FastCap ProCarpenter True32 Metric Reverse Measuring Tape - Ideal for Professionals and Home Improvement - with Lever Action Belt Clip and Dual Locking System - 16' - 99953

What can I add to what's already been said? This is only 5 m, so more for furniture and finish work than construction, but easier to pocket or pouch than a big 8 m tape, and 5 m is plenty for most projects. The lock is ordinary, but the manual brake button is excellent. You quickly come to rely on it because it works so well. The hybrid belt clip (spring steel but with a thumb flange to open it) is also an intelligent improvement over the usual. Even the pencil sharpener turns out to be a welcome little addition. Sure, you have a knife in your pocket, but when you're up on a ladder and break your pencil lead, why whittle a new point when you can do a better job with just a couple turns, without putting anything down or fumbling for another tool? Best, though, is that this is metric-only, meaning both sides of the tape are useful, so you can pull from either left or right, double-mark your measurement for drawing perpendiculars, and tilt the tape whichever way works best to bring the scale flush with your work. I appreciate the apparent economy of printing two scales on one tape, but I'd much rather have 2 good tapes, one metric and one imperial, than one bastard tape which, half the time, the scale you want is facing away from you; even when it's not, the far side is useless for double-marking, so you have to shift the tape to achieve that precision. I haven't used the doodle pad. Well, I haven't needed to use the doodle pad. I tried it to see how it works (it does) but, frankly, 285 X 70 mm is incomparably easier to remember than 11 5/32 X 2 3/4 inches. Also far easier to read, add, subtract, multiply or divide. USA is facing the 21st century armed with an 18th century measurement system, holding itself back out of sheer stubbornness. That said, the doodle pad is another clever addition that's either extremely useful, avoiding the frustration of getting the saw set up and having to go back and remeasure because you aren't positive you remember right, or it's inconsequential because you always remember right. I didn't expect to like this tape as much as I do. From the bright-white background and crisp tick marks to that soft brake right where your forefinger lands, this is one well-thought out measuring tape. I could wish the back of the blade were marked with big bold numbers on a transverse scale (to be read while the tape is extended vertically) but maybe that's asking too much. This much will do nicely. PS: I said it's strictly metric, but 16" marks are in the center gutter for finding studs in North America. The 32mm marks are tiny dots on the main scales, but 16" marks are bold red rectangles with nothing in between, which is appropriate for their purpose. One more intelligent, thoughtful innovation!

Alright, I've been around the block a few times when it comes to tools, and frankly, it takes a bit to impress me. But this metric tape measure? It's earned its spot in the toolbox. For years, I've been doing general construction in standard measurements and then switching gears to millimeters for the finer stuff, like cabinet and furniture builds. Always thought that was just how it was. Turns out, I was missing out. Having a dedicated metric tape of this caliber for precision work just makes things smoother. No more fiddling with conversions or second-guessing. It genuinely makes intricate cuts and joinery a good bit easier and more accurate. First off, the quality is evident. It's got a decent heft, feels good in the hand, and the blade recoils smoothly without any fuss, which is more than I can say for some others I've used. Beyond the accurate metric scale, they've added some genuinely useful features. The built-in pencil sharpener is a smart touch – always there when you need it, which is more often than you'd think. And that little circle you can write measurements on? Simple, but surprisingly handy for quick notes on the job. I'm usually not one to rave, but this tape measure has proven its worth. When it's time to replace my imperial tape, I'll be looking for this brand's standard version. If you're doing any kind of detailed work where millimeters matter, this one's a solid choice.

very nice, worth the money. easy to read, impressive stand-out, great clip, and the pencil sharpener is a plus! definitely worth a few extra bucks.

These tapes are excellent. You can write on the side so you don't lose track of what you're measuring, which is great, and they are easy to read from either side. The clip is better than anything else i've used (which means it doesn't get bent out of shape the first time you use it.) I have the metric and standard versions of this tape and like them both. I don't use metric often, but this works well for everything i've needed.

