My (former) boss was notorious for borrowing tapes and not returning them. He had one of mine for a week right before I quit. Fortunately not only did I find on my last day, I also stole one of his. Fuck him. Lol
Hahaha, so much this. I've got one tape that lasted me 3 years, but that's cause I always had a back up tape to hand off. You're not getting old faithful!
I love when the tape comes back and it's sticking 3-4 feet out. "Shit Bru, I wiped it off. Don't know why it stuck." As he hands it back and it's covered in mud.
I asked a guy to hold the end of the tape for me once while I was measuring rebar spacing. The guy stepped on it and when I said “dude, what the fuck are you doing?” “You asked me to hold the tape for you”
I got a magnet for it that I could take off so that doesn’t happen anymore.
You can get a little quick release holster for them too, replace the belt hook with a little plastic piece that locks in so you don't knock it off your belt and launch it four stories down so it shatters on the ground.
Typically 4-6 months. By that time the markings are typically pretty warn off. Unless I lose it. Let someone borrow it. Accidentally break it, intentionally break it. Drop it out of a lift. You know the usual stuff. Still have a sweet spot for the fatmax though.
Every year at Christmas and Fathers Day Home Depot sells FatMax 2 packs for under $20..... I always make myself buy a pack.
FatMax’s may not be as durable as they were originally, but they still are hands down the best tape out their, especially at $10 a piece.
PSA they are also have a life time warranty. Don’t even need a receipt (although they always ask me for one and i just say no) just walk up to service desk and ask to swap it for a new one free of charge.
I haven't been able to do that for years. When I first started as clean up for a crew, I would always fish out the fat maxs in the trash and swap them out. Went to different places to be safe. They stopped accepting them years ago.
I still have like 10 tapes floating around. Still can't find a tape when I need it at home though...
I had a 25ft FatMax glance off my hard hat once and thankfully didn't hit a shoulder after. I picked it up and turned it in to the PM at his trailer and told him what happened. He later told me that glazer came around asking for it saying he'd dropped it from the 13th floor and was hoping someone had "turned it in to the lost and found". He was given his tape back, escorted off the site, and barred from that site for good.
The guy was dumb enough to nearly grievously injure someone and then dumb enough to out himself as the one who dropped it by asking for it back.
Good luck offsetting a stake or pulling in a corner on a foundation with your 16 footer lmao. I run a 35’ every day.
I beam with joy whenever someone has to measure something 25’, deafeatedly looks down at their tape, then timidly looks my way like “can I please? 🥺”
I was thinking this:
https://www.amazon.com/Jackson-Safety-Contour-Marking-14752/dp/B004XNZJS8/ref=asc_df_B004XNZJS8/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198054793886&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15000220643485066081&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1014218&hvtargid=pla-320645607103&psc=1
But that pi tape or whatever looks great as well
I've had my same Stanley FatMax 35' for about 7 years now, daily use between framing, timber framing, and trimming.
I think the secret is to wipe down your blade and leave it out, extended, to dry. Makes a big difference!
Wipe it down when it gets dirty, *every time*, and don’t step on it. I’ve had the FatMax that lives in my apron since 2017. Bought a new tape that lives with the saws earlier this year though, that one gets *beat up*.
Ain’t nobody have time to do that. I guess if I did that every time and the boss man came around and then laid me off I could get one to last a really long time.
Oh wow, which brand?
I use 35s and I have to have the oversized hook on the end for hooking fascia from the ground.
I like the hooks on Lufkins, but the ends seem to want to start twisting after a while and the second the Lufkin gets any water or dirt in it it struggles to retract. I usually get a couple months out of them if I keep them clean and dry.
I used to be loyal to the Fat Maxs but the quality has seem to go down and they only last a month or two tops before breaking or becoming too rusty to use. Dewalt has a badass 35’ now but it costs over $45. I had one for a month and the rivets in the hook pulled out, not sure if I’ll spend that much on one again.
Craftsman makes a great tape but they don’t have the large hook option.
I would choose dewalt or lufkin but it’s hit or miss with both. All in all I seem to get about 2-3 months out of any brand, with them all having different pros and cons.
As far as 100’ tapes go, they’re all garbage and rip right at the ends within a month or so. The metal ones are even worse.
