FastCap Tape measures

[Bob Elliott]

I was in the closest Woodcraft store to me last week to take advantage of the 15% coupon last week. I spent some time looking at thier FastCap tape measure display.

I have been on the hunt for an acurate tape measure for some time. I have two Craftsman tapes and a cheapo Starrett that I have problems with. The three don't agree as you go out in distance and the error isn't linear (it varies at different distances). None of the three agree with my Wixey digital table saw fence.

After looking at the FastCap tapes I decided to take a chance with the standard reverse.

The quality of this tape is way above the three I have. The three I have look like the numbers and lines were stenciled on the tape. The FastCap appears to be printed. The tape is eraseable to you can write on it and there is a pad on the body of the tape measure. The one I bought reads the same left and right so no more looking at upside down numbers. Also the 1/16th s are defined in red numbering. Best of all it agrees to my Wixey fence.

I started using this tape this weekend and I am sold. The other three are for framing only.

Bob

[Paul Douglass]

I bought that one, a metric one and a flat tape one once when they were on sale. Pretty good tapes, but I still can't find them when I need them, just like all the other tape measures I have bought ove the years!

[John McClanahan]

I bought a right-left and a flat tape. I'm delighted with the extra features that they have. The one that I really like is the tab you can squeeze to open the belt clip. The note pad disc and pencil sharpener are nice, too.

John

[Rob Wright]

I have a bunch of them. I have found myself working in metric a bunch more and picked up the metric/English flat back standard tape. I have no complaints!

[Michael Stanley]

I bought one of these when I was doing a kitchen project a couple of years ago. It's great for panel measurements and markups because its flat.

[Glen Butler]

I bought a metric/sae flat tape for the table saw. It is a hair off the farther out I go. I am not too concerned about it cause I use the wixey went I absolutely need repeatability. I tried not to stretch or pull on it as I laid it down. If I did stretch it, it sure isn't the best material for a tape, cause it stretches easy. I like Stanley Fatmax for my regular tape measure though. Its just a good all around tape.

[Randal Stevenson]

I like them and have on ocassion been using metric (really need to get the metric lefty/righty), but you may still find it doesn't agree with your digital saw readout. It could be errors, or you have zeroed your blade and forgot about it. (had to help a friend figure that one out)

This means, you still have to follow the rule, ONE tape measure per project, PERIOD.

[Glen Butler]

The saw digital readout agrees with my Stanley Fatmax, therefore I blame it on the fastcap.

[Matt Meiser]

I like them for the white background and crisp marking that make them easier to read. I use the green ones with the 16ths labeled.

[Eric DeSilva]

The little pencil sharpener in the fastcaps is remarkably handy too...

[Izzy Camire]

I have an Old Standby that I like a lot.

[Jerome Hanby]

I've got the lefty-righty (green) and the story board one (orange) and absolutely love them. That note surface on the body has saved me an untold amount of running back and forth!

[Dan Lee]

Does the hook slide for inside and outside measurements. I read some Amazon reviews that indicated that it didn't?

[David Duke]

Does the hook slide for inside and outside measurements. I read some Amazon reviews that indicated that it didn't?

I can't speak for all versions but the flat one doesn't.

[Steve Clardy]

I had 5 of the fastcap tapes, all bought at the same time.

Used them in the shop for a few weeks and kept having fitting problems, so I stopped and did some checking.

Only 2 of them matched each other by laying them out and comparing.
Those 2 were checked with a 36" steel rule I use to set everything in the shop with. Those 2 were off a 1/16" by the time they got to 24".

So they all went into file 13.

I've found that Johnson tapes are the most accurate.
They match my steel rule.
Cost is 3 times as much as FastCap.
Rubber coated/protected.
Sliding end is durable plastic, does not bend when you drop it.

I sure miss that handy pencil sharpener on the fastcap's though.