Which Brand Makes the Best Tape Measure? Durability & Accuracy Test

I bought 13 Tape measures, and put them head to head in various tests to find out which one is the best.
I firstly tested the accuracy of each tape measure before trying to break them in multiple tests, and to see which one will last the longest.
The Tapes we tested are from the brands Milwaukee, Dewalt, Wolf, Stanley, Empire, Bacho, Craftright, Trojan and Lufkin.

[quagmire]

I have a Stanley fat max my dad bought me when I first got into woodworking it’s still amazing just needs new rivets on the front don’t use it much now as I have a different one but it’s always with me. Rip dad ❤️🕊️

[stevenallen]

I’ve used everyone of those throughout the years. The toughbuilt tape and hammer I have has lasted me the longest so far.

[Stuartcandy]

When you tested how far the tapes would go out, they snapped not where you read but where your right hand was. So depending on how far your hand was from your body the reading would be different.

[itinerantwayfarer]

Good video! Although I don't completely agree with your perspective on the reach test, I did appreciate the visual representation of laying the tape on the ground.

[andrewpritchard]

impressed by the thought thats gone into the methodology for these tests, insofar of what can be controlled on a construction site.

[chrxx]

For me luftkin is number one, the reason I like it the most is design of the hook end, it has a textured material that just grabs better than any other tape. I think Milwaukee tapes have the best ergonomics. I love the belt hook design Milwaukee has and the cut out for your finger to stop the tape is a nice feature.

[Tez_R]

Lufkin has a shockforce night eye model that has a normal lock release mechanism and out of all the tapes I've tried that's top dog.

[hytekrednekbama]

Fisco, with the quick draw type holster/clip. I been using these for many years. My first was a rebrand by Johnson level and tool called the Big Johnson! Later I ordered a dozen 16 foot and and a couple 25 foot Fisco branded versions called the Fisco BIG T. Most handy, reliable, durable, and accurate tapes I ever tried. I tried many in my cabinet and furniture making years. The 16 foot Big-T Fisco, made in England, is my preferred and favorite by a huge margin. They replace 12 and 16 foot old school Lufkin tapes. The Lufkin's are still wonderful, just not my go-to any more. I use tapes for cabinet making, furniture making, antique repairs, and general household maintenance and repair.

[dmasterify]

I love when the tape locks in place until you press the button. Else you have to fight with the tape.

[jackoftw]

Why does everyone rate lufkin tapes? I went through 3 of the night eye ones in 6 months (chippy). As soon as they get a little wet they’re cooked, they don’t slide back all the way and the measurements rub out, and they split easily. Yeah they look cool but they’re the worst tape measure i’ve ever used, and they have shit reviews on bunnings. Fat max’s on the other hand have never let me down

[brandosbackyard]

I'm a big fan of the lufkin fluoro lock - i use that every day as a cabinet maker. I do like the stanley fatmax too and use that for a lot of stuff outside of cabinet making but the fluoro lock feels super comfortable and smooth

[auntytizza]

Most tapes are made very accurately! The most important thing for accuracy is a sharp pencil! Ive been using a 2mm pacer pencil with H4 leads ! Harder lead means they dont break when dropped and stays sharper for longer.

[miketofriends]

Stanley makes a double sided fat max and it’s their best. Would have loved to see that one compared to

[interceptor]

You need to try Komelon tape!Beats every other brand!

[bobbob-vwyw]

You can get Lufkin tape from hogans witch has an inside dimension for when you are measuring tight between walls. I find it very helpful

[danimalisticify]

I know you can't possibly get every tape out there, just too many to even find them all but I really think you should have tried the Stabila bm300. I absolutely love it, only issue may be on the durability side but I treat my tools extremely well and haven't had any issues but I can see if someone is rough on their stuff it may not last as well as a fatmax or something similar.

[planespeaking]

I have a chrome fatmax which is metric only (had to special order it 🙄). For indoor stuff I like the hultafors tape which had a tail bit so you can accurately measure internally corner to corner.

[miketofriends]

To test the twist capacity of each tape evenly you could connect each head to a drill and put the drill on its lowest gear setting, stopping once the chuck starts giving way to the resistance of the twisted tape. That way you’d have an accurate representation of each tapes twist capacity no matter the thickness

[cblack]

Most tape measures have that Lufkin feature for butting the tape and adding... If you look closely, a lot of tapes have that size molded into the housing on the beck (usually around 3") it's more accurate than bending it and estimating due to parallax agle of viewing.

[wsullivan]

no excuses for short cuts now mate! haha