what's with all the cheap measuring tapes?

[wagin]

These days I mostly see generic named tape measures on job sites. When I apprenticed in welding and sheet metal, 20yrs ago, my mentors insisted on having a quality tape measure,(Lufkin, sterret). My first day at work, I brought a no-name tape, my instructor pull my tape and his lufkin 10' or so, there was a 1/8" difference between the two. He then destroyed my cheap tape and dared me to show up tomorrow with sub-standard tooling. Has the quality of the 5 dollar tapes improved, enough not to purchase the 20 dollar tapes, or does quality not matter anymore???

[drivethruboy54]

my stanley tape is consistant with my empire framing square? Anything critical i normally burn ten, i never trust that first inch...

[tapwelder]

how do you know which tape was corrrect?

I wonder if the same company makes cheap measurer as brand name measurer.

I go through several tapes per year 5-7 bucks is the most I pay.

[TSOR]

I only use Stanley tapes. The Fat Max 11' reach is a nice feature. A little known fact about Stanley tape measures - they are guaranteed for life. If you break it or it wears out, you can go to any Stanley retailer and exchange it for a new one free. This is for the class A tapes only (Fat Max, etc..) If you divide that initial $30 into the amount of times I've exchanged it over the last 8 years, it's way cheaper than your $5 tapes.

[Woodshed]

I think the best thing to do is use the same tape until projrct is completed. If you use the hood on start of the tape in measuring then you do need to use that same tape during the project. Over time the hook on the end move back and forth and changing tape will mess up your measurment. That my 2 cents.

[mla2ofus]

Originally Posted by Woodshed

Over time the hook on the end move back and forth and changing tape will mess up your measurment. That my 2 cents.

The hook is supposed to move to compensate for it's thickness between inside and outside measurements.
Mike

[STwelder]

If you measure the distance with a tape, use the same tape to cut the piece with.
Because some tapes do vary, for what reason I don't know.

[wagin]

Originally Posted by tapwelder

how do you know which tape was corrrect?

I wonder if the same company makes cheap measurer as brand name measurer.

I go through several tapes per year 5-7 bucks is the most I pay.

Lufkin and like quality tapes are certified/approved by a national standard...It is marked on tape within the first 10 inches.

[wagin]

Originally Posted by Woodshed

I think the best thing to do is use the same tape until project is completed. If you use the hood on start of the tape in measuring then you do need to use that same tape during the project. Over time the hook on the end move back and forth and changing tape will mess up your measurement. That my 2 cents.

If your project is designed and engineered..and working from such prints, the dimensions are specified. If your cheap tape is not accurate, the end results will be wrong, same tape or not.

[patrickp]

Originally Posted by wagin

If your project is designed and engineered..and working from such prints, the dimensions are specified. If your cheap tape is not accurate, the end results will be wrong, same tape or not.

if i'm working with specified dimensions then i use a steel rule to get accurate results. otherwise i use the same tape measure through the whole project. and as you stated, if it's not accurate then depending on what your doing you just compound the problem and the results will be way off.

[Static-XJ]

At work we've got a 12"/11.5" tape standard. Gets sent out to an independent lab for certification either annually or biannually. Measures 12" when hooked, 11.5" to the inside. I just make sure to check my tapes periodically. I think using a different tape to check fitup is a good thing, can catch errors like a bent hook.

Since the topic has been brought up, has anyone ever seen a tape with 1/50" or 1/10" graduations in a length longer than 12'? I primarily use Stanley's with 1/32" & 1/16" on one side, 1/50" & 1/10" on the other. Would like one in a longer length, but it seems no one (Stanley, Starrett, Lufkin) makes them longer than 1/2" x 12'.

[awright]

My dad was a commercial artist painting the artwork that ended up as 24-sheet posters on billboards. Mostly Safeway Meat and California Wine Institute ads before photography took over the field. When he died I inherited his drafting equipment, including a very professional looking, but no-name 24" Stainless steel scale with 1/16ths, millimeters, Picas and Agate (printers) scales. This was not import junk - it has deeply engraved graduations and numbers. I got it in 1976 and he had probably bought it many decades before that - way before you could buy anything from China.

I don't do art or printing, but I did value the 24" and 61 cm. steel scales for shop work. One day I was going nuts trying to get something to come out using the metric scale, measuring and re-measuring repeatedly and getting different results randomly. I finally examined the mm. scale closely and found that there were six engraved 1 mm. graduations between 31.5 and 32 mm. Makes you wonder what the production process was for the scales. I imagine some guy with a green eyeshade manually engraving the scale at the end of a long day.

I don't know what lesson there is in that except that you can't have blind faith in anything.

awright

[denrep]

Originally Posted by awright

...I finally examined the mm. scale closely and found that there were six engraved 1 mm. graduations between 31.5 and 32 mm....

That's one for the books!

