What a bright idea

[Darren Wright]

Alright I might be a sucker for gadgetry. I was in need of a longer tape measure than what I managed to bring with me in my tool box. While at Menards tonight I saw this one, made by Komelon.


It's got measurements on both the front and back of the tape itself.


And, a built in rechargeable light!


It didn't come with a usb port dust cover, but I've got a pack of them. I've been trying to put them on most of my usb charged devices, especially my iphone, as I've had dirt and pocket lint make them almost unusable. Helps keep moisture out too for those that aren't rain resistant.

 

[Mike Stafford]

But the light is only on one side of the tape.

I've been using the same old Craftsman tape measure for more than 25 years; probably longer than that. Of course I don't use a tape every day like some of you fellers. I figure that old Craftsman tape is accurate to within one acre give or take a furlong, a rod or maybe a chain.

Some of the numbers have worn off so I just don't make anything that size. The rest of the numbers are still accurate.

 

[glenn bradley]

I've got Stanleys that are almost as old as I am but I do love my DeWalt that is marked front and back as you show. No light on mine but I can sure see how that would be handy. I always wondered why my dad needed so much light to work. As I age I am being made well aware . For the shop I have a set of Lee Valley tapes that all match and all match my metal rules. It took a few exchanges to get there but once things match, its great.

 

[Charles Lent]

I always carry a Stanley 12' that is only about 1" thick. The 2" thick are just too cumbersome for me to carry in my pocket. I've had one of these with me all the time for about the last 40 years or so. I had a spare, but have lost the spare somewhere along the way. Now it seems that Stanley has discontinued these nice thinner ones and all that I see now are 2" thick. There are many brands of 1" thick tape measures, but none seep as sturdy and trouble free as my Stanleys. While the 2" thick are OK for construction work, they aren't a good size for me to carry in a pants pocket for any extended time. I probably have a dozen of the 2" thick in 8', 12' and 25' lengths in my shop, but won't carry them in my pockets. I never use the belt clips, since they disappear from my belt far too quickly.

I still have, and use a couple of Lufkin folding rulers too, because they are handy when trying to measure longer distances while on a ladder, or similar circumstances where a tape measure almost always requires a helper to hold the far end in place while I take the measurement. I've had a couple of 12' Lufkin folding rules so long that the outer two sides when folded have almost no finish or numbers on them, but using a chisel I added the 1" marks back and rarely need exact measurements at this end of them anyway. The brass sliders also still work and they still have the measurement marks too.

In my shop, when laying out most benchtop sized projects, I have an assortment of flat stainless rulers including two with the zero point in their center. These have proven very handy for marking drawer/door pull holes, center point of thick stock, etc. I also have an assortment of Incra rules with the laser cut holes to use when higher accuracy is needed on smaller projects.

Charley

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

...While the 2" thick are OK for construction work, they aren't a good size for me to carry in a pants pocket for any extended time. I probably have a dozen of the 2" thick in 8', 12' and 25' lengths in my shop, but won't carry them in my pockets...

Although I don't pocket carry a tape, I've started buying these to keep around in handy places like my car console, desk drawer, kitchen junk/tool drawer, shooting range bag, band gig bag, etc. The case is just under an inch thick and the price is hard to beat, too.

https://www.harborfreight.com/6-ft-x-12-in-keychain-tape-measure-56197.html

 

[Rennie Heuer]

I have a 12 foot Komelon that I use in the shop for a rough measurements, like setting up my initial sizing cuts. I chose it for one reason, other than the fact that it’s reasonably priced, it labels all of the fractional tick marks. Those little itty-bitty tick marks are getting way too small for my old eyes, having the fractions labeled is a huge plus.

 

[Brent Dowell]

I'd love to get one of those, but my other dozen and a half tape measures might get jealous.

 

[Brent Dowell]

Although I don't pocket carry a tape, I've started buying these to keep around in handy places like my car console, desk drawer, kitchen junk/tool drawer, shooting range bag, band gig bag, etc. The case is just under an inch thick and the price is hard to beat, too.

I keep a little 6'/2m tape on my desk for measuring 3d printing projects when my 1/100th accuracy digital calipers are too small.

 

[Leo Voisine]

I have a whole bunch of tape measures, but I can never find them.

 

[Charles Lent]

Although I don't pocket carry a tape, I've started buying these to keep around in handy places like my car console, desk drawer, kitchen junk/tool drawer, shooting range bag, band gig bag, etc. The case is just under an inch thick and the price is hard to beat, too.

https://www.harborfreight.com/6-ft-x-12-in-keychain-tape-measure-56197.html

Vaughn.

You haven't used these a lot, have you, but maybe they may have been updated since I had them. Mine were of a different design, but I fell out of favor with the ones that I had. I had bought several models of Harbor Freight tape measures and found problems with all of them -

1. They didn't measure quite the same as my Stanley tapes, but my Stanley and Lufkin measured the same. Stretch these out and place them side by side with a better quality tape. If they haven't updated their design, you will find that they have a significant error in their measurements when compared to better made tapes. You can build a project using only them, but if you use different tapes while building the project, there will be problems at assembly time. My Harbor Freight tapes were about 3/8" off in 5' when I checked them this way.

2. They didn't hold up very long to near daily use either. I couldn't trust them and finally trashed all that I had.

Charley

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

Vaughn.

You haven't used these a lot, have you, but maybe they may have been updated since I had them. Mine were of a different design, but I fell out of favor with the ones that I had. I had bought several models of Harbor Freight tape measures and found problems with all of them -

1. They didn't measure quite the same as my Stanley tapes, but my Stanley and Lufkin measured the same. Stretch these out and place them side by side with a better quality tape. If they haven't updated their design, you will find that they have a significant error in their measurements when compared to better made tapes. You can build a project using only them, but if you use different tapes while building the project, there will be problems at assembly time. My Harbor Freight tapes were about 3/8" off in 5' when I checked them this way.

2. They didn't hold up very long to near daily use either. I couldn't trust them and finally trashed all that I had.

Charley

I'm using the little 6' key chain tapes for quick and simple measurement tasks (window openings for blinds, distance between bullet holes on a target, measuring how far the band's banner is from the ceiling at a bar, etc., not daily for building anything of importance. But for fun, I just now went out in the shop and compared the baby Bauer tape in our kitchen junk drawer with the 40+ year old Stanley 20' tape I've used in the shop forever. The Bauer was within 1/32" at 6'. That's good enough for my needs. So far none of mine have failed, and they're only $2.00 each if I did need to replace one.

I've said it a lot over the past 5-6 years, but Harbor Freight has really stepped up their game in recent years. They are designed and spec'ed in the US and manufactured in Asia (mostly China), and often in the same factories making "American" products like DeWalt and Milwaukee. Quality has really gone up, particularly in their mid to upper tier tool products. Also, their Badlands Apex winches have become very popular and respected among the off-roading crowd, including those who use them daily for a living.