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Thread: Best Tape Measure??

  1. #31
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    College Station, Texas
    Posts
    305
    At a workbench I don't use a tape much. When I go to a lumber yard or I am building things outdoors I want a tape measure. The tape measure I want is a Komelon Self-lock. Simple, rugged and cheap. The loose end on it for accurate measure push or pull is one of the best, and the measure has always been accurate.
    The real reason I like the Komelon Self-lock? They did it right. When you pull out tape it is already locked. When you want to roll it back up, then you push the release. Simple and it makes your life easier.
    The down side is that I have to open it up every now and then and clean the lock mechanism. If it gets oily, it doesn't lock so well. I have even gotten them new and had to clean them due to the oil they came with. Despite this issue, these tape measures are worth it. When you are working, it makes your life simpler.

    Bob

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Williamsburg,Va.
    Posts
    12,402
    I don't use a tape measure,but when I was having my shop built,I bought one from a bin of tapes at the GROCERY STORE,of all places! I think it is a 12'(haven't used it lately). However,I did check it for accuracy,and it is right on,though the legal tolerance is 3/16" over 6'. I think I paid $3.00 for it. It still works fine several years later. No doubt Chinese made! I used it to make the 450' of shelving inside my building.

    I carry a little key fob 3' tape in my pocket. A little larger than a 25 cent piece. Comes in handy when I'm in a junk yard,or lumber place. I really like having the little tape on me.

    For work in the wood shop,I used lufkin and Starrett steel rules for a long time. I have them from 1' to 6'. However,their graduation lines are so THICK,I have been using PEC stainless steel rules for many years. They have very thin graduation lines,like a proper machinist's rule.
    Last edited by george wilson; 04-13-2016 at 10:04 AM.

  3. #33
    The "best" tape measure is one that you can find when you need it!


  4. #34
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Fort Collins, CO
    Posts
    946
    A tape measure is not the one size fits all measuring device for the shop. Neither is the folding rule. Neither is the steel ruler. There are times you need all three for a project. A tape is great for breaking down sheet goods. It is great for measuring quickly without having to fold out a folding ruler. It is longer than a steel ruler.

    A tape can be very precise (I didn't say accurate here) for a variety of applications, especially if it is the only measuring device used. Say your tape is 3/16" long over 6' - not super accurate compared to the rest of the world. But, if you measure everything in your project with this inaccurate measuring device, then the project will be precise in relation to itself. The worst is when you have four or five tapes all over the shop because they are cheap and they tend to get lost. If they are not precisely the same, then each tape will measure differently. If you only use one, even if it is inaccurate, at least you will be able to duplicate your measurements.

    I had a boat building teacher tell me that you should never use a tape for woodworking because they are inaccurate. I understood his point, but for the reasons I mentioned above, I continued using them in appropriate applications. I never had a problem until recently. I measured and cut a 3"x8"x6' teak beam using a trusted tape measure. At $34 a board foot, you can understand the need for accuracy. Well, when I grabbed a second tape and checked my cut, it was 1/8" short. I went and looked at the other tape - it must have been dropped directly on the end hook and bent it inward. Measure twice cut once didn't help here. It immediately went in the trash. That is not a likely problem with a folding rule, but my folding rules are 6' long and difficult to use at full length.

    Will I use a tape again? Yes. Will I check the end hook every time? Yes. Is it the best measuring device for all applications? No.

    I use a tape for long measurements, a folding rule for most stuff in the 2-3' range when some accuracy is needed, a steel rule for roughly 4"-18", and calipers for the small stuff.
    Man advances just in proportion that he mingles thought with his labor. - Ingersoll

  5. #35
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Williamsburg,Va.
    Posts
    12,402
    I agree with Jon. It doesn't matter what you use to measure with as long as you measure everything whit the same device. I've been doing that for many years.

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Location
    Ft. Wayne, IN
    Posts
    1,453
    Quote Originally Posted by Bob Strawn View Post
    The tape measure I want is a Komelon Self-lock. Simple, rugged and cheap. The loose end on it for accurate measure push or pull is one of the best, and the measure has always been accurate.
    The real reason I like the Komelon Self-lock? They did it right. When you pull out tape it is already locked. When you want to roll it back up, then you push the release. Simple and it makes your life easier.
    The down side is that I have to open it up every now and then and clean the lock mechanism. If it gets oily, it doesn't lock so well. I have even gotten them new and had to clean them due to the oil they came with. Despite this issue, these tape measures are worth it. When you are working, it makes your life simpler.