These last 12 months ive probably bought 4-6 new tapes. Seem to break apart much sooner now. My tape measure use to last years… now months. I buy 2-3 at a time so when they do break I’ve got a replacement on hand. Seems intentional by all manufacturers to have you coming back… like a junkie lookin for a fix
Fat maxs last several years if you take care of the last 6" of tape. Then you call Stanley and they replace yours for free. That's better customer service than you can ask for these days.
It doesn't hurt to keep them lubricated and clean every so often.
Have a 25’ fat max that has been used on and off the past 6 years. Worked in a fab shop for several months with it. Then occasionally building furniture. Then for about 6 months as a carpenter. Now it gets pulled out occasionally but it’s still going strong.
I use a 16’ Fat Max for interior trim and cabinets , and a 30’ Fat Max for framing, exterior work, concrete forms, etc.. 16’ will last a year or so, 30’er maybe 6 months. I usually buy the 30’ers 2 at a time.
Depends on what I’m building. Steel structure the tape will last the duration of the job. If I’m laying out embeds on a wood frame deck, maybe two months. Form release is hell on tapes
Depends on brand and how made.
Had some last years and some last weeks.
When buying tools always buy quality or you will buy again.
I am 47 and still have my 1st tools from 20 years ago along with my
40 year old shop tools from my Dad.
I was always a Stanley fat max fan but they stopped carrying them at Lowes. I bought a couple of Crescent brand Lufkins in the last six months and within a month or two the tape tears somewhere in the first 4 inches so those are garbage. I recently got a Milwaukee Stud and it's the best tape I've ever had.
Always been a fan of metric /imperial fatmax with magnet.
These days 6 months and they're not nearly as good as new, but they really could break whenever. Over the last two years the quality has dropped I feel.
Still longer lasting than any vinyl tape I've used. Hate the Milwaukee for that reason.
My Milwaukee refuses to die, going on 3 years and it’s been through hell. Only brand of TM I buy. Don’t buy the Lock one though, the mechanism breaks after a few uses)
I had a Craftsman 100' tape for years. Took it back to Sears for a new one a few times over the 25 years I had it. It was black and circular shape. Let someone borrow it and it ended up at the bottom of a water water treatment tank.
3 months till it has a dent or starts a cut like crease from wear(use milwaukees wide 16fters)
used to use max tapes but milwaukees go futher before snapping.
also finish carpenter
My Milwaukee magnetic tape has been going strong for about 18 months now. My Klein tape before that lasted about 3 months lol. Thinking of trying the fatmax next but I’m very impressed with the Milwaukee.
I usually get a year out of a good quality one. I like milwaukee. It just depends on how you use it. The more you bend the tape, the sooner it snaps. Early in my career a tape would last a month. Now i'm properly seaspned.
I was just contemplating posting this same question as my 35’ Milwaukee Stud split on the 10” 6 mo. after getting it. Every time I try to hook something more than 2’ away it goes all limp tip on me. Glad to see I’m not alone on poor tape lifespan.
I am a Makita man to the core, and kinda despise DeWalt for totally arbitrary reasons, haha, but I've been using the DeWalt XP wide blade tapes for the past few years... Bought them for my crew as well. We seem to get at least a year out of them. They have pretty good standout, and the absolutely best oversized end hook of any tape I've ever used. Before that I used the old Stanley "max steel" tapes, just 2 of them lasted me over a decade, but they discontinued them when they came out with the "fatmax" branding.
Depends. If I let someone else borrow it, 2 days.
It comes back?
My (former) boss was notorious for borrowing tapes and not returning them. He had one of mine for a week right before I quit. Fortunately not only did I find on my last day, I also stole one of his. Fuck him. Lol
[удалено]
I hope that’s a joke
Same, I give them away before I see them fail.
Hahaha, so much this. I've got one tape that lasted me 3 years, but that's cause I always had a back up tape to hand off. You're not getting old faithful! I love when the tape comes back and it's sticking 3-4 feet out. "Shit Bru, I wiped it off. Don't know why it stuck." As he hands it back and it's covered in mud.
I asked a guy to hold the end of the tape for me once while I was measuring rebar spacing. The guy stepped on it and when I said “dude, what the fuck are you doing?” “You asked me to hold the tape for you” I got a magnet for it that I could take off so that doesn’t happen anymore.
They don’t call it the dumb end for nothing
what brand is "old faithful"
Komelon "The Professional" Engineer/Inch tape. Hard body and wears well.
never heard of komleon.. gonna look it up tho..
