# Fat Max's



## J.C. (Sep 28, 2009)

I'd also be interested in a good tape measure if anyone ever finds one. I never understood why anyone would buy a FatMax tape. It's like carrying around a brick. I've also tried the MaxSteel tapes because I read a few good reviews about them and think I must have gotten a reject because I couldn't find a single thing to like about it. I _hated_ that thing. I'm currently using a 25' Stabila that I've had for a few months. I'd say that it is okay but it's certainly not in the same class as their levels. I thought everything Stabila makes is made in Germany but their tape measures are not, they're made in Taiwan. It sure would be nice to be able to buy a good tool that is still made in the US by a US company.


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## TBFGhost (Oct 9, 2008)

Tajima.... altho its stand out of 8 feet only makes it a "finishing" tape to some... But I like the high contrast white tape, smooth rewind and it is confortable in my hands and I don't have big hands...The red ones are $20...a good chunk of change, the yellow is $11. Each comes up to 30 feet....I use 25'.

I can't tell you how long they last, but I had my red 25' for 6 months when it got lost....Was in a basement theater with dark walls, dark trim, black ceiling and a dark red carpet...SOMEHOW I lost it in there....I spent 15 min looking for it. It must have been right in front of me but I couldn't see it...so its gone.










I also like these Stanleys I found at my Lowes....the prices started out at 4.95, but it up to 8.95 now....I should have bought a bunch, they are decent tapes...


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

The best tapes i have ever used have been the Fisco's but as far as i know they dont have a US dealer. 

http://www.fisco.co.uk/products/short-tapes.php

Just found that Sears do the Fisco Big T's so they might do others.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

You would think that someone would create a decent tape seeing as it is such a popular tool!

I like all features of my irwin except its heavy as a brick!

Stanley fatmax as stated is sh!t.

Stanley lever lock wears out fast then retracks by itself.

Greenlee broke so easy they pulled em from the shelves.

My best tapes are the cheapest ones, luftkins and other no-names.


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## Greg Di (Mar 12, 2005)

TBFGhost said:


> Tajima.... altho its stand out of 8 feet only makes it a "finishing" tape to some... But I like the high contrast white tape, smooth rewind and it is confortable in my hands and I don't have big hands...The red ones are $20...a good chunk of change, the yellow is $11. Each comes up to 30 feet....I use 25'.
> 
> I can't tell you how long they last, but I had my red 25' for 6 months when it got lost....Was in a basement theater with dark walls, dark trim, black ceiling and a dark red carpet...SOMEHOW I lost it in there....I spent 15 min looking for it. It must have been right in front of me but I couldn't see it...so its gone.
> 
> ...


I love the Tajimas too. I have had the red one since March and have beat the snot out of it and it's still going strong. The yellow Tajimas are good too, but I find them too grippy and they don't fall into my pouches as well.


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## Joining_heads (Mar 4, 2008)

I have been using the Yellow Tajima for awhile now. Sure, the standout isn't of fat max caliber but the tape can take a beating. The rubberized shroud around the hook really protects it from getting bent during a tumble.


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## willworkforbeer (Mar 7, 2009)

john5mt said:


> When i do finish work i use my old stanley power lock that i have had for 8 years.


I use the same tapes, 8 years though? Business must be slow.

I did just buy a set of Fat Max plastic sawhorses, I love em. Pricey but nice.


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## CScalf (Dec 18, 2008)

I use craftsman tapes, no big issues, and the warranty is good, just lie and say no i don't use it for construction :shifty:


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## KennMacMoragh (Sep 16, 2008)

Never had any problem with the fatmax's


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## samthedog (Mar 15, 2008)

In Norway these tapes are marketed under the Hultafors name:

http://www.hultafors.no/www/live/gemensam/iframe.aspx?TreeID=23990

They are good but extremely expensive. I don't use them because they are at least 2 - 3 times the price of the Stanley power lock.

samthedog



BCConstruction said:


> The best tapes i have ever used have been the Fisco's but as far as i know they dont have a US dealer.
> 
> http://www.fisco.co.uk/products/short-tapes.php
> 
> Just found that Sears do the Fisco Big T's so they might do others.


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## jtpro (May 21, 2009)

To me brands of tapes are like any other tool you either hate 'em or love 'em.

