Wednesday, January 08, 2020
Unique tape measures compared
Maker Project Lab: I’m Donald Bell for Cool Tools and today we’re talking a look at three different 25 foot tape measures. I bought these all from Amazon. I stayed away from name brand just because they tend not to innovate. People buy name brand because they want the same thing, but I’m looking around to see what’s out there that’s different.
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4 comments:
There are some things in this world that have been around for so long you wonder, "How can this possibly be improved at this point?". Well, the tape measure could certainly fall into this category, so I was interested to see what these other tape measures had to offer. First, the FastCap PSSR25. This thing is PACKED with features that actually really caught my eye. The built-in pencil sharpener, for example, blew me away for some reason (even though I regrettably prefer mechanical pencils in the shop). Additionally the 'whiteboard' is a nice touch, though in our world usually our cutlists are far to long and I have a sketchpad readily available. I will say, though, that the inability for it to lay flat is a dealbreaker for me, and a poor design choice. Next, the Komelon Measuring Tape is "the complete opposite of the FastCap". This is a simple yet effective tape measure that resembles any of the big-name brands. Finally, there is the Kutir Measuring Tape, which in my opinion is trying to do too much. I find it very frustrating that there are both imperial and metric units on here, since very rarely will we be working in both systems. This clutters up the already limited space on the tape. I do, however, like that it is labeled on both sides, which can be really handy. Finally, while the magnets on the front appear to be useful, just think about trying to use that for measuring steel on a steel table. This is the reason I didn't get a magnetized tape, and think that it would be frustrating unless you were working only with wood.
I think the simplest tape, the Gripper Speed Mark, is the best of these three tapes, and has the best price point. The fractions are labeled, and nothing about this tape makes it difficult to use. I love when a tape measurer labels the fractions, but I am not left-handed so the first tape wouldn’t do much for me, and I don’t see the point in all of the extra features. The whiteboard does seem potentially useful, though. The final tape measurer seems like it may have issues with accuracy because of the rivets. I think the magnets are fun and would be useful, but I worry that all the little features on this tape would easily affect the precision of the tape. While it isn’t as crowded as the first tape, I think the centimeters takes up unneeded space. Working in theatre, I probably wouldn’t find use in the centimeters side of this tape.
A tape measure is one of those tools you use most often so it needs to be something you can rely on to get the job done. I thought the third tape was particularly cool because of the metric system also being printed. While I don’t often need the metric system it could be an invaluable tool in tour in countries that use the metric system. It could also be used to convert measurements quick and dirty which could come in handy if needed. If someone were to use this tape often they will likely get a better understanding of the metric system. In an educational environment, this tape might be useful to have around for international students who may benefit from a tape that has both measurement systems on it. Although there are quite a few reasons the third tape is useful to a particular audience I definitely like the more traditional second tape as my personal choice because of the easy read features. In an educational environment, mistakes are often made and anything that can be done to prevent someone from making mistakes is big time-saving measure.
As a student studying Technical Direction, the tape measure is one of the most important tools in my toolbag. In some ways, I love looking at gimmicky tape measures that try to be the best all in one tool but personally, I would rather have a tool that does one thing really well instead of a tool that does a lot of things to average success. These three tape measures stand out to me because of their price range. I can not even begin to count the number of tape measures that I have either lost or broken over my lifetime so the thought of spending a lot of money on one is stupid to me. In my mind, a tape measure should be able to measure accurately over the distance the tape is made for, I love a magnet for working with steel and it needs to be able to extend a considerable distance without collapsing under its own weight.
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