HF Free Tape Measures...

[ovrrdrive]

I got my first one of these jewels a few weeks ago and was actually surprised at how nice it was for a free item. I liked it so much I went back a week later and got another one. Well, I was using one tonight and measured a piece of metal I had already cut and it was off a little. After I thought about it, i checked the tape against the other free one and sure enough they read different. I checked them against one I paid about $20 for and one was really close and the other was off almost 1/16".

I can't think of one reason to keep a tape measure around that isn't correct so I put it in the one place I figured it really needed to be...

HF is a mixed bag... Now I know to verify their tape measures and their squares before I use them. Still, I can't complain about the price I guess.

Just an FYI...

The red line I added to the pic is where the end of the steel is.

 

[B_Bimmer]

At least they hold up, even if they are a bit variable. Menards used to have chrome tool shop brand tapes that had a little plastic pin holding the spring. First impact of any kind and they blew up. They were guaranteed forever and i had about twenty of them. A friend and I used them to rebuild an entire house and every time we did a materials run we had three or four of them to trade in. Looking back one Stanley tape would have been far better, but at least it never mattered when I misplaced one. I guess I'm never doing anything precise enough to notice 1/16, so I can't say they have that down better or worse that harbor freight, but the one I bothered to pick up with the coupon is still hanging on a nail in the machine shed and hasn't failed me yet.

 

[back2class]

dont be so sure the other one is the correct one. Also, so little off could just be the hook needing adjusted on either

 

[1950mercury]

Always start at the one inch mark if I'm using a tape measure than add an inch if a need a precise measurement. There is always too much slop in the tang on tape measures....as far as the hf free on I used one on a construction site and it lasted 2 days

 

[Empty Pockets]

Always start at the one inch mark if I'm using a tape measure than add an inch if a need a precise measurement. There is always too much slop in the tang on tape measures....as far as the hf free on I used one on a construction site and it lasted 2 days

I thought I was the only one that started at the 1" mark.

 

[lightning02]

I had 3 of them. Ex stole one of them so now I have 2. They never gave me a problem.

 

[Danglerb]

The end tab is supposed to have play in it to compensate for the thickness of the tab, so hang over the end or poke against the end you get the same measure.

If you had one that is off, take a reference tape with you exchange it at HF.

 

[bcradio]

It shouldn't matter if the tape measure is off as long as you're using the same tape measure for every measurement you take. Who cares if you're off by a half inch as long as you're always off by a half inch.

 

[unslow1]

I thought I was the only one that started at the 1" mark.

I start at the 1" mark with my good tape measures.

 

[Askme42]

It shouldn't matter if the tape measure is off as long as you're using the same tape measure for every measurement you take. Who cares if you're off by a half inch as long as you're always off by a half inch.

Bingo

+1

 

[FigureItOut]

It shouldn't matter if the tape measure is off as long as you're using the same tape measure for every measurement you take. Who cares if you're off by a half inch as long as you're always off by a half inch.

Only true if it's consistently inaccurate across the tape, if each "inch" is equal and each fraction line is true to the tape's "inch". Also no good if you're measuring and cutting pieces to fit with other pieces of known measurements, if you use another measuring tool also, or if others working with you are using any other tape.
I'd assume the tape got skewed by some slip in the machinery that prints on it or the machinery that moves it through the printing machine, in which case it may be accurate from say 1"-12", but not from 13"-24", for example.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk

 

[terry603]

this is why when you need to accurate you always use the same tape or rule that you started with
sometimes even the big names are a little off from one another

 

[fastbike02]

I love hf free tape measures.. I have a box of them! When I forget where I set one, I go grab another, when I find one I toss it in the box. End of the day it's still free

 

[AmishFury]

i have a whole bunch of them scattered all over the house/vehicles

 

[Kielbasavw]

They are Off because the tang is very flimsy you can bend it by hand. I had one read a 1/4" off before. Realized the tang bumped something and bent. They over hang the body unlike most real tapes.

 

[ovrrdrive]

Always start at the one inch mark if I'm using a tape measure than add an inch if a need a precise measurement. There is always too much slop in the tang on tape measures....as far as the hf free on I used one on a construction site and it lasted 2 days

For shorter pieces or when I have a helper I agree that's the best idea... This project I am doing by myself after work in the garage and as you can see the pieces are too long to hold both ends on. The other tape is a "known reasonably accurate" tape I've had a while.

It shouldn't matter if the tape measure is off as long as you're using the same tape measure for every measurement you take. Who cares if you're off by a half inch as long as you're always off by a half inch.

Normally I'd agree if building furniture or a speaker box or something but this is a CNC Plasma table and that particular piece is the gantry cross arm. Otherwise I probably wouldn't have even verified the cut. The frame pieces didn't matter too much but this is one of two pieces that need to be really close.

They are Off because the tang is very flimsy you can bend it by hand. I had one read a 1/4" off before. Realized the tang bumped something and bent. They over hang the body unlike most real tapes.

