HF Tape Measure

[BrianAltenhofel]

So, I bought a tape measure from HF... I figured it was something you couldn't screw up. I was wrong.

After pulling the tape out about 6 feet and locking it to mark some wood, I released the lock thinking it would roll back up. Instead, it decided to shoot all 25 feet out.

I (usually) only go there for consumables like cutoff wheels, but I needed a tape measure and money was tight. I should've taken a bit more from when I bought some screw drivers (thinking "here's a tool you can't mess up on") that the handles twisted around the shafts a couple of years ago.

Dadgumit!

I need my wife to go in there with me next time to make sure I don't get suckered. (She has to go with me to Guitar Center when I buy strings so I don't buy a guitar on impulse again... even though it was a used American Fender Tele with a $350 price tag that I paid $250 cash tax and all and caused me to become too far behind on rent...)

 

[dxdexter]

If you use a tape measure frequently, then never buy a cheap Chinese brand. It never ends good. The blades are **** and the return mechanism is sketchy at best.

 

[billymade]

Needless to say, you have to be choosy when buying stuff from HF and even then it is a crapshoot whether it will be usable, in real life usage! Is the tape measure lifetime? At the very least I am sure you can get a refund. That is always my disappointment when going to HF; they have so much stuff you would like to "have" but I just can't let myself buy most of it because the quality is so suspect. I kind of enjoy walking around looking at everything but usually end up walking out without getting anything. I did buy a big set of dremel style attachments and they seem "ok"; these things self destruct really quickly anyway, so the price was pretty good with a big red case to house them. I wish HF would have a higher quality option next to their cheap stuff; that way you could buy the quality product if you wanted to spend the money. If I buy something it is always on sale; I find the "normal" prices are such that I can generally find a used usa/pro tool for a similar price at a flea market or pawn shop. That is always the kicker for me spend similar amount of money for HF or find a USA/pro used tool as a solution? I generally go with the used option but it just takes longer to find it.

 

[SocketDeviler]

I just bought a new 25' Stanley on Amazon for $8.00. They may still have it on sale. That's about as cheap as a good tape measure gets. May not help you right now but would in the future.

 

[eschoendorff]

I need my wife to go in there with me next time to make sure I don't get suckered. (She has to go with me to Guitar Center when I buy strings so I don't buy a guitar on impulse again... even though it was a used American Fender Tele with a $350 price tag that I paid $250 cash tax and all and caused me to become too far behind on rent...)

Okay, the HF story is... well, from now one you will know better. BUT, I am definitely with you on the Guitar Center thing... I am planning to buy an acoustic for my general music classes... plus I need to look at purchasing a new trombone. I'd like a Bach with a Greenhoe valve, but that makes a Snap On tool box look reasonable!

For $350... you would be an idiot to leave a Fender American Tele on the rack. Then again, getting behind on the rent ain't exactly MENSA-certified either... I guess you're screwed!

 

[SocketDeviler]

For $350... you would be an idiot to leave a Fender American Tele on the rack. Then again, getting behind on the rent ain't exactly MENSA-certified either... I guess you're screwed!

Amen. If anything the Tele is a very good investment.

 

[Mr. Welsh]

I have a couple Stanley FatMax tapes. I'm content with their quality for the price.

 

[BrianAltenhofel]

Yeah, I need to quit buying things that aren't intended to be destroyed from HF.

As for Guitar Center... I have an addiction to guitars... good guitars... and it won't be satisfied until I have an electric 12-string, acoustic 12-string, 4- 5- and 6-string basses, and a double-neck Gibson to go with the gut-stringed acoustic, steel-string acoustic, Tele, 7-string Stratocaster, and 1951 Harmony electric...

Too many expensive addictions (music, cars, tools) and not enough cash flow...

If the ACE stores around here would actually stock their cut off wheels sometime, I might not have to go to HF ever. Atwoods has DeWalt wheels for $1.49 EACH and they shatter within 10 seconds of cutting. Ace is reasonable at $0.59 each, but I haven't had the chance to use them because they are NEVER in stock when I get the chance to go there. But $6 for a 10-pack at HF is hard to pass up, especially since they last nearly all the way down to the arbor. When I skinned the doors for my race car, one wheel lasted a door-and-a-half. But anyway, I just needed to vent a little about my mistake..

 

[RickP330]

So what is a good make for a tape measure? I had my Stanly out working on my house and the contractors were making fun of me with it!!

 

[joshboogie]

HF Strikes again!

 

[PoorOwner]

So what is a good make for a tape measure? I had my Stanly out working on my house and the contractors were making fun of me with it!!

You got some elite contractors there
my contractor had been invited by the neighbor for a price quote
and he couldn't find his tape and had to borrow my Stanley...

