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Best Tape Measure

Blackswanwood

Blackswanwood

Old Oak
Joined
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Location
North Yorkshire
Name
Robert
As I've aged I've found being able to easily read measurements a bit more of a chore. My tape measure met with an accident and I decided to do a bit more research than I would have in the past primarily to find one that is easier to read and ended up going with this ...

IMG_7087 Large.jpeg

It's brilliant.

It has a built in pencil sharpener :unsure: 🤣



IMG_7088 Large.jpeg

The white circle on the first picture is a wipe clean notepad if you need it.

The small foot on the bottom is an additional brake.

What I really like though is how easy the scale is to read. I've opted for metric only but you can get the traditional inches and metric version also.

IMG_7089 Large.jpeg


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It's rubber coated and has a robust clip.

If anyone is looking to drop a hint about a stocking filler it's worth considering
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You have ONE tape measure. I need about 8. At least. Some of them deliberately hide when I am not looking. At least one was found in my wife's handbag. One ended up in the kitchen. One lives in the car. One in the electrical tool bag. One inexplicably got all the way to the Netherlands where offspring's house is. I just use Stanley 5m and 8m. At least they are consistent.
 
I like that your tape is metric only and oriented for reading on both sides. Is there a vertical scale on the back of the tape? I’m looking for a 2 meter metric only tape with dark background and light numbers if anyone knows of one. Cm or mm is fine, but I like the full number on each tick (so 20 21 22 23 24 25, not 20 1 2 3 4 5…)

This last difference between tapes is a feature that the people that take product photos appear to be unaware of. Photos often show the tape, but extended less than 10 cm so you can’t see the difference.
 
I'm the same as Adrian and have at least a dozen mostly Stanley 5m but the odd 3m and 8mm thrown in. Have 4 on wall clips as well as two or three around the benches and others in drawers, one in my office, one in the car.
 
I use the Advent black edition tape measure, bought my first a few years ago & really like the white markings on a black background

ADVENT BLACK EDITION 5M/16FT TAPE MEASURE

ADVENT advbe15025 BLACK EDITION 5M/16FT TAPE MEASURE The Advent Black Edition Tape has a double-sided, nylon coated black blade with metric and imperial graduations. Fitted with a true zero end hook for accurate measurements. Contained within a com ...
www.toucantools.co.uk www.toucantools.co.uk

Certainly not the only brand to do this

www.dm-tools.co.uk

Crescent Lufkin® Shockforce Night Eye Dual-Sided Tape 5m (Width 30mm) (Metric only), at D&M Tools

Crescent Lufkin® Shockforce Night Eye Dual-Sided Tape 5m (Width 30mm) (Metric only), at D&M Tools.
www.dm-tools.co.uk www.dm-tools.co.uk


vaunt.co.uk

Vaunt Premium 5m Metric Compact Tape Measure - Vaunt Tools

The Vaunt premium 5m compact tape measure has a real quality feel in a small form factor, with this 5m version being similar in size to most 3m tapes! The 25mm wide black diamond coated, high strength carbon steel blade offers high precision calibrated measuring (computer controlled to make the...
vaunt.co.uk vaunt.co.uk
 
That has some neat features, particularly like the notepad, the sharpener is a clever addition but I never use them. Clear tape too.
Like Adrian I use the Stanley ones, all 5m dual metric/imperial, also have a few 5? They are about the only things I misplace - apart from pencils lol. To me they seem to be designed pretty much perfectly, not too heavy not flimsy and last a long time without breaking.
Can’t get them in the us so I bring a couple back each time.
Personally I really dislike a tape that is so heavy they hit the floor under their own weight when held by the tape, so annoying.
 
I've got quite a few, all metric only now: I got rid of the awkward mixed-unit ones years ago as I always found I wanted to read on the side with the wrong units.

The ones I use the most are the frame-less bmi-meters, but they (especially the metric only versions) are not often available in the UK for a sensible price. They do pop up on ebay (new) occasionally though. You can buy them from RS but they're quite expensive. I've also just found them on thetapestore and the prices look a little better.

They look like this (2 m and 3 m versions exist):

8322.jpg
The tape is curved the opposite way to most tape measures so you can use them to draw along (as a straight-ish edge). They're also light enough that if you hold the tape against the wall, the body also stays on the wall rather than sagging down & twisting the tape.

The downside is that they don't have a hook - they're more for measuring up to edges. Nevertheless, it's rare I reach for anything else these days.

I've also got a hultafors talmeter (as suggested by @Lurker) which is great when you do need a hook.
 
