shoehorny's Full Review: Stanley 25ft MaxSteel Tape Measure
As the old saying goes: "You get what you pay for." I had bought a bunch of cheapy tape measures from a Homier Tool show several years ago. I paid $0.99 each for them. They looked fine to me at the show - similar to the Stanley tape measures I had at home. Boy was I wrong! First, the metal tape was thin and kinked up easily after using it only once. Then, the tape had a plastic piece used to hold the spring mechanism in place. This easily snapped and as a result, the tape would not rewind back into its housing, rendering the tape measure useless. I had bought 5 of these tape measures, and each of them are now being recycled.
Not so for my Stanley tape measure. This tape measure was given to me as a gift about 8 years ago. It has been dropped (numerous times!), stuffed in tool boxes, left out in the rain, and frozen - all the things you should not do to your tools. The tape measure still works like a champ!
The tape measure has an age-old design. It is a 25 foot steel tape wound up in a tough, plastic housing. At the beginning end there is a little metal tooth that hangs on to the edge of the object you are measuring. This has bent on me, mysteriously to me. I think I lent it to a buddy and he bent it on me to make it grip easier. No big deal, I will bend it back next time I use it with a pair of pliers. The tape retracts by squeezing a button located on the bottom of the tool. Otherwise, it stays locked in place.
The tape measure does tend to kink up, slightly, usually when retracting it. A spring in the housing pulls the tape back into the housing when you press the button on the bottom. When it retracts and it reaches a kink, the tape jams up. I usually bend it back straight with my fingers and all is well again. Also, the tape does have a tendency to retract on its own sometimes, without my pressing the button on the bottom. The locking mechanism tends to slip. This can be very annoying when making measurements.
Anyway, I made the comparison with the cheapy, overseas import with the quality made tool for a reason. Even though the cheapy tool looked basically the same, it was made with cheap, inferior parts. I lost all the money I invested in these tools rather quickly. The more expensive, quality tools cost more, but lasted a lot longer and will probably last for years to come.
This is not my favorite tape measure. I have another Stanley chrome tape measure that is even older, yet everything works as it did when it was new. It is all metal construction and will probably out last me!
Stanley tools are generally good quality tools and they have been in the business of making tools for many years. Many contractors use Stanley tools because of their dependability. I have many of their tools (screwdrivers, staplers, levels, hammers, etc.) and they are among some of my most dependable and durable tools.
I would recommend this tape measure for home owners or contractors who do not need to use tape measures every day. For those contractors in the building trade, I would suggest the heavy duty chrome tape measure due to its durability. This is a good tape measure that will last a long time. The tape measure is available in many stores that sell Stanely tools. I have seen them for sale in Home Depot and Walmart. They normally cost under $20. Thanks for reading my review and best wishes for a nice day!
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