 

[nissan_crawler]

I have a 25' Big Johnson, and everybody that handles it really seems to enjoy it.










No, really.

http://www.idealtruevalue.com/servlet/the-171943/Detail

 

[dxdexter]

So what is a good make for a tape measure? I had my Stanly out working on my house and the contractors were making fun of me with it!!

I use Lufkin and Starrett. Remember tapes from one manufacturer can differ greatly in quality.Lufkin makes some really great models, but also some real duds. I generally buy a minimum 25'/6m length. I find the Stanley Fat Max tapes just to huge to work with.

 

[Kevin54]

I have a 25' Big Johnson, and everybody that handles it really seems to enjoy it.

So you just let ANYONE handle your Big Johnson?

I have a Stanley Fat Max 25'. What i like about it is that it will go a little over 9' without buckling.

 

[Merkava_4]

Needless to say, you have to be choosy when buying stuff from HF and even then it is a crapshoot whether it will be usable, in real life usage!

I possibly might have a better idea:

Don't walk in the damn place!

 

[tanda4]

So what is a good make for a tape measure? I had my Stanly out working on my house and the contractors were making fun of me with it!!

I love my Klein and it has both standard and metic readings.

 

[wilbilt]

I have a Mac-branded Stanley and a Lufkin. Oh, and another Stanley. The Stanley in the "computer tool kit" at work pisses me off, because it's marked in feet and inches. i.e., it says "2ft. 6", 2ft. 7", etc...

I bought a handful of tape measures at Dollar Tree, and I am quite satisfied with them. They are Chinese, but haven't let me down. I also don't care if I leave one somewhere.

I have a Strat. A Squier Strat. The finest guitar I have ever owned.

 

[djjsr]

Stanley tapes, ok. Stanley "MaxStick" not ok. It's off by 1/16" in 2 ft. Makes a good aluminum straight edge though.

 

[BrianAltenhofel]

I have a Strat. A Squier Strat. The finest guitar I have ever owned.

I should've probably put that the 7-string Stratocaster is a Squier. I played four to find one that sounded good, and it sounds better than a lot of the name-brand 7-stringers (Ibanez, Omen, LTD, etc.)

I never thought to get some don't-care tapes from Dollar Tree mostly because I am not familiar at all with it. I assume its like Dollar General or Family Dollar? The closest one is in OKC (like HF), but since its reasonably close to an Olive Garden it might be convenient. I got paid today and my wife got paid yesterday, so I'll probably drop in Wallyworld before I go home and get me one of the Stanley tapes. At least Wal-Mart is convenient enough and will take ANYTHING back. (I was a grocery Department Manager there, cashier, overnight stocker, and did a little service desk before that... trust me, you can take ANYTHING back if you throw a big enough fit... swimming pools and vacuum cleaners are common "rentals" from Wal-Mart... and purchasing items on clearance at one store and taking them to another store for a refund is a source of income for some)

 

[sammerdog]

I recieved a 30' Craftsman tape as a present back in the early 80's. I get a good 5-6 years out of them before the end of the tapes would finally break. Sears was always real good about exchanging them for a fresh 30', no questions asked.

When my last tape snapped last fall, as I was returning it, the cashier was real polite as she exchanged it, but told me that in the future Sears will only guarantee the mechanism inside, NOT the tapes. I guess all good things must come to an end....

Overall, I can't complain - that one Craftsman tape measure got me over 25 years of use in a round-a-bout way.

 

[wilbilt]

I should've probably put that the 7-string Stratocaster is a Squier. I played four to find one that sounded good, and it sounds better than a lot of the name-brand 7-stringers (Ibanez, Omen, LTD, etc.)

And I should add that the Squeir is the only guitar I have ever owned.

 

[Jiffycake]

So what is a good make for a tape measure? I had my Stanly out working on my house and the contractors were making fun of me with it!!

If it works, use it. Why do you care what other people think? Besides, My boss is a contractor and has been for over 20 years. He recommended the basic stanley tape to me. I go through about 1 tape a summer. NO tape will hold up to multiple story drops, bending, or adhesive drying on tape surface. Might as well buy a stanley and just be careful.

 

[dcjredline]

Well as far as HF goes, I built my 28x30 garage with their 21degree framing nailer ($79) and then lent it to my neighbor to build his 28x28. I think I may have had 3 jams the whole time it worked in the rain with me and was lowered roughly a couple times along with being dropped prolly 5 times. Who knows how the neighbor treated it but it still KICKS SERIOUS ***!!! I have also bought MOST of my other air tools from there and been very happy with them. (Cut off tool, air saw, grease gun and a couple others) I agree that some stuff from there is questionable but to say DONT WALK IN THERE I would say is wrong.