I learned the expensive way to use only one tape measure when accuracy or repeatability mattered. At the time, I had almost a dozen generic folding rules and tape measures scattered around the shop, garage, and truck.

I was building some shelves to fit snuggly in an alcove for a friend who lived about 75KM away. He told me how many shelves he needed and provided the dimensions using his tape measure. I cut the plywood in my shop, but after delivering the shelves, they were the wrong size. I verified the alcove width with his tape measure, and the shelves I cut were about four millimeters too short. Back to my shop to cut another sheet of plywood, followed by another trip to his apartment only to discover these were also too short. I brought my tape measure with me and we compared the measurements. I don't know which tape measure was accurate, but they differed by at least four millimeters at the distance I was cutting.

I cut the third sheet using measurements from my tape measure and the shelves fit. After a day of reducing two sheets of 19mm furniture grade plywood into offcuts, I tossed all of my tape measures and folding rules and bought a Hultafors Class I 8-meter rule and two BMI Class II 2-meter folding rules. I keep a generic 8-meter tape measure in my truck for rough measurements.
 
Dr.Al said:
I've got quite a few, all metric only now: I got rid of the awkward mixed-unit ones years ago as I always found I wanted to read on the side with the wrong units.

The ones I use the most are the frame-less bmi-meters, but they (especially the metric only versions) are not often available in the UK for a sensible price. They do pop up on ebay (new) occasionally though. You can buy them from RS but they're quite expensive. I've also just found them on thetapestore and the prices look a little better.

They look like this (2 m and 3 m versions exist):

View attachment 37466
The tape is curved the opposite way to most tape measures so you can use them to draw along (as a straight-ish edge). They're also light enough that if you hold the tape against the wall, the body also stays on the wall rather than sagging down & twisting the tape.

The downside is that they don't have a hook - they're more for measuring up to edges. Nevertheless, it's rare I reach for anything else these days.

I've also got a hultafors talmeter (as suggested by @Lurker) which is great when you do need a hook.
Click to expand...
Most intriguing Al, still not really sure what the benefits are exactly but I did find this site that has a short video, ( I couldn’t listen as Pam was asleep.)

vektools.com.au

BMI Metre 2m Stainless Refined Steel Tape Measure

vektools.com.au vektools.com.au
 
My plumber uses the BMI tape. Bought one and I don't like it!

With my tape measures although I have lots they are all the same brand (Stanley) and I check them for equality before they go in the tape measure drawer. The one in the car is an outlier and is an Axi supposedly super accurate one, but is a bit bulky. Useful for measuring furniture etc though.
 
I have one of the BMI tapes, it lives next to the bench and is handy when marking out, the benefit of them is that the blade lies flat so they are basically like a long ruler.
 
I use a couple of metric Axminster tape measures(BMI), one in my house DIY tool box and the other outside in the 'shop. Good for making rough measurements but not for any sort of measuring that require a bit of precision. I have 150, 300, 600mm and a 1metre R&C steel rule for that - Rob
 
Just like Lurker I really like Hultafors tape measures. My other go-to brand is Tajima. To reduce the chance of mismatches I prefer to buy class I tape measures. Next to that I mark all my analogue measuring devices with a red or green sticker. I always check analogue measuring devices against a DIN 866 B ruler. Is the deviation over 1 meter more than 1 mm, then it gets a red sticker. Is it less, then it gets a green dot. I also try to check for any significant deviations along the length, not only at the end. I do this even with the rulers fixed to my machines. That is also one of the reasons I prefer digital tapes nowadays (the M507 are great). It is easier to calibrate them all to the same gauge block, which makes sure all measurements are equal.
 
HdV said:
Just like Lurker I really like Hultafors tape measures. My other go-to brand is Tajima. To reduce the chance of mismatches I prefer to buy class I tape measures. Next to that I mark all my analogue measuring devices with a red or green sticker. I always check analogue measuring devices against a DIN 866 B ruler. Is the deviation over 1 meter more than 1 mm, then it gets a red sticker. Is it less, then it gets a green dot. I also try to check for any significant deviations along the length, not only at the end. I do this even with the rulers fixed to my machines. That is also one of the reasons I prefer digital tapes nowadays (the M507 are great). It is easier to calibrate them all to the same gauge block, which makes sure all measurements are equal.
Click to expand...
Didn't know they did woodwork at CERN
 
I do like the measurements orientated in both directions. I always find the way I naturally measure as a right hander the numbers are the wrong way up - seems mad that pretty much every one is like that?! I also have a few, my go to for woodwork is a little old Woolworths one just because it is small and fits in the pocket easily.
 