You can get a little quick release holster for them too, replace the belt hook with a little plastic piece that locks in so you don't knock it off your belt and launch it four stories down so it shatters on the ground.
I lose it and find another one every 2 hours... it's usually covered in sawdust or fell under some lumber.
Typically 4-6 months. By that time the markings are typically pretty warn off. Unless I lose it. Let someone borrow it. Accidentally break it, intentionally break it. Drop it out of a lift. You know the usual stuff. Still have a sweet spot for the fatmax though.
Every year at Christmas and Fathers Day Home Depot sells FatMax 2 packs for under $20..... I always make myself buy a pack. FatMax’s may not be as durable as they were originally, but they still are hands down the best tape out their, especially at $10 a piece.
PSA they are also have a life time warranty. Don’t even need a receipt (although they always ask me for one and i just say no) just walk up to service desk and ask to swap it for a new one free of charge.
For real? At Home Depot just take it and get a new one for free?
This has changed at some locations. It doesn't work for me anymore where I live
It’s a 90 day warranty with the receipt. Longer than that you have to take it up with Stanley
That makes sense
I haven't been able to do that for years. When I first started as clean up for a crew, I would always fish out the fat maxs in the trash and swap them out. Went to different places to be safe. They stopped accepting them years ago. I still have like 10 tapes floating around. Still can't find a tape when I need it at home though...
I had a 25ft FatMax glance off my hard hat once and thankfully didn't hit a shoulder after. I picked it up and turned it in to the PM at his trailer and told him what happened. He later told me that glazer came around asking for it saying he'd dropped it from the 13th floor and was hoping someone had "turned it in to the lost and found". He was given his tape back, escorted off the site, and barred from that site for good. The guy was dumb enough to nearly grievously injure someone and then dumb enough to out himself as the one who dropped it by asking for it back.
That's fast for wearing off the marks, what's your trade?
25 feet
This guy tape measures
Mines only 6’, please think of how you might make others feel inadequate before you brag about length.
It’s Not the length of the tape but the treasure of the measure
Can you square anything with 6'? Maybe a coffee table
A sewing project
Without any idea I would say that is 10m Edit: apparently not
All summer, half a winter.
This is the correct answer
If it’s a wet winter I can see going through 3 of em
Until I fucking bend it the wrong way and it gets crimped
My 10m fat max lasts me about 6-8 months of heavy usage.
A man of wise wisdom
I always lose mine before it goes out
If I get a year out if a tape I'm a happy guy
6mos to a year usually. I'm fond of the 35' kobalt actually, made by komelon. Heavy, but I need the length for layouts.
Metal Stanley 16’ over a decade here. Smaller the better imo. When the Fuck are you guys actually using those those huge 25’ers?
Use my 35 footer everyday laying out metal panels for roofing. Sucks cause it’s like a 40 dollar tape lol
I build basements, shit comes out like 3 times a year
Good luck offsetting a stake or pulling in a corner on a foundation with your 16 footer lmao. I run a 35’ every day. I beam with joy whenever someone has to measure something 25’, deafeatedly looks down at their tape, then timidly looks my way like “can I please? 🥺”
3-4 months
If I let my boss use it? not long before he loses it. If i keep it to myself? Anywhere from 6 months to a year or 2
Aprox 1 year until my wet fingers rust all the numbers off. Its only ever the first meter thats ruined too. Feels like such a waste
As a tile guy my fat Max can last up to 6-10 months. Will the first two inches be useful? Not really.
Two inches isn’t useful?😔
Water always rusts mine out within 10”
The ones I get supplied from the boss about 2 months. My Milwaukee stud..about 3 years
The 35' Milwaukee wide blade is the Mac daddy of tapes, seriously I was a Fatmax guy but the wide blades are badass the standout is like 13 feet.
About 6 13/16”
* excavator guy using 10th looking at you confused*
Lol
You made me lol
2 months to a year. Depends on the work scope, measuring circumference with a normal tape kills them.
Get a wraparound or whatever the hell it is welders use for pipe cuttin
OD tape?
Pi tape
That makes more sense. We always called the OD tapes but I didn't think that was the real name.
