# Measuring Tapes - What's you pickens



## Robie (Feb 25, 2005)

Whichever is the handiest to grab...probably a dozen quality tapes. My go-to when doing constant measuring and cutting is the Big Johnson. I like the belt clip (don't wear a tool belt that often). For measuring for an estimate...kitchen, crown, etc...the Fat Max 40'.


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## jaydee (Mar 20, 2014)

I try all different ones. 

stick with the fatmax or regular Stanley 25'

Has anyone try the Stanley mail-in warrantee ?

My plumber told me that they trade your broken for a new.
But, you have to mail them to Stanley. I haven't looked into it yet.
He mails them 10 in one box and three weeks later, it's like xmass. , 
10 new ones. So he says.


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## asgoodasdead (Aug 30, 2013)

I just save receipts and return them to home depot when they break.


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## jaydee (Mar 20, 2014)

Does Home Depot take back or exchange all types / brands ?

Do they have to look new ?


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## asgoodasdead (Aug 30, 2013)

they'll take anything back if you have the receipt. And sometimes even if you don't.


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## Rustbucket (May 22, 2009)

I use a chrome 16' lever lock the most, but have several others. A 25' Lever Lock or Gat Max gets used quite a bit. 

BTW, the green Lever Lock is made in Asia, where the chrome is still U.S. made.


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## NCMCarpentry (Apr 7, 2013)

My go-to for framing, long pieces of trim, pretty much everything is a 30 or 35 foot fatmax. For more finicky stuff I use a 12' - 25' with a smaller tape, still trying to find a favourite. I rock 2 tapes in my pouch at all times. Comes in handy more than you think. Need to lend someone a tape measure for a few minutes, no worries, drop one tape off a roof no big deal!


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## jaydee (Mar 20, 2014)

good to know.

I liked the craftman's until they did away with them.


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## Needles (May 18, 2012)

I am using the green komelon tapes. Have a 16' and 30'. Carried some form of the classic chrome stanley tape for years. After having the black blade lock break doing finish work after a few months. I decided to try another brand.


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

Needles said:


> I am using the green komelon tapes. Have a 16' and 30'. Carried some form of the classic chrome stanley tape for years. After having the black blade lock break doing finish work after a few months. I decided to try another brand.


Same here. I can't stand the huge hooks on most of the newer tapes now. I mean they're great if your framing but for finish work they suck.


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## KillerToiletSpider (May 27, 2007)

Lufkin HX46 6' folding rule.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

Fatmax 16' for general. Chrome Stanley 16' for finish. Hilti Laser.


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## C&C Custom Trim (Apr 20, 2014)

Used to swear by 16' Fatmax. Guy I work with really liked a Kobalt 25' so I tried a 16' two years ago. It's my daily now. Like $10 and every time the blade nicks I trade it in for a new one. Fits my hand much better than Fatmax, been replaced about eight or ten times now which is about a $100-$150 I've saved. Keep a 25' Fatmax in the box for standout and layout.


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## brhokel606 (Mar 7, 2014)

Hands down Fastcap. I have 7 or 8, they are stashed everywhere and absolutely love them, can write stuff on the side and saves a ton of trips. When I trim windows and doors I couldn't live without them anymore.


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## builditguy (Nov 10, 2013)

Stanley 35' powerlock. Only one I've used for the last 23 years. Of course I've gone through several, but I always buy the same thing. 
Can't switch now, that would be walking on the edge.


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

Chris G said:


> I swore by fat max 16's for years, but they break after a while.
> 
> The new Milwaukee is the best tape I have ever owned. Super smooth.


I recently tried one in the store. What's up with the zippy whirr sound, or however you describe that? Does it go away? That's why I didn't buy it.


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## asgoodasdead (Aug 30, 2013)

the thing about those Milwaukees is, they're the exact same tape as the Kobalt or Husky. but twice the price.


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## Designed2Fail (Apr 10, 2013)

I really like the Tajima GP-25 tape measure. Had a really nice hand feel. Easy to read and would lay flat on what you were measuring out.


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## MDjim (Mar 15, 2011)

brhokel606 said:


> Hands down Fastcap. I have 7 or 8, they are stashed everywhere and absolutely love them, can write stuff on the side and saves a ton of trips. When I trim windows and doors I couldn't live without them anymore.


I had a fast cap. Liked it, but the belt clip kept loosening up. Good tape though, I'll probably pick another up now that you reminded me about them.


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## TimNJ (Sep 7, 2005)

Stanley PowerLock. Always have since 1976.


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## brhokel606 (Mar 7, 2014)

You are definitely right about the belt clip. I have them in a couple different ways, the one in my toolbelt does not have the belt clip on it and the ones that I want to keep the belt clip on I've thrown just a little bit of epoxy on the screw on the back before it comes loose. Other than that I think it's probably the best TapeMeasure I've ever owned.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

asgoodasdead said:


> I just save receipts and return them to home depot when they break.





jaydee said:


> Does Home Depot take back or exchange all types / brands ?
> 
> Do they have to look new ?





asgoodasdead said:


> they'll take anything back if you have the receipt. And sometimes even if you don't.


Ours won't take them back if the tape is broken, only if the mechanism breaks.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

This is my current tape. I love the stand out and the quality. My Menards will exchange them no matter what. Satisfaction Guarantee, just like the old Craftsman warranty.









However, my all time favorite tape is the green lever lock. Can't get them any more around here. I like that they were the same width as the old metal model, but I like the lever lock option.


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## mobiledynamics (Jan 26, 2013)

Heh. TNT. So I guess I'm not the only one that likes Leverlocks.

I got a Bakers Dozen of the Green's under tight security ;-)
The Green is almost a close match to the Green Koolaid....


