Tape Measures
 

My dad told me (years ago) that the first thing he reaches for on any job is his tape.

It's so important to get one that is accurate and lasts. All I have is some rinky-dink plastic thing that works today, but as soon as I drop it I fear it will bust into 1000 pieces shooting the tape across the room with that unique boooooinnnngggg sound.

What size/brand do y'all use?

Hey Eric,

I wear out a tape measure roughly once a year! There are a lot of variables but I like a 25' tape since it fits the hand well. I generally get Craftsman, Stanley FatMax, or Kobalt from Lowes. Good luck with your projects.
hth, Doug

Well
 

I have been a Stanley guy all my life, they just last a really long time , and mine is used just about daily.
Now I only use the fat max, keep your eyes open for deals and coupons.:D

During projects, I have my metal Stanley 12' hooked on my waistband. It's small enough so that it's not in my way when bendding over to pick something up. The 12' size is perfect when working with 8' sheets of lumber.

I use my 25' Stanley in the garden when staking my rows. It's the one that truely has a dirty job - which means cleaning it or getting a new one more often...

stanley. i try to keep one in the truck as well as the shed. 12' & 25'

I use 2 different kinds of tapes
I use the Stanley Fat Max as a regular tape and The StairGuide for stairs

this is important for some applications
 

'
My Fat Max stands out unsupported to about 10' 3"
'

The narrower tapes buckle earlier.

I will say one thing that I like is the bottom releases on a tape measure as opposed to the sliding button.

Here is a picture of what I don't like:
http://blog.redfin.com/boston/files/...pe_measure.jpg

This is the type that I like:
http://www.atr.com.my/store/images/S...2030%20824.jpg

I just think they are much easier to work with.

I love my Stanley tape measures, got several of 'em. They used to have a really small one (about 1 1/2in diameter) that you could attach to your keychain. I had one of those but somebody I liked asked for it and then I couldn't find it anymore. Does anybody know if that's still available anywhere?

Gotta say I love my stanley 35' fat max. The right tools make a BIG difference!:beer: