As a carpenter, one of the most important tools I use and trust is my tape measure. I’ve bought three stanley fat maxs in the past 4 months having them all tear and become useless. I don’t mind paying $30 for a tape measure but is it wrong that I am expecting them to last more than a month?
Has anyone had any luck with returning them?
After the third one bit the dust I decided enough was enough and bought a luftkin. Lets hope it outlasts the stanley. What are your thoughts on this topic?
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Replies
For 11' of stand-out ( 13' for the extreme) the trade-off is a brittle blade that doesn't do well bending counter to its natural arc. So instead of chasing someone down and setting up another ladder etc. to measure something over 10', I suck it up, pay the premium, and keep an extra in the truck. Not to say it doesn't stink though.
Regards,
Sean
the 30ft ones from harbor freight are 2.99 on sale and they'll trake em back no questions... i buy the 16' when they are $1 the 20 & 25' when they are $2 and have em lay'n everywhere... of about 25 i think one has died and one of the 30ft sticks sometimes when retracting... since i supply tools to my guys... these work for me....
p
have em lay'n everywhere
only way to go, otherwise I'd never be able to find a tape.. The grandkids can kill a tape in short order, have had maybe 10 of the HF tapes not retract after the GKs got done with them. Buy a case at a time when on sale.
Got a few of the $2.99 multimeters lying around too, had a $1.99 sale on them once a few years back and bought 4 cases of them, cheaper than buying batteries.
I've been using the Fatmax tapes for about 3-4 years now. Frankly, I think the 11' (and 13' for the extreme that I tested in the store) standout is optomistic. That said, in those 3-4 years of using them daily, primarily as a framer, but also using it for concrete, trim, and most other things, I have only ripped 1. The one I keep in my bags now I have been using since(probably 2-3 years), and it wasn't exactly out of the box when I started using it.
I do have about 4 of them lying around, just in case. You can never have enough tapes, but I've started cutting back since this tape won't die on me.
I gotta agree on the "optimistic" stand out. I have managed to get 10' and a couple of inches on a couple, but never the full 11', and that is bracing myself so the tape is as still as possible. It is still better than the others, however.I lose my tapes before they break, so haven't had a breakage problem.
Smash a Viagra tablet with a waffle-headed framing hammer, sprinkle the dust into a couple cups of water and stir.
Soak your 30' fat max in it for a couple of hours.
It will, thereafter, stretch to 25 feet, even in a brisk wind.
If it stays extended and won't retract for more than 2 hours, call your physician.
That reminds me.
Some joker dumped a dozen Viagra in the Chicago river along with the green dye for St. Paddy's day this year.
A ship went thru, and they could not get the bridges down afterwards.
I use craftsman tapes. They have the lifetime warranty but they dont stand out as far. I've never been a fan of the fatmax anything. I dont necessarily have small hands but none of those tools feel right in my hands.
I really like the Craftsman tapes too, but they don't always honor the lifetime warranty. The last time I was at Sears, I wanted to replace a tape because the numbers were wearing off. They told me they can only replace it if it's actually broken (wink, wink). I just bought a new one. I wasn't about to "accidentally" break it.
But that's much better than the time before that when they only offered me a replacment blade. For a few dollars, I'd rather just have a whole new tape.
-Don
I get a month or two out of them framing. Yeah they're expensive and it sucks when they break. But as far as I'm concerned they're the best thing going. Once you get used to the stand-out, everything else feels like a toy. And as far as the size/weight things goes...... a 25' Fat Max is still about the lightest thing I have to pick up all day long so I'm not sure what the fuss is all about.
Probably a waste of money for anybody except a framer or sider or remodeler who spends time working in 'space'. But if you're one of us who often at the top of a ladder, leaning out precariously, trying to hook a wall 12' away....... they're worth the money. If I did trim or cabinets or worked in a shop, I'd probably stick with my old 25' chrome Stanley that my Pop gave me.
I'd probably stick with my old 25' chrome Stanley that my Pop gave me.
Diesel,
I agree w/ you about the fat max. Most of my work is remodeling, but once you use them, it's hard to beat them.
Your comment above brought back a good memory for me, I still have my 25' chrome Stanley tape that my dad gave me 15+ years ago, it doesn't see much use now, but I don't think I will ever part with it.
I could see the FM breaking on you guys a whole lot more than on us remodelers but in the grand scheme of things...big deal. You pay for the convince of what it offers us. Its like the big box stores. You use it like an educated consumer....quit whining or stop going there or using the FM. I love them. I know they're some what fragile so I'm pretty cool with handling mine.... I switched over to a 16'er cause thats all I really need most of my day. I love ergonomically how it fits in my big azz swollen paw...lol..I've bought several from Ebay...its another thing I keep on my watch list...I've picked up a 2 pac of 16'ers for $20 and less.
