Tape Measures ??

[sparkeyjames]

I use only Stanley Powerlock metal body tape measures except when working on electrical stuff then I have a cheapo plastic body tape. 10' (cheapo), 12' and 30' Stanleys.

[Red88chevy]

Mark,

I got tired of measuring short pieces with a 25 and 30ft tape so I bought a Rubbermaid tape from Amazon. I like it cause it is small, 10 or 12 ft, cheap, and light. Say hi to Ft. Worth for me, would still live there if it wasn't for work.

Doug

[John Hunter]

I use both Stanley and Lufkins.

[LinuxRandal]

Several for different needs. Stanley and Luftkin were my old construction tapes, until I found a self locking one from Komelon. I have an older flexible cloth tape (one is a Craftsman, the other is the OEM), as well as my parents do, from inheritance, that is used when measuring LONG things like property.
Fastcap in the shop or steel rules. I kinda prefer the fastcap recently, as it's a left/right handed tape. Easier to read in both directions.

[gsmittle]

I normally use a Fastcap flat tape (LOVE the writable surface) and I have a 25' Stanley that I use for rough measurements and carpentry.

g.

[LarryG]

I've been meaning to pick up a "left-handed" tape measure. This seems to be a misnomer. Since I'm right handed wouldn't it seem logical to have the numbers oriented so that the read right side up when pulled from right to left? This way you don't have to reach awkwardly across to mark the measurement.

Or am I alone in this thought?

I guess it's a matter of the terminology but, yes, I agree. The "standard" steel tapes you'll see in any store are all back-asswards for a right-hander. Being a southpaw, I have happily used these standard tapes all my life and only recently realized that they're better suited to us lefties than to the majority of the population.

The "L-R" and "R-L" terminology used by Lee Valley and Starrett (and possibly others) is the better way to describe it.

[reddog552]

tapes

I work a lot in a fab shop,We build TV & radio antennas. Because of machining we work in decimals. I like this tape.

[scorrpio]

It is funny with tapes. The right- or left- hand use assumes what hand a tape is used in. Where the assumption went wrong, IMO, is that most right-handed people will hold the tape in the LEFT hand, and use their right hand to hold a marking tool - pencil, knife, scribe etc, in order to either write a measurement down someplace - or to transfer a measurement. I don't really mind - I have no problem reading those numbers upside down.

However, the previously mentioned FastCap tapes (the ones with sharpener and a notepad) have a PSS-R style blade that has markings for both left and right-readability. Might want to consider one. I personally though, would rather go for the storypole version. Ability to record a measurement on either tape body or blade will be very convenient. The sharpener, however, would be wasted - I prefer the flat carpenter pencils.

[jking]

It is funny with tapes. The right- or left- hand use assumes what hand a tape is used in. Where the assumption went wrong, IMO, is that most right-handed people will hold the tape in the LEFT hand, and use their right hand to hold a marking tool - pencil, knife, scribe etc, in order to either write a measurement down someplace - or to transfer a measurement. I don't really mind - I have no problem reading those numbers upside down.

Reading the numbers isn't a problem for me. Between working in construction related engineering jobs & having a two yr. old, I'm able to read most things upside down almost as well as right side up. The tape measure thing has just always seemed backwards to me.

[LarryG]

The tape measure thing has just always seemed backwards to me.

As noted earlier, I agree. But they do make a certain amount of sense if you think solely about measuring, as opposed to marking.

As a woodworker, I'm typically doing both -- measuring out a dimension where I'll place a mark to make my cut. But when folks from our office go out to measure an existing building in order to draw up a floor plan, I've observed that the right-handers hold the tape in their right hands; as they take their measurements, the numbers are correct-side up. They're not making any marks so they don't encounter the upside-down-numbers conundrum.

[Scottydont]

FYI, for those of you that have been math challenged to find the center of a board or object here is a tip on how to do it without getting frustrated with calculating fractions. You take an easly divided dimension and move the tape at an angle across the board divide by 2 and voila, theres your center. I carpenter friend showed it to me and I only responded with why didn't I think of that before? LOL!

[hermit]

I actually started wearing one on those denim aprons in the shop to keep the sawdust out of my shirt and pants (works great BTW), and with that change I went from a 25' Stanley to the 12' model. Alot smaller and easier to carry in the apron. I found 2 packaged together at Lowes for $7. I like them so much I bought 2 more, and now I have them at various spots in the shop.

Todd

[Jes Pidlin]

Komelon self-lock. 16' in the shop, and the 25' for outdoor construction. It fits my hand, is rubber-clad (no dings when dropped), and best of all is the self locking feature, just pull the blade out and it automatically locks, press the button and it retracts. Been using them for over a year, so good so far.

[JimD]

I like to buy tape measures from somebody that has quite a few because I like to use a rule or at least a square to check the inside versus outside measurement. It doesn't seem to matter what brand I look at, a lot of them are not very accurate. I buy one that check out both inside and outside versus a rule. I have an old craftsman but my most recent purchase was a HF. I thought it would be usable until Sears ran a sale or something but it checks out better than a lufkin I gave my son - as well as my old trusted craftsman. I still don't trust the quality of HF handtools but I will give them a try and this one turned out well.

Jim