[fewood]

I always check my tapes against a Starrett 24" ruler. That way, I know its me when when I measure twice and its still to short

Look to if it says "made in China" Melamine content less than 10 PPM

[tapwelder]

All my tapes, except the task force form lowes, have the same stamp as that on the Lufkin.

The task force is the only one I noticed with an unlimited lifetime warranty.

Stood in Home Depot looking at Tape measures and comparing warranties. All their's have certified stamps.

good informaion in this thread. I'll have to take tapes for exchange.

[tanglediver]

When I did carpentry, I got used to Stanley Powerlocks in the 25' size. I have a new one in my old, retired carpenters belt/bag, just waiting for the old 25' Powerlock tape to bite the dust, it just keeps doing its job!!

BTW, don't bend your hook. A bent hook gathers no accuracy!
http://toolguyd.net/blog/wp-content/..._powerlock.jpg

[farmersamm]

Stanley is the best. Bar None.

[duaneb55]

Originally Posted by awright

My dad was a commercial artist painting the artwork that ended up as 24-sheet posters on billboards. Mostly Safeway Meat and California Wine Institute ads before photography took over the field. When he died I inherited his drafting equipment, including a very professional looking, but no-name 24" Stainless steel scale with 1/16ths, millimeters, Picas and Agate (printers) scales. This was not import junk - it has deeply engraved graduations and numbers. I got it in 1976 and he had probably bought it many decades before that - way before you could buy anything from China.

I don't do art or printing, but I did value the 24" and 61 cm. steel scales for shop work. One day I was going nuts trying to get something to come out using the metric scale, measuring and re-measuring repeatedly and getting different results randomly. I finally examined the mm. scale closely and found that there were six engraved 1 mm. graduations between 31.5 and 32 mm. Makes you wonder what the production process was for the scales. I imagine some guy with a green eyeshade manually engraving the scale at the end of a long day.

I don't know what lesson there is in that except that you can't have blind faith in anything.

awright

Perhaps it was manufactured on February 29th.

[mspohn]

Originally Posted by TSOR

I only use Stanley tapes. The Fat Max 11' reach is a nice feature. A little known fact about Stanley tape measures - they are guaranteed for life. If you break it or it wears out, you can go to any Stanley retailer and exchange it for a new one free. This is for the class A tapes only (Fat Max, etc..) If you divide that initial $30 into the amount of times I've exchanged it over the last 8 years, it's way cheaper than your $5 tapes.

Actually, I am a Stanlye Dealer and they are NOT Guaranteed for life against wearing out, only manf. defects. They send us a full color sheet each year showing pics of tapes that look new but have stopped working or broken and they will repay us for replacing those. If the tape looks worn out, has been dropped repeatedly or just abused, they will not let us replace it.

If you have found a dealer that replaces them, thats good, but Stanley will not repay them, they are doing it out of their pocket.

[specter]

Lowe''s kobalt brand has a lifetime warranty

[Burning2nd]

Starrett fractional \ decimal

[Fred Paul Jones]

Picture this. 5 guys framing a house. One guy is the designated cutter. 5 tapes read all different. So to solve the problem, all hook a 2x4 and bend the hooks so they read all the same at the length of the 2x4. So tell me what 37 1/2 inches + is? I don't worry about the pluses anymore as .045 wire takes care of it. I buy Lufkin 1 in x 25' tapes. Course I have measured with a micrometer and cut it with a torch. The mic was just handy in a 60ft shop. Great for lafts. Love the extra mm in the ruler. I never would notice less I swapped ends measuring.

[Nichvegas]

I learned a hard lesson last year that makes me do a double take on tapes. I marked fence post holes with my new HF 100 foot tape measure. When we tried to put up the first 16 foot board across two posts it came up a foot short. I looked at the tape and it read 1, 1, 2, 3 4,....... Lesson learned.

[William McCormick Jr]

I have both the Klein and the Komelon tape measure they look identical in shape, quality, and the Komelon is over a year old.


This is the Klein.

https://www.kleinconnection.com/weba...er-Return-Rule

The Klein actually has an extra little piece on the end that is a pain in the butt, if you try to stick it through a shear finger guard. But it is a nice tape measure.

This is the Komelon. I believe they are made by the same company.


http://www.komelonusa.com/#view=1;pr...ubcategory=200




Both superior to a Stanley. And I find both superior to the Lufkin Tape.

However I find the Lufkin wooden folding ruler a very accurate and useful device.

I beat these something awful. And they hold up well.

The retracting power and smooth stop is cool.



Sincerely,


William McCormick

[Sandy]

The average mylar tape probably changes at least 1/8th of an inch in ten feet between a warm day and a cold day. Or a warm room versus outside in the cold. So if you insist on accuracy you'd better buy steel and adjust for temperature before every measurement.

Of course whatever it is you are measuring is changing with the temp too.