Same with my cordless batteries. Maybe I shouldn't be announcing that here...lol.
http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
andy,
where do yours break? right about the six inch mark?
Yeh...right at that plastic coating thing
"Revolution is not something fixed in ideology, nor is it something fashioned to a particular decade. It is a perpetual process embedded in the human spirit." Abbie Hoffman
http://WWW.CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Yup, Yes, Hell Yes, You bet, Entirely right.
dieselpig,
where do yours break? right about the six inch mark?
Nothing said here that I don't agree with. I have a 25' and my partner has a 30', we've gone through our share of them, they seem to split on the ends pretty easily. I try to take care to not 'whip' the tape back when retracting it, I think the abuse due to the extra weight of it causes the short life. Also the extra large tab at the end seems to get stuck in crevices easier if you're not careful, again leading to further injury to it if one yanks the heck out of it to wrench it free.
We keep a few cheapos on hand. We have a 25' Lufkin, I think that is a decent tape as well, but like others here, I am used to the feel of the Stanley, so am a bit reluctant to change. I also like the larger print on the tape as my eyes aren't the greatest.
girlbuilder,
where do yours break? right about the six inch mark?
There's a clear plastic tongue at the end of the tape that is apparently there for reinforcement, but as it is stiffer than the rest of the tape, it doesn't move with the tape, so over time it begins to separate and jam upwards when you retract the tape. As a result, the plastic piece causes pull and stress on that end, causing it to split prematurely right about there, about three inches or four inches up I believe.
I have one that hasn't seen much use. One thing you can do is take some of the spring out of them when you first get them. Open them up and unwind it until it just returns. It won't return as fast but it helps save the end. I also let the end hit my finger instead of the casing. It is slower though coming back in.
where is it tearing? I have had no trouble with them. Are you being gentle??? lol
I'm also a renovation guy and I wouldn't use anything else. Good luck to date as far a breaking or splitting. I wouldn't be as rough as a framer would be anyway. Most of my work is inside. I keep a couple of smaller ones in the shop and big ben stays in my pouch.
Gary...
I believe I am up to 3 in my truck, I cant keep track of em and then they show up one by one. I have had other tapes tear when I was doing an outside measure but thats usually due to twisting. I really hate it when the get bent slightly.
I have a love/hate relationship with Fatmax tapes. My current 30' FM has a skin-ripping chip missing at about 6'. Also have a 25'er with a similar ding around at around 10'. The standout is useful often enough, and the rubber armor seems to help it stay put on roof or dashboards, but its size makes it a tight fit in tool belt. I like the Stanley chrome until the "chrome" starts peeling and it's like little bits of razor blades stuck to the case. Like others have said, once you go fat, it's hard to go back.
My current 30' FM has a skin-ripping chip missing at about 6'.
Nice to know I'm not going completely senile. For the life of me I couldn't remember nicking the dang thing with anything.... but I've got that same chip missing that you mentioned.jt8
"The lowest ebb is the turn of the tide."-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
That 6' chip is where you bend the tape measuring for things like door casings. I've gone through a dozen or two Fat Maxes, and more often than not that little finger biting tear is the first thing to go wrong.
Once you go Fat you can't go back though.
Someone gave me a FM tape a while ago (First one's free, kid), but I still haven't taken the first step on that sad path.
Ron
Can't say i'd like to spend $30 on a tape.
My favorite tape of all time was the Lufkin "Black Max" . 1" wide 16 footer with a bright white blade. Could read that thing in the almost dark, where I was much of the time, renovatin'.
I've been buying the Komelons from Princess Auto. ½ metric variety. I use metric for dividing spans and the imperial transates it into something I can understand.
The one I have now has lasted more than a year.
Gord
Has anyone seen a reasonably good tape measure that has the numbers on both the front and the back of the tape? There have been a (very) few times that having the numbers on both side would make reading the tape a lot easier. I have looked but have not found any - good or otherwise...
Check the house brands at Lowes. One of them has it.
An annual rent of from twenty-five to a hundred dollars (these are the country rates) entitles him to the benefit of the improvements of centuries, spacious apartments, clean paint and paper, Rumford fire-place, back plastering, Venetian blinds, copper pump, spring lock, a commodious cellar, and many other things. But how happens it that he who is said to enjoy these things is so commonly a poor civilized man, while the savage, who has them not, is rich as a savage?Parolee # 53804
Irwin. heavy bastid steel case.Parolee # 40835
Milwaukee makes a good tape......numbers on both sides.