I didn't even think about that or trying to adjust it. Now that it has sat with the maggots overnight I'll just file that away for future reference. lol

 

[mrjaw14]

In construction I've heard many tapes measure slightly different than other brands and often crews will use the same brand so they're more likely to be on the same page. Also use the same tape for the entire job so you don't get off those 1/16th of an inch by going between two tapes.

 

[MushCreek]

After building a house, and trashing a LOT of tape measures, my favorites are the big chrome Stanley's. I've never broken one. I have a bunch of the freebie HF ones, and they are OK, but the rewind is STRONG. If you let the tape come back fast, it will whip the **** out of you. I don't use a tape measure for close work. I use a metal scale (ruler). I always use the same tape measure to measure the job, and then measure the board I am cutting to fit. Doesn't matter if it is off then.

 

[uart]

The end tab is supposed to have play in it to compensate for the thickness of the tab, so hang over the end or poke against the end you get the same measure.

Yes, and that play is typically about 1/16 of an inch.

Ovrdrive, if it's off by about a 1/16" across the full range then perhaps the rivets in the tab were just a bit tight and it wasn't moving to compensate for the tab width.

Just hold the tape firmly in one hand and try to push the tab back and forth with the other. Make sure that you are getting the (approx 1/6") slop there that you're supposed to have.

 

[rlitman]

I don't use a tape measure for close work. I use a metal scale (ruler). I always use the same tape measure to measure the job, and then measure the board I am cutting to fit. Doesn't matter if it is off then.

I use metal scales when possible, but that's not always an option on say a 77" measurement. This is one reason I keep tape measures around in different lengths. Huh, you say? Carpenters often prefer tape measures with greater "stick out" ability. They achieve this with thicker tapes, that are wider, with a deeper set curve in them. This is epitomized in the Stanley Fat-Max tapes (especially the 25' and 30' sizes), which often can stand out 8' or more. But they're so wide and curved that getting a good reading on them without parallax issues is difficult, because they won't sit flat.
Now look at a 12' or 16' tape measure, with typically 5/8" and 3/4" wide tapes that are hardly curved at all. These are great for fine measurements where you'd otherwise prefer to use a ruler.

I do not worry about what tape measure is used for what measurement. If I need a perfect match, I'll match two boards up for a cut, not use a tape. If I discover my tape measures have inaccuracy, I'll either adjust the foot, or trash them, but to date, I haven't owned a tape measure that's off by as much as the thickness of a line at up to 10' out (yes, I check, yes, I have seen this issue in cheaper tapes).

I have an old (domestic made) Starrett tape measure for reference, and around the shop I've got mostly Stanley Leverlock tapes, but also some Kobalt and Craftsman (and Komelon in the house). I do have some of the free HF tape measures, but they're not used in critical applications.

 

[FloydShine]

We give them out as stocking stuffers for Christmas, always getting them for free. Most of our clan know the basics of tab adjustments, and "cutting a inch". I would have dug it back out of the trash after every ones comments.

 

[bcradio]

Only true if it's consistently inaccurate across the tape, if each "inch" is equal and each fraction line is true to the tape's "inch". Also no good if you're measuring and cutting pieces to fit with other pieces of known measurements, if you use another measuring tool also, or if others working with you are using any other tape.
I'd assume the tape got skewed by some slip in the machinery that prints on it or the machinery that moves it through the printing machine, in which case it may be accurate from say 1"-12", but not from 13"-24", for example.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk

The numbers don't really matter as long as you are using the same measuring device for everything. I can use a wedge of cheese to measure my stuff, and as long as I use the same wedge for everything (and the wedge doesn't get chunks eaten out of it ) then I will come out good. As soon as any piece is measured with something else then all bets are off and both measuring devices need to be in sync.

 

[FigureItOut]

The numbers don't really matter as long as you are using the same measuring device for everything. I can use a wedge of cheese to measure my stuff, and as long as I use the same wedge for everything (and the wedge doesn't get chunks eaten out of it ) then I will come out good. As soon as any piece is measured with something else then all bets are off and both measuring devices need to be in sync.

Unless there's one segment that's different than the rest. Say your 11'th inch segment is off. You measure a 12" cavity, and cut 4 pieces of 3" each to fit inside it, they won't fit.

Edit: it wouldn't matter where it's off actually, if you're cutting divided pieces, they won't fit unless the tape is proportionally and equally off.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk

 

[bcradio]

Unless there's one segment that's different than the rest. Say your 11'th inch segment is off. You measure a 12" cavity, and cut 4 pieces of 3" each to fit inside it, they won't fit.

Edit: it wouldn't matter where it's off actually, if you're cutting divided pieces, they won't fit unless the tape is proportionally and equally off.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk

Yes, if you are dividing pieces up and not compensating for that on the measuring device (piece 1: 0-3in, piece 2: 3-6in, etc), then it will be off if the markings are not proportional.

 

[derosa]

My kids like to play with tools, the HF tape measure is a nice, easy pass off; sees to it that when I need a quick tape measure there is one laying around. Sees to it that the good tapes are safe for when I have an important project to do. When I was doing siding I found them to be as good as anything, especially with my dad snipping every tape cutting channel or hitting them with the saw while forgetting to retract the tape I went through a lot of free tapes. Just use the same tape to measure and cut and the minor discrepancy is taken care of by the overlap.