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

mobiledynamics said:


> Heh. TNT. So I guess I'm not the only one that likes Leverlocks.
> 
> I got a Bakers Dozen of the Green's under tight security ;-)
> The Green is almost a close match to the Green Koolaid....


I loved them and was ticked off when the replaced them with the fat yellow beasts. The greens were slim and didn't get caught and snagged on framing and the like.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

fatmax 16' for siding and trim, and the 25' for framing and decks. occasionally i can get the two of them in a package for $20 compared to $23.99 for the 25' by itself


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

TNTSERVICES said:


> I loved them and was ticked off when the replaced them with the fat yellow beasts. The greens were slim and didn't get caught and snagged on framing and the like.


I had a couple of those Stanley leverlocks in orange, I liked those, but they don't make 'em anymore. :blink:


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## Robinson1 (Mar 14, 2014)

If you guys have a True Value in your area check there. I noticed a couple tapes at my local TV being sold under the Master Mechanic name (TV house brand). They were the same style/size as the old green lever locks. I think they were silver with a thin strip of rubber armor up the back. 



When did EZ read become so popular? A few years ago the only place that had them were Wal-Mart and places that catered to DIY types. Now I have to really look to find a traditional tape. I HATE EZ read.


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

Robinson1 said:


> If you guys have a True Value in your area check there. I noticed a couple tapes at my local TV being sold under the Master Mechanic name (TV house brand). They were the same style/size as the old green lever locks. I think they were silver with a thin strip of rubber armor up the back.
> 
> When did EZ read become so popular? A few years ago the only place that had them were Wal-Mart and places that catered to DIY types. Now I have to really look to find a traditional tape. I HATE EZ read.


You and me both. My partner likes a centering easy read.... Most confusing fvcking thing to look since the far east started exporting lady boys. I learned how to read a tape down to eighths when I was about 12. Sixteenths became second nature a couple weeks into the trades. Grown men who claim to be contractors and can't read a damned tape should be shrink wrapped in a plop john and boom armed to full extension....


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

mobiledynamics said:


> Heh. TNT. So I guess I'm not the only one that likes Leverlocks.
> 
> I got a Bakers Dozen of the Green's under tight security ;-)
> The Green is almost a close match to the Green Koolaid....


I liked the lever locks as well but the locking mechanism wears out and eventually the tape automatically retracts.


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## Needles (May 18, 2012)

I have a 25' black leverlock with the 3-way blade still kicking around.


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## TNTRenovate (Aug 19, 2010)

Inner10 said:


> I liked the lever locks as well but the locking mechanism wears out and eventually the tape automatically retracts.


Yea, if you let it retract at full speed on long runs it tended to weaken the mechanism. I could get them to last for a few years before they popped, but even then, I had no problem exchanging them.


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

Inner10 said:


> I liked the lever locks as well but the locking mechanism wears out and eventually the tape automatically retracts.


The tape is usually long lost before it's damaged...


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## Robinson1 (Mar 14, 2014)

PrecisionFloors said:


> You and me both. My partner likes a centering easy read.... Most confusing fvcking thing to look since the far east started exporting lady boys. I learned how to read a tape down to eighths when I was about 12. Sixteenths became second nature a couple weeks into the trades. Grown men who claim to be contractors and can't read a damned tape should be shrink wrapped in a plop john and boom armed to full extension....


I had a guy helping me last summer. Nice fellow, hard worker, knew nothing about construction but if you told him EXACTLY what needed to be done he would work like a machine. 

One day I had him cutting blocking on the miter saw and throwing them up to me in a gable. He was using some POS Harbor Freight tape and the hook popped off and the tape fully rewound. :laughing: 

I sent him to the truck to get one of my tapes. Next measurement I called out he went to mark the board and got a really funny look on his face and looked up at me. He said, "Half the numbers are worn off of this tape." 

Turns out he thought ALL tapes were EZ read. I ended up busting the case off his POS broken tape and he cut off a 4' section and used it like a yardstick the rest of the day.

The next morning he had a shiny new 25' EZ read.


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## PrecisionFloors (Jan 24, 2006)

Robinson1 said:


> I had a guy helping me last summer. Nice fellow, hard worker, knew nothing about construction but if you told him EXACTLY what needed to be done he would work like a machine.
> 
> One day I had him cutting blocking on the miter saw and throwing them up to me in a gable. He was using some POS Harbor Freight tape and the hook popped off and the tape fully rewound. :laughing:
> 
> ...


Lol. The worst is when you ask for a measurement and they're like "42 1/2 plus two" uh that's 5/8 dickhead...lol


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## asgoodasdead (Aug 30, 2013)

my cousin who worked for us for a while always confused 1\8ths for 16ths and 1\4s for 1/8ths. not a huge deal when doing rough framing, but still amusing.


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## jb4211 (Jul 13, 2010)

I honestly have about twenty tapes. I like the regular Stanley, 25'. They stand by their product too. I had several break. I sent them back. They sent me a brand new one


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

asgoodasdead said:


> my cousin who worked for us for a while always confused 1\8ths for 16ths and 1\4s for 1/8ths. not a huge deal when doing rough framing, but still amusing.


fractions suck.
metric is the only way to go.


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## Walraven (Jan 24, 2014)

m1911 said:


> fractions suck.
> metric is the only way to go.


Amen to that!


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## Robie (Feb 25, 2005)

PrecisionFloors said:


> Lol. The worst is when you ask for a measurement and they're like "42 1/2 plus two" uh that's 5/8 dickhead...lol


I've gotten...42 and "7 little marks"

Okee-dokee...which end was considered the dumb end?


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