Milwaukee 49-19-0030 30 Foot Magnetic Tip Tape Measure, inch
List Price:
$27.80
Price:
$20.22 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
View Image
"What's an Arkansas flush?......It's a small revolver and any five cards."
Edited 5/29/2007 5:51 pm by intrepidcat
Mine has the numbers on both edges, but you really got to squint to see them! ;-)
Personally, I prefer the lever lock action tapes - the thumb lock on the Stanley's seems to get less than smooth real easily.I have a 30' Fat max that I use for when I need the reach, but use other's more frequently as I do primarily remodel work.FYI - Costco's near me had 30' fatmax's on clearance for about $9.77 a while back - might be worth a stop through if you have one near you.JT
Interesting...theres a 25' FatMax sitting in my truck (w/23 feet extended, and not gonna retract) on its way to Lowes tomorrow - we'll see if they refund - its pretty new.
We love the Fats - but 35' is too big to fit in the tool pouch. 25's are great.
Once you go fat...
Treat every person you meet like you will know them the rest of your life - you just might!
That is so funny about the skin ripping chip. I break mine all the time, and invariably I forget about that chunk. Send the tape flying in, catch my fingertip on that spot, and let loose enough curses to make the devil cover his ears! It's a love/hate relationship.
Dustin
Update:
I tried to return/exchange the fatmax today at Lowes - no go - Kobalt and their other brand have a lifetime warranty, but not Fatmax - 30 days w/receipt only.
The tape looks brand new - it just won't recoil - maybe I'll toss it, maybe I'll write Stanley, and send them this link...
Treat every person you meet like you will know them the rest of your life - you just might!
We're lucky here. As of last week they hadn't enforced that policy yet.Greg
http://www.wernerbuilding.net
My current 30' FM has a skin-ripping chip missing at about 6'. Also have a 25'er with a similar ding around at around 10'.
My blade broke off at that 'skin-ripping' point while I was using the tape over the weekend. I was measuring a floor and CLUNK! the end just fell off. Wasn't like I was doing anything agressive with it, just feeding it out. That is the first tape I've had that the blade broke on.
jt8
"One of the true tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency." -- Arnold H. Glasgow
JohnT8
Funny that's exactly where mine is nicked, right at six inches! I'll bet we have a manufacturing defect that Stanley hasn't admitted to.
I don't remember where mine broke at, but it was longer than 6". But they seem to have the chunk missing out of the side in common. And that is where it snapped.
Probably something in the manufacturing process makes a weak chunk every so many feet.
jt8
"One of the true tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency." -- Arnold H. Glasgow
I think I have tried every brand tape measure that exist. I finally settled on a tape sold by walmart. It is the Alltrade brand. They only sell the 35' length and it cost 10.00. It has a lifetime warranty.
All the guys that work with me buy these tapes now. They last a long time with everyday use ( 6 months or better ) and for the money they are of good quality.
They certainly last longer than the fat max or any of the other expensive tapes.
James
The guy I do a lot of work for goes through a lot of tape measures--but he leaves them extended and underfoot--stepping on them shortens their lives considerably.
The framer I used to work for was always dropping his. I remember when he dropped it from a second story roof and I found it in the snow in the back yard of the house--it had a bright yellow case and that convinced me to buy one the same color (easy to see!).
Don't have a problem with them here. Lowe's will still trade a broken one for a new one.
Greg
http://www.wernerbuilding.net
I prefer the Fatmax tapes over all others for most work. When doing trim or cabinet work I sometimes can be found using an old style Leverlock tape.
I think it's really important to be slow on the rewind of the blade. I always use my index finger as a friction brake and never let the hook slam in to the tape body. I can get several months of hard use when using a tape like that. Also, when it gets really wet or muddy, I have taken a rag and sprayed it with WD-40 and cleaned the blade off before leaving for the night.
Jon Blakemore
RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
I used to use the Stanley Max Steel, and I would blow through one approximately every 9-10 months. I bought the FM more than 13 months ago and it is just now starting to annoy me. It has survived a two story drop on concrete and countless other shorter drops. I use the Fast cap 25' 'old Standby when we trim.
My local Costco's is out of the single FM tape deals, but they have a ton of a FatMax 25' tape/Stanley Pro needle nose plier combo's clearanced out at $14.97.The needle nose pliers are the best one's Stanley offers - I've seen them for $17 each at HD.Still a great deal if you are near a Costco's.JT
clinkard,
Where did yours break? about six inches?