 

[goforride57]

I start at the 1" as well. You might be able bend the tab the 1/16 inch to correct it.

 

[Larryjones]

I keep a couple of those tapes in my box for loaning out and for the kids. I hate it when somebody messes up one of my Stanleys.

 

[icenfire01]

It shouldn't matter if the tape measure is off as long as you're using the same tape measure for every measurement you take. Who cares if you're off by a half inch as long as you're always off by a half inch.

This is a recipe for disaster if you ask me. There are far too many times I have one tape in the house and one in the garage by the saw so if I forget it I dont have to trudge in the house, up the stairs just to retrieve the instrument I forgot to clip to my pocket. Also I will often work with my dad on projects and one of us will call measurements to the other. Im with the OP, it was worth what he paid for it, throw that accident waiting to happen away!!

 

[Mark in Indiana]

IMO:
I think that the HF freebie tape measures are great for quick measurements. They hold up well and are easy to read. I keep one in each vehicle and a few around the shop.
I also start at the 1" mark and use the same tape measure for multiple measurements on the same workpiece. However, a tape measure shouldn't be expected to have micrometer accuracy.

 

[winlinmac]

This, same here
I recently, accidentally stepped on my vintage Stanley Made in USA Tape Measure. As a result, I did a little experiment, and removed the tape measure from the Harbor Freight variant and retrofitted that into the Stanley enclosure. A few days later, I ultimately ended up buying a replacement Stanley Made in USA Measuring Tape (25-feet, this time Made in USA with Global Components) to make it appear as if nothing happened, lol.

Always start at the one inch mark if I'm using a tape measure than add an inch if a need a precise measurement. There is always too much slop in the tang on tape measures....as far as the hf free on I used one on a construction site and it lasted 2 days

 

[Jim C.]

It's free for a reason. I go to HF for two things, EvapoRust and Super Lube....that's it. I don't take the free stuff, I don't want the coupons, nothing.

 

[Virgil Cain]

It's free for a reason. I go to HF for two things, EvapoRust and Super Lube....that's it. I don't take the free stuff, I don't want the coupons, nothing.

Super Lube and EvapoRust huh?

Fear not ... your purity is unsullied. Of course, I don't understand why you wouldn't use the 20% coupons on those items.

 

[ovrrdrive]

Super Lube and EvapoRust huh?

Fear not ... your purity is unsullied. Of course, I don't understand why you wouldn't use the 20% coupons on those items.

Funny story about that 20% off thing...

Last night I went in and returned the mid-grade tap and die set that broke and upgraded to the best set they have. I got some other stuff I needed and went to the register and the 20% coupon I had in my email wasn't good until 2/7. I went to the one I had gotten in a text about an hour earlier and same thing. The one in my previous text expired 1/25. I went through email and texts and all of them either expired 1/25 or didn't start until 2/7. I told the guy to just grab one out of the trash like everyone else does and he wouldn't do it. Finally as I started to get agitated I just told him that if I couldn't get 20% off i didn't want any of it. He called a manager up before i could say anything else and told her what I said.

She got a weird smirk on her face and entered a code into the computer and gave me 20% off and just walked away without saying anything. It was a little strange but I got what I wanted so I was happy. lol

 

[thebeekeeper1]

Super Lube and EvapoRust huh?

Fear not ... your purity is unsullied. Of course, I don't understand why you wouldn't use the 20% coupons on those items.

Man, the closest HF to me sells Evaporust for nearly $30. O'Reilly Auto Parts gets $22 and Rural King gets $17. I guess purity comes at a price.

 

[bwringer]

I've seen expensive tapes off by a bit too. I usually just make sure that I use the same tape measure for measuring and marking.


And anyway, if you're using a tape measure in situations where 1/16" is super-critical... well, you're probably doing it wrong.

 

[PelicanPines]

Was taught by a professional.... use ONE tape measure so if it's wrong it will be wrong all the time... giving you correct transfer of measurements. The problem happens when one is right and another is wrong. Stick with just one.

 

[kythri]

Funny story about that 20% off thing...

She got a weird smirk on her face and entered a code into the computer and gave me 20% off and just walked away without saying anything. It was a little strange but I got what I wanted so I was happy. lol

If you've got a smartphone (sounds like you do), www.hfqpdb.com is your friend.

 

[jd_1138]

I love hf free tape measures.. I have a box of them! When I forget where I set one, I go grab another, when I find one I toss it in the box. End of the day it's still free

Free is not free if it screws up a job, or you have to stop in the middle of a project to go buy a Fat Max tape.

 

[jd_1138]

I've seen expensive tapes off by a bit too. I usually just make sure that I use the same tape measure for measuring and marking.


And anyway, if you're using a tape measure in situations where 1/16" is super-critical... well, you're probably doing it wrong.

Problem is, depending on the project, 1/16" off here and there can all add up to an inch or more off.

 

[ovrrdrive]

If you've got a smartphone (sounds like you do), www.hfqpdb.com is your friend.

I Actually checked that to see if the tap set was on sale but for some strange reason it never occurred to me to look at the coupons at the top... Thanks.