What brand is your favorite tape measure?

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I like the Stanley lever lock. It is designed so if you drop it it doesn't bend the tab on the end of the tape. When the tape is retracted, the tab is protected by the shell of the tape measure.
I always wondered why they didn't play that feature up more.
Most tapes the tab is exposed and if you drop it the tab bends rendering your measurements incorrect.
Ask me how I know.......
 
I have probably 10 tape measures. Crappy el cheapo by my steel saw.
A nice old lufkin in my metal lathe tool drawer.
A couple stanleys in the shop. And some cheaper ones in my toolboxes.
 
toolmanmike said:
I have a couple standard/metric combinations because I thought I needed them. I am old school and they are confusing especially because the standard just reads in inches. 3 ft. 3 in. is easier than 39" and I have to calculate it out.
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I like the Stanley english/metric also...

From being in the automotive industry for years, they all use metric and it's easier to use when you get used to it...

1 mm = .040"

Standard tolerance is +/- 3 mm which equals +/- .120" or close to +/- 1/8" = +/- .125"

So +/- 3 mm is pretty close to +/- 1/8"....
 
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Had this Craftsman 20' - 3/4" wide tape for a long time now. I'm guessing early 80's when I bought it. An "in between" size sorta' thing. Smaller than my cell phone in the Otter case. I kept losing those smaller tapes for some reason.
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I have a couple of craftsman clipped to my tool box.
The one I use most is a small 3’ Stanley that I carry in my pocket at all times.
 
I was a Lufkin guy for quite a while, then a Stanley 30'.

I've got one that self-centers (gives you 1/2 the measurement on the other side, kind of neat).

Now I just stack up the free 25' ones from HF. I must have a dozen of them.
They're actually OK, and I've only manage to bend one.
It's nice having one in every tool room, work shop area, car, etc, and they're all the same.

I do still carry a Stanley 16' in the junk yard tool bag and a pocket 10' (AT&T freebie) in the dash cubby.
 
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It’s always been a Stanley. I was in construction/ home improvements for a long time before the current career job. Tough, long lasting, takes serious abuse, dropped off of 3 story roofs, rained on, snowed on. Went swimming in a pool, a day of WD-40 oil, never a problem.

Rainy Day Auto said:
I think many don't think about it but it is a very important consideration.

I have put a lot of thought into it.

I have been loyal to my craftsman brand for years but the other day i used a Stanley fat max.

Felt pretty good and smooth and looks to be of good quality. I think it's made in USA too.

What do you guys use??
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I carry a 12 Ft Stanly with me all day at work and a 30ft in the tool box. I used to keep a fat max but it gets hung up in the drawer all the time so I went back to the old one. Still love the old 16ft Stanly at home with the carpenters charts and conversations on the back of the blade.
 
Being an Insurance Adjuster my Digital Tape comes in handy over my regular tape!!!

Especially in House that’s full of furniture!!!

The downside is you can only use inside due to the Laser!

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I have a tuff time using the metric system, does this measurement calculates out to a... 34D cup?

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We had a young hippie dude work for us one summer, and he bought everybody a metric tape and was going to teach us old dogs how to do the metric system. You don’t know how much slang you use on the job site calling out measurements until you try to change to the metric system. It was very comical to say the least, hearing us all calling out, or trying to call out metric measurements and expecting to get the correct pieces in return. Of course, the minute one of those tapes broke, we all chucked ours and went back to the old way. The old dogs won that one, that’s for sure!
 
Tsully said:
Being an Insurance Adjuster my Digital Tape comes in handy over my regular tape!!!

Especially in House that’s full of furniture!!!

The downside is you can only use inside due to the Laser!

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Call yeah I forgot about my Swiss built PLS! It’s a bit bulky but gets the job done, especially overhead

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Stanley fat max for me.. i just bought a new one the other day.. my job involves tons of measuring so I need a good one.
 
I had the Lufkin when I was bending conduit as an electrical apprentice.

Kind of important that those measurements are at least extremely close.

To this day I still eyeball conduit runs (especially into a panel box) and a lot of times shake my head as many I've seen I wouldn't have been able to live with my self if I'd bent them like that.
 
I have about all of the above mentioned. I mostly use the HF freebies though. They work good, and if I lose, or break one, I'm not out anything. One of my favorites is a 12' Lufkin that I have had for at least 25 years. Its small enough to put in my pocket.
 
I've got Craftsmans that are over thirty years old and newer ones, I've only had one blade fail and it was my fault that the end got crushed.
 
It’s been over a decade, but when I used a tape every day I used a 1 inch wide Stanley 25 footer. I worked in a moulding factory and needed the tape about every 5 minutes. I liked the older more square ones better but they redesigned to a rounder shape. I tried a 30 footer and it didn’t last too long doing what I was doing. I don’t like the metric combos or any HF tape.
 
'73red-duster said:
I have one of those too. Belonged to my Grandfather that was a cabinet maker. Has the precision slide out end for measuring fractions.
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I have one also but looks like it has never been used.
Do they still make them? I have no idea why they would but must be something that still is used.
 
44070dart said:
OK !... I find it hard to believe that there are 48 replies to this topic..:) ..so here is #49, whatever harbor freight is giving away. You bunch of bums need to get a job :lol:
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JOB!???? I'm retired but after cutting my tape measure up on a chop saw a few times Iv'e learned that a cheep tape is just as good as an expensive one as long as I can see the lines on it without using a magnifying glass, and whatever I'm measuring is within an inch. lol
 
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