I was at the local welding supply the other day to get my co2 bottle filled and was looking around. I noticed they had a tape measure with a magnetic tip. I've never seen these before but I bet they're pretty common for real fabbers as it seems pretty handy. I would have bought one but at $40 I'm sure it was overpriced.
So who uses 1?
Where did you get it and how much did you pay?
Is any 1 better than another?
Doubtful, I've never seen one in any of the shops I've ever worked or been in and never even heard mention of one. Easy to see why not, not only will it not work on many types of materials but it would be very prone to give bad measurements once bits of steel start to accumulate on the tip.
Even if those first two problems somehow didnt exist, I still cant imagine a time where a magnetic tip ever would of came in handy.
They are incredibly handy when working with parts past the useable standout (8' to 10' for most 1" wide tapes). You do have to be vigilant in wiping the hook off before each use to keep from having metal shavings buildup.
My only complaint about the Kobalts and Komeleon tapes (Komeleon manufacturers the Kobalt tapes for Lowes) is the end hook allows for variance if not hooked evenly. Hook it on the corner and you can end up with 1/32 a tilt in the hook. Lufkin makes some too, the end hook is fat but accurate. Stay away from the self lock Lufkins, they suck.
I have one of the Kobalt ones from Lowes. I like it, since I work alone most of the time and it usually sticks where I want it to. You just have to clean off the metal shavings every so often.
I use them all the time for mesuring pipework, stick to a bend and mesure great when you need on extra hand, dont have the bother other people at work. I have some cheapy chinese ones for $2 or so each
I've been using them for a couple of years. They come in very handy when you are by yourself. I use it alot when cutting on the bandsaw. sticks to the blade real good.
I do almost everything in my home shop alone. That is why I thought this would be handy. I'll have to keep my eyes open for some cheap chinese pieces of crap that will make me regret the purchase and my existence as a whole.
i had one from home depot, worked great till i lost it lol. they work good for measuring steel openings for overhead doors were a typical tape can be a pain. or measuring to steel girders were your typical tape might fall off a hundred times before you get the measurement
I find them super handy - leff for metal fab, but more about site measurements and as someone said - for measuring to the blade when doing trim they are really nice.
I have a couple of the 30' Klein tapes with the magnetic tip. They're great for industrial construction work, but a PITA for fab work because they pick up metal slivers and once in a while I would grab it without thinking about that and spend 5 minutes picking the slivers out of my thumb. I dropped one about 20' and the magnets came off, but I don't care enough to take it back for a new one.
I just stick a small magnet on the non-material side of the tip when I need to. Take them off and the dust falls off. Works well with my $1 Harbor-Fail tape measures.
A few guys at work have them (commercial carpenters), as most building materials are metal anymore. But it is not really an overly common tape to have. :shrug: It has it's uses but most guys carry a stanley power lock.
I picked up the 30ft. Kobalt at Lowe's yesterday. $16.96 plus tax.
It worked well for my trailer mods I am working on.
I'll throw the 25ft. Fat Max in the truck toolbox for junkyard runs and other odd jobs. It won't get used much at home anymore.
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