I've been drinking the fat max kool aid since they came out. Yeah I've gone through a bunch at times due to various reasons but when I tried a regular stanley or lufkin I destroyed them quicker. The blades just seemed wimpy to me. 

I know guys that go out and buy a case of $5-$7 tapes because of theft,loss or abuse.

As far as weight it's like my DeWalt circular saw they both are heavier than some of their competition but, once I got used to them they seemed "normal" to me.

Of the 35' ones I've used never liked them for retracking worth a shiz' I try to stick with 25' ,30' maximum if possible.

I use fat max x-tremes now and for me have been the best so far but thanks to other's suggestions I will be looking at some others at stores to see if the blades seem tough enough for me.:thumbsup:


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

> Just found that Sears do the Fisco Big T's so they might do others.


Nice!

I'm gonna get the girlie to pick up a few for me; the first thing that breakes on tapes without abuse is the belt-clip...and as far as I'm concerned onece it breakes its usless.


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## cbfx3 (Aug 25, 2009)

I used the regular old 25 foot silver stanley for years.. my fave was the "ergonomic design" version that was smaller than the regular one. Tried a Fatmax when they came out and kept breaking them but I swear them seem to be better these days than when they first came out. I am so used to the rigidness now that a regular stanley seems weak and flimsy to me now. I keep a regular stanley in the box for smaller trim stuff though. IMO for the framing that we do I have to have a 35' Fatmax


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## WNYcarpenter (Mar 2, 2007)

I Like the fatmax...it's sturdy and doesn't seem any less reliable than the other tapes I've owned...The smaller blades are too weak.

I keep two, one for dirt, or rain work and one for finish.

I also like the plastic shell and the large area on the back so I can write 5 or 6 measurements on it.


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## JT Wood (Dec 17, 2007)

Inner10 said:


> Nice!
> 
> I'm gonna get the girlie to pick up a few for me; the first thing that breakes on tapes without abuse is the belt-clip...and as far as I'm concerned onece it breakes its usless.


 
That's funny.

first thing I do when I buy a new tape is remove the belt clip.
I hate 'em.


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## willworkforbeer (Mar 7, 2009)

hughjazz said:


> That's funny.
> 
> first thing I do when I buy a new tape is remove the belt clip.
> I hate 'em.


Since I've done mainly punchout and remodeling (dont wear a toolbelt for fear of hitting stuff) no way I could live without a clip.


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## Inner10 (Mar 12, 2009)

> first thing I do when I buy a new tape is remove the belt clip.
> I hate 'em.


The clip snaps on nicely to my electrician's pouch so I know where it is when I'm wearing my belt. When I don't have my belt my toolbox has a similar clip set-up...if they ain't got a clip they are as good as lost to me.


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

I hate the Fat Max.
I can't get it to hook unless I pull
the blade out first, but the "top hook"
catches everything when I retract it.


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## pizalm (Mar 27, 2009)

hughjazz said:


> That's funny.
> 
> first thing I do when I buy a new tape is remove the belt clip.
> I hate 'em.


I love the clip, never used the clip on a tape till I got a new pouch in April with a clip for it and it's so much nicer having it right on my hip then around my back.

And I don't think I could work without a fat max, anything else I've seen is to flimsy and equates to being a pain.


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## music_man185 (Aug 9, 2010)

i know i'm resurrecting an old thread, but i'm just wondering where do you guys buy your fatmax tapes that allows you to return them when they break? i usually buy mine at lowes because thats the most convenient place locally. i love the fatmax tapes. for years, its all i use. i like the "beefy" feel of them that most people dislike them for. but mostly, i like the standout. the 11-13 foot standout really comes in handy when pulling a measurement on a scaffold or walkboard. such as measuring for a T+G ceiling. however, all that does come at a price. they are not the most durable. mine usually break around the 3-5 inch mark. the durability varies and depends on how you use/misuse the tape. some i get over a years use out of, some just a couple months. i've never tried returning a broke one to lowes, so if they accept them and allow for a new one, that would be great!


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## Warren (Feb 19, 2005)

The Kobalts are covered by a no hassle warranty. They will hassle you a bit from time to time, but so far have honored it each time. Tapes are decent too. I switched about two years ago.


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## JT Wood (Dec 17, 2007)

ApgarNJ said:


> that oversized hook makes it hard to measure into a corner. the damn end is 1 3/4 wide with those big ears. forget that. I hope they don't make all the FAT max 35'er's with that.