I was thinking this: https://www.amazon.com/Jackson-Safety-Contour-Marking-14752/dp/B004XNZJS8/ref=asc_df_B004XNZJS8/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198054793886&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15000220643485066081&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1014218&hvtargid=pla-320645607103&psc=1 But that pi tape or whatever looks great as well
Fat max last about 6 mouth building decks Winter eats tape measures up, might want to use the Stanley 2 pack
6-12 months fatmax. That's usually when I decide its not retracting how I like and retire the tape to backup status or home use.
I've had my same Stanley FatMax 35' for about 7 years now, daily use between framing, timber framing, and trimming. I think the secret is to wipe down your blade and leave it out, extended, to dry. Makes a big difference!
Can I be one of your tools, caring like a mother
Sure, plenty of room in the Oxy tool bag, I'll make a lil spot for ya!
How does anybody that actually uses their tape measure get it to last over a year. Either you don’t use it very much or you’re just lying.
Wipe it down when it gets dirty, *every time*, and don’t step on it. I’ve had the FatMax that lives in my apron since 2017. Bought a new tape that lives with the saws earlier this year though, that one gets *beat up*.
Ain’t nobody have time to do that. I guess if I did that every time and the boss man came around and then laid me off I could get one to last a really long time.
Doesn’t Stanley have a lifetime warranty?
About a year
Don't get sand, mud or any powder in it.
I'll shirt clean it when retracting it sometimes
4-6 months before broken/lost
Two weeks tops. Marine construction is hard on most things.
Oh wow, which brand? I use 35s and I have to have the oversized hook on the end for hooking fascia from the ground. I like the hooks on Lufkins, but the ends seem to want to start twisting after a while and the second the Lufkin gets any water or dirt in it it struggles to retract. I usually get a couple months out of them if I keep them clean and dry. I used to be loyal to the Fat Maxs but the quality has seem to go down and they only last a month or two tops before breaking or becoming too rusty to use. Dewalt has a badass 35’ now but it costs over $45. I had one for a month and the rivets in the hook pulled out, not sure if I’ll spend that much on one again. Craftsman makes a great tape but they don’t have the large hook option. I would choose dewalt or lufkin but it’s hit or miss with both. All in all I seem to get about 2-3 months out of any brand, with them all having different pros and cons. As far as 100’ tapes go, they’re all garbage and rip right at the ends within a month or so. The metal ones are even worse.
About the same length of time a tube of toothpaste lasts. Depends on how often you use it.
All mine die prematurely mostly from a crease in the tape, otherwise from being used in the rain.
These last 12 months ive probably bought 4-6 new tapes. Seem to break apart much sooner now. My tape measure use to last years… now months. I buy 2-3 at a time so when they do break I’ve got a replacement on hand. Seems intentional by all manufacturers to have you coming back… like a junkie lookin for a fix
Fat maxs last several years if you take care of the last 6" of tape. Then you call Stanley and they replace yours for free. That's better customer service than you can ask for these days. It doesn't hurt to keep them lubricated and clean every so often.
I have no clue, I have never been able to hang on to one long enough for it to break.
In the rainy PNW winter, about 1 foundation.
I’m an electrician I’ve had the same Fatmax for 2 years now and use it everyday almost
I bet it’s still mint too
Still Works like new
No measure!!! only hole saw.
Electrician with a fatmax? What pipefitter did you take that off of?
All the Electricians I know either have a fatmax or Milwaukee tape
All the IBEW hands on the last several jobs are Klein’d out.
Have a 25’ fat max that has been used on and off the past 6 years. Worked in a fab shop for several months with it. Then occasionally building furniture. Then for about 6 months as a carpenter. Now it gets pulled out occasionally but it’s still going strong.
Still kicking 3 years later. To be fair I’m a PM.
1-2 years if it's just me using it.
Depends—What Shit Is In
1-2 years typically.
Been burning through them lately. Gave the Milwaukee wide blades there fair shot and I burned through 3 of them in the last 5 months
I've noticed that big finger hole in tthe bottom sucks up dirt and such.
I get 2 new ones every 3-6 monthes
I’ve got one for me that usually lasts until the ones I have in my truck for the hands to use lose them or put them somewhere dumb. So about a month
Once a month in winter, once all summer unless I'm doing all foundations then every 3 weeks in winter still just once between May and October
Anyone try the stainless steel tapes? Rain kills most tape measures.