Sam r said:
Didn't know they did woodwork at CERN
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Nor do I. But, like Mike wrote, repeatability is more important than accuracy. That's the purpose of the routine I described. I don't care if 829 mm is actually 829 mm or a bit more or less. What I do care about is that what I think is 829 mm is the same dimension on all my rulers and tape measures. God knows I introduce enough errors myself. I don't need help from my measuring devices to compound my errors.

Have you ever compared the rulers on your machines to the rulers on other machines or to tape measures? Unless you are a very lucky man they will not be all the same. There will be discrepancies. Sometimes even significant ones. You can't easily correct that either. But zeroing and calibrating a dependable DRO is easy and the readings will be much much closer to each other among different magnetic tapes. Although that might also be helped by the fact that I use just one brand. I never checked that actually.
 
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I got one of those "vice-versa" tapes with the marking on both sides. But I still like one with imperial on it; lots of things are still inherently imperial - door sizes for example. Sometimes it is just bloody mindedness to insist on doing something in metric.

I also got one of the Festool ones (the only Festool product I'm ever likely to own !) with a fold out spike and pencil holes for striking radii, a clear window on the top that uses a scale printed on the back of the tape for internal measurements. Nice ideas, but has a tendency to jam up a lot, requiring re-assembly.
 
Sheffield Tony said:
I got one of those "vice-versa" tapes with the marking on both sides. But I still like one with imperial on it; lots of things are still inherently imperial - door sizes for example. Sometimes it is just bloody mindedness to insist on doing something in metric.
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I used to use imperial for everything. Then I started doing metalwork and realised what an awful system it is (think drill sizes, sheet metal sizes etc). Now I use metric for almost everything.

However, occasionally I am forced to agree that imperial is more appropriate (old door sizes being a good example). In that situation I might be persuaded to use an imperial tape measure, but I still wouldn't want to use a mixed tape measure because no doubt the imperial marks would be on the wrong side of the tape to the one I wanted to use. Mixed imperial/metric tape measures and steel rules are the worst of both worlds.
 
HdV said:
Nor do I. But, like Mike wrote, repeatability is more important than accuracy. That's the purpose of the routine I described. I don't care if 829 mm is actually 829 mm or a bit more or less. What I do care about is that what I think is 829 mm is the same dimension on all my rulers and tape measures. God knows I introduce enough errors myself. I don't need help from my measuring devices to compound my errors.

Have you ever compared the rulers on your machines to the rulers on other machines or to tape measures? Unless you are a very lucky man they will not be all the same. There will be discrepancies. Sometimes even significant ones. You can't easily correct that either. But zeroing and calibrating a dependable DRO is easy and the readings will be much much closer to each other among different magnetic tapes. Although that might also be helped by the fact that I use just one brand. I never checked that actually.
Click to expand...
I was being flippant... but here is what I do: tape measure for initial measuring and/or marking out of a rod or critical components & from then on stuff gets marked off from these governing parts (or the rod). Compasses, marking gauges and sliding squares and bevels do the rest. I'll use a digital angle measurer or a set angle block if needed if an angle is critical rather than resultant. Sliding bevels can transfer an angle to a saw blade off the table or fence. I don't know how I'd mark off a tape accurately enough for mating parts in any instance. Anyway, ways to skin a cat and all that.

That all said I would like an all metric tape & one which isn't so fat that it's cumbersome in a pocket. Hard to find, hence me finding this thread :)
 
Sam r said:
I was being flippant... but here is what I do: tape measure for initial measuring and/or marking out of a rod or critical components & from then on stuff gets marked off from these governing parts (or the rod). Compasses, marking gauges and sliding squares and bevels do the rest. I'll use a digital angle measurer or a set angle block if needed if an angle is critical rather than resultant. Sliding bevels can transfer an angle to a saw blade off the table or fence. I don't know how I'd mark off a tape accurately enough for mating parts in any instance. Anyway, ways to skin a cat and all that.

That all said I would like an all metric tape & one which isn't so fat that it's cumbersome in a pocket. Hard to find, hence me finding this thread :)
Click to expand...
Yes same here, over time you develop all sorts of ways of transferring measurements, angles and distances, two lats for internal measurements etc.
Personally I like a tape with both on, then I pick which lines up best with what I’m measuring.
 
Mike said:
I learned the expensive way to use only one tape measure when accuracy or repeatability mattered. At the time, I had almost a dozen generic folding rules and tape measures scattered around the shop, garage, and truck.