I like the ear tape. for framing anyway.


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## music_man185 (Aug 9, 2010)

i just thought i'd give a small update on the new bostitch tape measure. so far i like it a lot. its too soon to comment on durability or longevity though. i have however noticed one small problem. the bigger head is convenient most of the time. but if your trying to pull a measurement and you turn the tape sideways, all the extra weight from the head causes the tape to immediately fall to the ground. its ok as long as you dont let the head itself turn sideways. 

one thing i do like about the oversized head is that it makes pulling measurements on materials with lips a lot easier. recently i've been installing T1-11 siding on a garage. and i pull and mark all my measurements from the back side so that you can't see any pencil or chalk marks. with the oversized head, i can hook my tape to the very outside edge, and it doesn't slip off because of the lip being there. i can see this being handy for any kind of tongue and groove material that has a lip that you have to get around. my old tape would usually slip off easily because the head wasn't big enough to hook below the lip and hook the edge.

i will say that it does look weird when i have a board on my saw bucks and i slide my tape down the board and see that huge head with ears traveling down the board. lol.


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## deftworks (Sep 24, 2009)

I use the 25' Extreme also and have had the same one for about three years now and just recently the belt hook came off and the tape lock quit working on me. The 13' or so standout takes the cake for me since I do work alone mostly. I went to get another at the depot but they have that giant clip on the end so I'm going to try to find one online without it. It does seem like the giant clip wouldn't be good for the crown measuring that I do by myself but if that's all I can get I guess I'll get used to it. Does seem like it would be good for framing or stuff like that.
And btw I always check em against a framing square for accuracy both inside and outside measurements and make sure the clip moves just the right amount (should be a 16th I think).:thumbsup:


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## MLScott&Sons (Aug 28, 2010)

*Useless opinion fat max tapes*

I love fat max tools, The standout is good.
They are heavy but so are a couple of the guys that work for me, That does not make them bad. 
Most problem were caused by human error or stupidity.


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## On The Rock (Feb 5, 2010)

I use the 25' Fat Max for EDC and keep a 25' spare and 30' in the truck. For me, the 30' Fat Max is too big for EDC. Yeah, you can't run up stairs with one hooked on your pocket or it'll go flying off unless you hold it to your leg, but you can't beat the standout of the Fat Max.

I was getting about a year to a tape before they'd crack and then not pull out or retract. Then someone told me that the biggest cause of that is letting the tape recoil from standout distance and slam back on the hook. That is a great sound and a great feeling, but that shock is killing your tape measure. Now, I'm nice to my Fat Max -- I slow it down every time right before it closes -- and the one I'm on I've had for almost 3 years.

I would also add don't let it recoil wet and don't pull it out past whatever the tape's nominal measurement is.


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## timberrat (Jun 18, 2010)

i also am not a big fan of fat max but i took a side cutter and nipped those dang finger pinchen ears off and its not so bad now other than heavy


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## 2ndGen (Apr 6, 2006)

2ndGen said:


> Fat Max Tapes...
> 
> I remember going on a rant here a couple of years ago.
> My tapes (all 4 of them) would break at the 4' mark and
> ...


Okay (yes, I truly "did" quote myself to bump up my post!), I picked up a Bostitch 35' tape. 
Just as expected, it certainly "is" a re-branded FatMax, BUT! it seems to have some improvements.

Immediately noticeable is the hook. Nice and big with returns to catch material on both sides (from the FatMax Extreme). 

Another feature, a 100 year warranty. This will be the last Stanley tape I buy (if it breaks and is "not" replaced, I'm off to Tajima). 

Another plus, it matches my Roofing Nailer nice! 

First thing I checked on it was the 4' mark to see how it looked before I begin to trash it. Let's how it holds up. 
Also, got to pick up a nice little 12' Stanley 33-212 that I LOVE to keep in my pouch for small 
measurements on sale for only $5.99 (they usually go for 9 to 12 bucks). That's always nice. 

Anybody else using a Boss Tape? How's it holding up?


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## mgb (Oct 31, 2008)

Fat max's are all I use, and nearly everyone around me as well.

I think they're faster than your standard 3/4" wet noodle tape measure. Most cuts that have to be exact I mark the workpeice in place anyway.


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