coffeetime

I go thru a few of these each year at the machine shop. I can't seem to find any that will stand up to daily use for more then about a year. Does anyone have one that seems to outlast all the others?

Mike

Big Dave

I always buy the silver cased 30 footer from Stanley. I'm always replacing it. Best part is I have a lumber yard that still warranty's them and when it's broke I hand it to them and they hand me a new one for free.

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Do one thing at a time, do it well, then move on.
www.bigdaveswoodworks.com

TexasTimbers

I prefer the FatMax for general construction hands down. I would love to have the money Ihave spent on construction tapes and have bought them by the case in the past. My experience says nothing even comes close for general construction to the FatMax for durability, blade extension, recoil strength and smoothness, ease of reading, and accuracy of the sliding rivets allowing for inside/outside measuring.

For woodworking I reach for my Tajima G-Lock. I prefer the white background it has as a bonus to it's high quality hardy construction.

For logging, my Bailey's logging tape.

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mdlbldrmatt135

Having just picked up a Fatmax.... I like it too.... But I do have Craftsman ones as they're a Lifetime warranty one............. but the local sears closed... and don't get me started on the whole Kmart thing.... (they won;t Honor Sears giftcards.... yet you can buy the things there)

coffeetime

Who makes the Fatmax? or is that the name of the company?

Mike

Clutchcargo

FatMax is made by Stanley. It boasts an 11' standout. There's also the FatMax Extreme that has a 13' standout. Isn't there an Ultra Extreme version out there too? Anyway, these are aproaching the $30 for the longer ones.
My personal favorite is the Klein 918-25RE (25') or 918-30RE (30'). They were sold by Lowes under the Cobalt name. Now, unfortuneatly, Lowes carries the cheaper version.
What I like about it is it is labeled on both sides of the tape and you can also hook both sides. It has a rubber coating so it won't slide down the roof (personal experience with my chrome Stanley).

Burlkraft

I've had all kinds....I don't know about how they last, because I can't seem to keep one long enough to wear one out....

Somewhere out there there's a large pile of tape measures.......

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We will harvest no burl before it's time.....

MinConst

I kinda recycle my tapes. When one starts to get cut up and ugly I move it to the truck and use it for estimating. I have a couple of the Fat Max tapes now. The standout is great. And it is easy to read. I think I like this one better than the green Stanley in the truck.
I've been seeing this tape that is flat don't know the name off hand but looks like it might be a handy tape for the flatness alone. Puts the mark on the surface not 1/8" off like the standard tapes do. With older eyes it might just help.

Jeekinz

I had a Blue Point tape years ago that was great. The back had alot of conversion tables and even a circumference rule. I, too was in a machine shop at the time. It was as durable as a standard tape, but alot more features.

TexasTimbers

Not familiar with a Blue Point sounds like a goodun.

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coffeetime

I've not herd of a Blue Point either. Guess I'll have to take a look through the wish books and see. I did see in a sales flier a Stareet (sp?) 1" wide by 25' for $8.99. Now this is a top of the line tool company but that just seems to cheap. Wondering if they too are now buying form overseas.

Mike

TexasTimbers

Starrett makes some good tools but I don't care for their tape measures.

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ewils91

Blue Point is a division of Snap-On tools.

http://snapon.com/

nywoodwizard

My favorite will always be the silver stanleys.

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"You must become one with the wood grass hopper"

skymaster

coffeetime

Well I bought a FatMax, so we will see. Seems kinda big, guess it will be easier to find after I set it down. I'm always looking for something....

Mike

brewmebaby

at work (i'm a millwright) i use the standard stanley 25'. at home in the shop, i use the smaller stanley 12'. i have an electric buggy to cart around my tools at the job, but at home in the shop i like the smaller tape because it fits nicely in the pocket of my shop apron and with the belt clip removed, it is low profile as well as almost weightless.

solidwoods

When a tape breaks, I break off a length of the beginning and reuse it.
I have a 3' and an 8' at the mill, a 8' in the show room, and a couple 2' in the shop.
jim

beater82

I would be ecstatic if I could get a fat max or any other tape too last a year. I live on the oregon coast so in the winter I'll go through 3 of them easy. The rust factor is unreal. I wipe it down daily with teflon spray and they still rot up. It's actually is gettin' pretty old. My arm is gettin' a workout framing with galvies too.

JGarth

I also "second" the Fat Max....