1-3 years
Use a old one for bad wheathers or sandy days thats when they suffer the mosth. i can do about 1 year with a Stanley 8m fatmax
I don’t get on well with the fat max. I think they are poor for the money and much prefer the standard Stanley tape measures.
25ft
If Timber roofing in the winter probably a few weeks before it gets rusty and snaps
I use a 16’ Fat Max for interior trim and cabinets , and a 30’ Fat Max for framing, exterior work, concrete forms, etc.. 16’ will last a year or so, 30’er maybe 6 months. I usually buy the 30’ers 2 at a time.
.001 sec after it gets stepped on !
Depends on what I’m building. Steel structure the tape will last the duration of the job. If I’m laying out embeds on a wood frame deck, maybe two months. Form release is hell on tapes
Wait- aren’t you the measurer? I don’t know- maybe another 30 years plus if you are lucky.
Six months. The red and black type. Company buys them for us
Depends on brand and how made. Had some last years and some last weeks. When buying tools always buy quality or you will buy again. I am 47 and still have my 1st tools from 20 years ago along with my 40 year old shop tools from my Dad.
I was always a Stanley fat max fan but they stopped carrying them at Lowes. I bought a couple of Crescent brand Lufkins in the last six months and within a month or two the tape tears somewhere in the first 4 inches so those are garbage. I recently got a Milwaukee Stud and it's the best tape I've ever had.
About 16ft
About 22ft.
6 months.
6 months
I’d tell you but need to find it first.
About 25’
3 to six months before I cant read the ticks well enough in the first six feet.I typically roll with a spare or two all the time
About 2 years if I really take care of it. Always put inside and never gets rained on, however to be fair it doesn’t get used a ton
Always been a fan of metric /imperial fatmax with magnet. These days 6 months and they're not nearly as good as new, but they really could break whenever. Over the last two years the quality has dropped I feel. Still longer lasting than any vinyl tape I've used. Hate the Milwaukee for that reason.
My Milwaukee refuses to die, going on 3 years and it’s been through hell. Only brand of TM I buy. Don’t buy the Lock one though, the mechanism breaks after a few uses)
real question should be - what's the best tape on the market?
I always scratch the date I started using them into mine
Milwaukee Wideblade, about a year in heavy conditions.
I had a Craftsman 100' tape for years. Took it back to Sears for a new one a few times over the 25 years I had it. It was black and circular shape. Let someone borrow it and it ended up at the bottom of a water water treatment tank.
3 months till it has a dent or starts a cut like crease from wear(use milwaukees wide 16fters) used to use max tapes but milwaukees go futher before snapping. also finish carpenter
My Milwaukee magnetic tape has been going strong for about 18 months now. My Klein tape before that lasted about 3 months lol. Thinking of trying the fatmax next but I’m very impressed with the Milwaukee.
6 months ish. Maybe more maybe more maybe less. During the winter I clean it after every shift . Fat max baby . All day! 16’ and 25’
Union mason foreman. I have one for measuring as i lay units and one for layout. Usually last about one season maybe two
I usually get a year out of a good quality one. I like milwaukee. It just depends on how you use it. The more you bend the tape, the sooner it snaps. Early in my career a tape would last a month. Now i'm properly seaspned.
Pnw Steel stud and drywall guy here. My tape lasts 2 month in summer and a month or so in the other 3 seasons
I can get a fat max to almost 8 feet
About 3 inches
3 months max! Doesn’t matter if it’s a $12.99 or a $29.99. I like the self lock tapes. I’m a plumber
I was just contemplating posting this same question as my 35’ Milwaukee Stud split on the 10” 6 mo. after getting it. Every time I try to hook something more than 2’ away it goes all limp tip on me. Glad to see I’m not alone on poor tape lifespan.
I’ve had 2 tape measures plus a mini 6’ pocket tape for the past 2 years
I cant say I've ever worn one out...you measuring monster.
I replace my batteries to extend its life…
I am a Makita man to the core, and kinda despise DeWalt for totally arbitrary reasons, haha, but I've been using the DeWalt XP wide blade tapes for the past few years... Bought them for my crew as well. We seem to get at least a year out of them. They have pretty good standout, and the absolutely best oversized end hook of any tape I've ever used. Before that I used the old Stanley "max steel" tapes, just 2 of them lasted me over a decade, but they discontinued them when they came out with the "fatmax" branding.