Tape measures....

[imamartian]

Ok, so maybe i'm being slightly 'anal' here, but i need a new tape measure.... i have eight or nine knocking around my house and garage, but what worries me is if i compare them, say the first 6 or 7 feet then they can be out by 5mm !!!!
Now this is ok, unless i measure a gap in my house with one tape measure, and then measure the timber to fit the gap with another...

How much should i spend on a tape measure, or should i really be this bovvered?!!

 

[daytona]

i just use any old tape to be honest,the more expensive ones tend to get nicked a lot though.has to be inch wide so i can get a decent span without it folding up.other than that never use different ones at the same time

 

[wilhelm]

I got a tesco one, its one that auto locks on extension...( ) it was cheap. But I dont use it as a rule.

 

[Hitachimad]

Check the ends, they become inaccurate if they get bent in or out.

I had a stanley powerlock one a while gao, which every metre or so, one of the mm marks was about twice the size as it should be

 

[joe-90]

I wish they'd go all metric and drop the inches off.

 

[wilhelm]

Joe. That aint gonna happen. The adult movie industry will just not allow it.

wtf is 10" in metric.....? whatever it is, it aint going to sound right is it?

 

[noseall]

I wish they'd go all metric and drop the inches off.

why joe?

how does having other increments effect the efficiency of the tape measure?

 

[Thermo]

tape measures....aggghhhh

if they drop imperial it makes my life a pain for landscaping eg fences etc.

im fed up with tapes snaping, breaking, not winding up properly, the markings rubbing off etc etc etc.

why cant someone make a decent one!

 

[Trazor]

why cant someone make a decent one!

But then you would stop buying them........

 

[Bilioustrumpstaine]

Ok, so maybe i'm being slightly 'anal' here, but i need a new tape measure.... i have eight or nine knocking around my house and garage, but what worries me is if i compare them, say the first 6 or 7 feet then they can be out by 5mm !!!!
Now this is ok, unless i measure a gap in my house with one tape measure, and then measure the timber to fit the gap with another...

How much should i spend on a tape measure, or should i really be this bovvered?!!

Get one of these and all your measurements will be spot on.

http://www.talmeter.co.uk/products.asp

Ideal for measuring and then transferring the measurement from a window recess or an alcove to a rail or shelf/sill etc

 

[xerxes]

I bought a Talmeter last year: quite superb. All the better for being metric only.

The first time I used it was to measure a very expensive length of worktop. Measured twice, cut once. Brought the worktop into the house to discover it was 100mm short.

I'd read off the red figure (internal measurement scale) on the Talmeter.

Most of my tapes are Stanley PowerLock (old type, with metal case). They tell different stories, so I must replace the tapes in them, if I can, or adjust the hooks.

Ideally, I would have all my tapes from one maker to reduce the chance of errors, and check them against each other periodically.

 

[noseall]

we get through loads of tape measures. they tend to rust and the lower numbers wear off. there is no point in us buying anything heavy, bulky and externally well protected.

always buy Stanley 5m plastic ones. lightweight easy to carry.

 

[Thermo]

and just to make a point my fisco brick mate one snapped in half today!


bloody bugger sodding bleeding useless bloody flippin things!

 

[^woody^]

I'd recommend the Stanley FatMax XL - its big, but it will stand out to about 4m without kinking, and the first section of tape is multi-coated to protect the numbers. Well worth it

I also use a Fisco BrickMate for brickwork - cheating I know but again worth it

I also use a another Fisco - dont know the name, but it has pencil lead stored in it and you can easily mark timber and plasterboard etc with it.

The other one is a very thin Stanley 3m tape which is great for the pocket.

The other thing i like to use is a 2m Stabila folding rule.

I'm seriously considering one of the new Bosch Laser tapes - which are very small and pocketable, and if its as accurate as my Disto, then will be very useful

Oddly, in all these years, I've never been inclined to check the accuracy of any tapes.