacenot too quicklybut it doesnt take a long time, either. For example, we expected the long reel tapes to measure long distances without the tapes twisting or blowing unduly in a breeze. Closely related, but rarely discussed is tape measure throw. As mentioned in the How we picked section, for the Popular Mechanics article, I tossed one from a height of 25 feet and as I wrote then, the FatMax showed only scuff marks. But as cool as they sound, they can only measure areas that have a positive edge (like a room). A large factor in stand-out is the width of the blade (wider blade typically means longer stand-out). Length: 16 feet | Markings: Imperial | Standout: 9 feet 3 inches | Autolock: No. The stand-out of a tape is the distance that the blade can extend unsupported from the case and not collapse. Because of its durability, accuracy, and affordability, this is the best tape measure for those looking for an inexpensive option. Who would have thought there's a "best tape measure for the job?" Oh, but there is. This is a standard design on tape measures, and when clipped and unclipped repeatedly on a pocket, it starts to fray the fabric. And if you dont like the belt clip, it removes easily without the need to unscrew it. The purpose of these is so you can send the tape underneath something (like a closed door) and then hook it from below.