This measuring tape is the best I've ever used. It combines two of the most important features with a bunch of other cool characteristics that just make it that much better! #1 The numbers are displayed on top and bottom of the tape, so you can measure with the spool on the left or the right. Half the time when you're measuring with any other tape, you have to look at the numbers upside down, but here they are always upright. #2 The numbers are metric. This could be interpreted as negative, but it makes things so much easier to measure, especially for interior design. As I measure wall lengths, it is simple to subtract for baseboards or other adjustments, because 1850–30=1820. No messy fractions or difficult subtractions. All the numbering is in mm, but that's ok, because after you write down your measurements, you can add a decimal point if you want larger measuring units. E.g. if you want meters, just make it 1.85m (1.82m without baseboard). #3 I really like the momentary lock on the bottom. There is a standard locking lock in the usual place above the tape, but on the bottom is a little button that I use as I guide the tape back into the spool. (You never want to let a tape go, as it can lash around and cut you, and allowing it to accelerate and slam into the spool isn't good for a tape's durability.) Another reviewer complained that it would have been better to put cm numbers instead of mm numbers at the marks (you see 10, 20, etc and have to look down the tape to see 3300 and 3400 on either side, then add them to get 3320; the manufacturer had room to put 331, 332, etc at each 1 cm mark), but that didn't really bother me in actual use. I guess I'm too used to having to look for and add the feet to the inches displayed on an American measuring tape. If you're measuring for interior design, cabinets, furniture, etc. you cannot beat this tape. The only thing that would improve it, would be if it came with someone to hold the other end!

Chances are that you're looking for a quality metric-only tape, which isn't that easy to find in the states. Here's a quick comparison between a few readily available metric tapes from the perspective of a woodworker and DYIer. In the comparison: - The Starrett KTS12-3.5M-N - The Komelon PG85 - The FastCap PMMR-TRUE32 (this one) Starrett KTS12-3.5M-N This is a "regular cheap" 3.5 m tape, the kind you get for free when buying some other tool. It has a cheap hard plastic case, feels cheap and is just not well made. I didn't beat it and haven't used it too much, but the tape is already kinked near the hook. This is clearly just a cheap tape with a Starrett sticker on it. It had a standard metal clip that I removed because I don't like them - they're hard to clip to anything, and tend to scratch the work. Sadly, I cannot recommend this tape. Komelon PG85 This is a well built, but otherwise pretty standard 8 m tape. It consists of a hard plastic case that's been embedded in a rubber sleeve. It is not overmolded - you can remove the rubber cover if you want to. It's well made and the brake has a good positive action. The layout of the number on the tape is standard left-to-right. The downside of this tape is its bulkiness. Since it is a hard plastic case embedded in a rubber sock it is much bigger than most tapes of similar length (which are generally overmolded). It has the standard metal clip which I dislike because it's hard to clip to things, and tends to scratch stuff, so I removed it. It's ok but I don't think that I'd buy it again. FastCap PMMR-TRUE32 Like most FastCap products, this tape tries to set itself apart through innovation. It has several features that you won't find on any other brand, some of which are good and some of which aren't. Overall, it is well made, and has an ideal size for most woodworking and DYI projects. The brake clicks in place with a positive action, and the tape has a decent amount of stiffness and standout. The differences between this and your "typical" tape are as follows: - The numbers are printed twice on the tape, left-to-right and right-to-left, so that you always have an "upright" number to look at. I never really had a problem with the regular layout, but I think that it is a small plus. - On a normal metric tape, each centimeter is marked with its number (1, 2, 3, ..., 21, 22, 23), and the millimeters are marked by lines. This one is different. The numbers are millimeters, and only every 100th millimeter is marked in its entirety (100, 200, 300). Inbetween you find every centimeter marked with in millimeters, but only the last 2 digits. In other words, the first 23 cm on a regular tape look like this: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 ... The first 23 cm on the Fastcap look like this: 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 200 10 20 30 ... I'll be honest, I don't like this. First off, why use mm when only every cm is marked? This just adds a bunch of useless zeroes. And the "clever" omission of the leading digit makes it much more likely to be off by 10 cm. Instead of just looking at the number that you want to mark, you have to glance left or right to ensure that you're in the right decimeter. - It has extra markings every 32 mm (hence "TRUE32"). I think this has to do with cabinet construction, I'm not sure and I don't use this. It's subdued enough so that you can easily ignore it and it doesn't get in the way. - It has two brakes - the regular "slide switch" brake in front, and an additional brake button at the bottom. This is kind of neat, but I haven't used it very much. - The clip is superior to every other clip that I have ever seen - it's rubberized so it doesn't scratch stuff, and since it has a lever to open and close it (a bit like an alligator clip) it's much easier to clip to your pocket or belt. - It has an integrated pencil sharpener (I haven't tried that yet). It doesn't add to the bulk of the tape so why not. - I think you're supposed to be able to write on the side of the tape and wipe it off. Not a feature that I need.

Great design, great features, I love the reverse numbers numbers, which I immediately found useful. The only missing feature that I wished it had is a provision to attach a lanyard to hang it on a pegboard

I love the versatility and so many smarts of the tool -- from the pencil sharpener, to notepad, to additional break. Seeing some comments about the tool being "cheap Chinese inaccurate whatever" I compared it with my Tajima that is a revered for its accuracy. I guess the photos speak for themselves.