I was building some shelves to fit snuggly in an alcove for a friend who lived about 75KM away. He told me how many shelves he needed and provided the dimensions using his tape measure. I cut the plywood in my shop, but after delivering the shelves, they were the wrong size. I verified the alcove width with his tape measure, and the shelves I cut were about four millimeters too short. Back to my shop to cut another sheet of plywood, followed by another trip to his apartment only to discover these were also too short. I brought my tape measure with me and we compared the measurements. I don't know which tape measure was accurate, but they differed by at least four millimeters at the distance I was cutting.

I cut the third sheet using measurements from my tape measure and the shelves fit. After a day of reducing two sheets of 19mm furniture grade plywood into offcuts, I tossed all of my tape measures and folding rules and bought a Hultafors Class I 8-meter rule and two BMI Class II 2-meter folding rules. I keep a generic 8-meter tape measure in my truck for rough measurements.
Click to expand...
Still doesn't help you when comparing to someone else's measurements though...
 
Sam r said:
I was being flippant.
Click to expand...

That's OK. No offence taken. Really. My reply was not meant as a rebuke.

It's just that I have gotten a lot of flack in the past for doing what I described. People always tell me that I am going overboard. Maybe they are right. But I have been bitten before by a ruler that was way off without me noticing in time. Wood is too expensive for such mistakes. That's why I have taken to verifying my tape measures and rulers like I wrote. It takes just a few minutes and it gives me some peace of mind. And since doing this I have learned that there can be significant differences, even with well-known brands. Especially with rulers fixed to machinery.

That all said I would like an all metric tape & one which isn't so fat that it's cumbersome in a pocket.
Click to expand...

The Hultafors is of average thickness and a bit heavier that most tape measures. The Tajima is lighter and all rounded, so it is better suited to carry around in your pockets. Moreover, one of the handy features of the Hultafors is also a downside: it has a sharp point on its lip that can be uncomfortable when you put it in your pocket.
 
I only use one tape measure for my woodworking and that's a metric Stanley 3m Powerlock, and for anything else less than a metre I use stainless metric only rules for better accuracy.
 
Thanks for tape tip @HdV

I only use machine measurement marks as a rough guide. Remember a thing has to fit itself first rather than some arbitrary dimension.

And if course I should have typed dividers instead of compasses, but you get the idea.
 
For general purpose measurements I use metal case 5 m Stanley power lock, the ones with 3 rivets in the tape end, tried others but they don't seem to last.
For bigger measurements and measurement between two adjacent surfaces I now use a leica disto.
For rod work it's mainly steel rule, most machines are set up with DROs that are calibrated to Stanley power lock……all the above would change if I went back to cutting roofs again or building bridges……the splash a Stanley tape or Estwing hammer makes when disappearing forever is not nice
 
Discussion about tape measures remind me if a golf meme - drive for the show and putt for the dough (I am not a golfer).

Tape measures are coarse tools. Precision comes from rulers.

My tapes are accurate against one another, which enables the closest tape to be picked up, and accurate against a reliable scale (generally a Starrett combination square blade). What is important for me in a tape is their ergonomics, which comes down to the way they lock/unlock the blade. The Starrett ControLok are terrific.

I prefer 3m tapes as they are more compact, but do have a few at 5m and 8m. I also work mainly in metric but like combination tapes for the added reference.



Generally my go-to is a Hultefors ...



... but this little Festool (and its BMI brother) are light and compact enough to pop in a pocket ...



I recently posted pictures of this keyring tape measure (from Temu) in my travel tool chest. It is cheap cheap (about $5) and the one I received is accurate. Steel tape which is stiff. And only 40mm in width ..



Regards from Perth

Derek
 
Interesting discussion to see what people use, an everyday item in the workshop.

My collection:

3 X Stanley Power Lock 3000mm all metric. One next to the computer and other 2 on workbench.

1 Webco 3000mm which is metric and imperial. This was a factory issue when doing quality audits and is marked with an ISO checked number.

1 Fisco Meteor 30m used for building and garden/irrigation layout.

Steel rules for very accurate measuring:

1 X 1000mm

1 X 600mm

300mm (collected 5 over the years)

1 X 150mm

When making the bee boxes one of the Stanley would be used for all measurements, if it was out then the inconsistency would be the same for the whole box.

The Webco with imperial would be used for the ‘Merican plans. But in later years I just converted it all to metric. Why would I try to figure out what is 3/16 or 5/8?

Can’t remember the site but one of them gave the option of having imperial or metric measurements.

When buying timber from a store or merchant a Stanley would go along.
 
advent master precision class I are good, very accurate, I have a few of them.
 
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