    Bob
    The Stanley Leverlock automatically lock when you pull it out. There is a release lever on the bottom that you squeeze with your fingers to retract. It's almost identical to the Komelon in function, except for the location of the retract button. I have had my Stanley for years and I love it. It's also very accurate. It would be interesting to know which is the best tape.

    http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-30-810.../dp/B0002CX9CW
    Last edited by Stew Hagerty; 04-14-2016 at 12:07 PM.
    "I've cut the dang thing three times and it's STILL too darn short"
    Name withheld to protect the guilty

    Stew Hagerty

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Columbus, Ohio, USA
    Posts
    3,441
    If I want a story stick, I use a story stick tape measure (or a piece of scrap). Lee Valley sells one, and so does FastCap; well FastCap has a few with a built-in story stick.

    At the end of the day, I choose the tape measure with features that work well for me. I don't know if it is just how my brain processes what I see, but I often find that I need to pay very careful attention to exactly what those lines on the ruler mean. A couple of the FastCap tape measures number the lines in 16ths using red letters, so I never need to guess; ever. I have had a few people covet my tape measures with this feature specifically because of this. Another guy was impressed by the number of rivets holding the end in place (since that is where his measures always fail).

    I sometimes provide input for the Family Handyman as a field editor and I was out of town when the solicited feedback on tape measures. FastCap did not even make it into their list. I did provide information about them, which caused them to take another look, but by then the article was already completed. There were comments about revisiting the topic because of some of their nice features. If I remember correctly, I think that they liked the Stanley tape measure best from their list of measures. One of their key likes, at least from the perspective of a carpenter, was that the rule can be extended a fair number of feet and stay straight. This is one thing that I like about the FastCap; at least for the version that I use the most.

    I have a bunch of unused tape measures, I still have not decided if I will donate them, let my girls play with them, or if I will tuck them in out of the way places where I don't really want my nice measures to live (damp environments, for example).

  8. #38
    I mainly keep a tape around for choosing stock and rough sizing material. I literally have two dozen tapes around the shop because I don't want to carry one or look too hard for one.

    First choice are bright orange Lufkins with centering scale. Orange color really stands out agianst the "frass and flotsam" of my shop. Centering scale is a cross-check of my math.

    I also gravitate towards 25' because the don't droop when measuring 10' - 12' rough stock

  9. #39
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    9,467
    Here is another tape measure that I came across. It gets rave reviews ...

    http://www.bmi.de/videos/de/bmimeter.mp4

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  10. #40
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Silicon Valley, CA
    Posts
    1,048
    I grabbed the LV "Blindman's" tape (among other things) in their recent free shipping sale and I'm really liking it. I picked it because I wanted a tape I could read right-to-left. (I.e. tape in my left hand, mark or write with my right, with the numbers right side up.) Now that it's in hand I like all that, but I'm really liking the markings too. They are big, easy to read, *AND* the tic(?) marks are elongated diamonds that taper to points at the tape's edge for good accuracy when you want to look closely. For me, the only possible downside is the smooth plastic case may not be as sturdy as other models. But I won't really know how it holds up until it's been used a lot more.

  11. #41
    Rich,
    I'm very happy with my 12' x 3/4" Stanley Powerlock tape.

    i use a dial caliper, 6" steel hook rule, 12' Stanley Powerlock, Stanley 6' folding ruler, and various steel rulers up to 6'. Precision (agreement between rulers) is much more important than accuracy and I have compared each of my rules to each other. I replace any rule that does not agree within 1/32" over 4'. As long as these all agree it does not matter if a 48" wide table is actually 48-1/8". If they all agree, they are very likely accurate also.

    Whatever is best depends on your criteria. In your pocket you probably would prefer a shorter, narrower rule because it is smaller and lighter. Based on my limited experience Veritas tape measures tend to be lighter. How's your vision? Maybe you need a "blind man" rule --Veritas again. Are you left handed? Get a left handed rule. And so on. Just get one that agrees with your other rules.

    Doug

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