FastCap Tape Measures

[neilc]

Paul is a great guy. Here's a Wikipedia page on him - sounds like his company was close ot going under and he applied Lean to it. Completely changed the company.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Akers

And his website with even more...

http://paulakers.net

One of his more recent lead tours talks about their just-in-time manufacturing of their products with less than a day of inventory and still fast turnaround on orders.

An interesting aspect of FastCap is they solicit product ideas from tradespeople and then manufacture them and share the revenues with the inventor.

Excellent company -

 

[jd_1138]

Great video Ryan. I will have to pick those tape measures up. I think they'll make woodworking easier.

 

[FigureItOut]

Used my new flat back today, I really like it. The markings are nice. One thing I found odd was the tab doesn't slide like on most tapes. It's rigid enough that you could push into a measurement, but I'm guessing it's accurate on the pull.

 

[beelsr]

i think the thinking on the lack of the sliding hook is that you won't use the flatback to do inside measurements because the blade isn't very rigid.

 

[Carguy99]

So I have a few of the FastCap tape measures. Actually I have a number of FastCap products, as they really do make a lot of affordable and intelligent tools for various parts of the garage / wood shop. As a company I really do love their stuff, and I love to see what kind of new stuff comes out. The Kaizen foam seems awesome, and maybe with additional leisure time and money I'd use it to organize tools in my shop better....

That being said I have to say I've had a very negative experience with my tape meausure, in particular the flat back. For the reasons stated above I love the flatback design. But, they just completely flopped on the retraction mechanism. Not sure if mine is an anomaly but the tension they have on the spring that winds up the tape is set about 4X - 5X TOO HIGH. It snaps back with such force, the tape wants to jump out of my hand, 50% of the time it creeps when set, because the spring is pulling on it so hard. When it retracts I've clipped my fingers many times and it's not fun. I would never let this tape measure anywhere near my kids. It's hard to love the smart design aspects of this tape when something so basic as getting the right retraction tension for a safe roll-up is messed up so much. I use it very little because of this reason, so good design, but very poor execution of a basic tape measure design element. My crappy Northern Tool generic tapes retract so nicely compared to this one.....

I agree. I have been rapped on the knuckles a few tims.

 

[coljar]

I had a lot of time on my hands at work last night and watched the video and then watched some more. I ordered both tapes to try because they seem like something I'd use the heck out of. So, I had more time on my hands and ordered the Kiss drill bit system because I've always hated drill indexes and my current set up *****. That CEO has more energy than a super ball in an empty garbage pail. Those stand up desk would ****, but they have a nice facility.

 

[Indexmill]

I had a lot of time on my hands at work last night and watched the video and then watched some more. I ordered both tapes to try because they seem like something I'd use the heck out of. So, I had more time on my hands and ordered the Kiss drill bit system because I've always hated drill indexes and my current set up *****. That CEO has more energy than a super ball in an empty garbage pail. Those stand up desk would ****, but they have a nice facility.

You get paid to watch videos?

 

[ilovevocs]

You get paid to watch videos?

My friend works for a major oil refinery and spends allot of his time at work watching movies.

Makes me contemplate the path I have chosen in my life.

I could run a side business 40 hours a week with a job like that.

 

[coljar]

You get paid to watch videos?

As my boss once said to the plant manager, "If he's(me) busy, other than a planned start up or shut down of one of the boilers, the plants not making a dime." Sorry about the derail Ryan, but I had to explain.

 

[vettex2]

Good stuff.

I'm waiting for the HF knock-off