Comparing Festool and Stabila 2 metre Folding Rulers.

Stephen B

Stephen B

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Comparing Festool and Stabila 2 metre Folding Rulers.

Price: Festool A$15.00    or Free.  Stabila A$12.00 approx.

Both Manufactured in Germany

Hinge: Festool, visible sprung pin; Stabila, hidden (as in not interfering with numerals) sprung hinge with reinforced edging.

Printing: Compared to Festool, Stabila has similar Font style but with easier to read elongated numerals and alternating white and yellow bands at 100mm intervals.

Verdict: If purchasing, buy the Stabila due to its reinforced hinges, easy reading and price. However the Festool is still a great option, particularly if you received yours free in a Festool swag bag.  [smile]
 

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  Just an additional note ..... at one point there was a Stabila made version of the Festool rule for the NA market that had a dual scale and  the metal hinge etc.

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Seth
 

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[size=13pt]Thanks for sharing that image Seth.

Interesting that Festool changed to a lesser quality ruler. Perhaps because they were and are giving away more than they are selling?!

Is the newer Nth American ruler also duel scale?

So impressed with the Stabila today, that I purchased a second one this evening.

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[member=1619]SRSemenza[/member]
 
I don't think there is one currently available here.

Seth
 
Inside measuring and depth and a solid little baby too boot!

Love mine and use it almost daily.

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Cheers. Bryan.
 
Forgot another use!

Sometimes if my squares are across the shop, I will use mine for checking square. It locks at every 90 deg so it works really well in a pinch!

Cheers. Bryan.
 
Not to hijack the thread, but I thought this would be an appropriate place to fill in my ignorance about folding rulers.  Since most of my carpentry knowledge is self-taught, no one ever introduced me to folding rulers -- which are an older generation of measuring device -- or why one would use them rather than a tape measure.  So I'm just curious about at which applications the folding rulers excel over the tape measure?  The only one I can think of off the top of my head is when you're measuring length (or width I suppose) off a mitered edge, where the tape measure is not going to grab the true edge of the board.
 
Edward - the most versatile rules are the ones with the extension. With those inside measurements are easier than with a tape measure. fold the rue till it fits inside then extend the metal blade and read and add the two numbers.

The extension can also be used to measure depth on a small hole , if the extension will fit in.

You can use the extension as a marking guide. Extend to the desired measurement, place the edge of the folding rule end against the piece and your pencil or knife against the extension end and slide down the piece.

Ron
 
When the tab on the tape measure gets bent your measurements can be off + or -

some and that can get frustrating to say the least.
 
[size=13pt]Tape measure tabs, depending on whether they are being pulled or pushed, and depending on their quality, can move from 1-3 plus mm. This may not be a problem over long measurements or when the tab movement is a constant such as measuring a wall frame stud and you then measure and cut five more studs with the same tape measure.

When I want to measure extremely accurately, for example; when cutting sheet goods I use either a folding ruler or steel ruler.

 
Edward A Reno III said:
Not to hijack the thread, but I thought this would be an appropriate place to fill in my ignorance about folding rulers.  Since most of my carpentry knowledge is self-taught, no one ever introduced me to folding rulers -- which are an older generation of measuring device -- or why one would use them rather than a tape measure.  So I'm just curious about at which applications the folding rulers excel over the tape measure?  The only one I can think of off the top of my head is when you're measuring length (or width I suppose) off a mitered edge, where the tape measure is not going to grab the true edge of the board.
Click to expand...

Over here tape measures are seen as tools for carpentry where absolute accuracy isn't as important and where you also need to measure fast. In a more serious fine furniture workshop you will only see folding rulers.

Personally i much prefer folding rulers as in general most work pants have a special pouch on the side where they fit within hand reach, i take a tape measure for long carpentry work but those things are just less practical to keep on you so people tend to lay them somewhere and then lose time looking for them.
 
When I was a younger man, we always used folding rules.  Great for inside measures, didn't snap when trying to get the length on something, easy to store in your pocket ( especially if you wear bibs, painter or carpenter pants)  and could be used as a bevel gage.  They are  even  more handy in the shop. The only downside is that they are fragile .  I still use a small steel metric unit in my shop, stuck in the rip fence box with the blade wrenches, Allen wrenches and pencils.  Handy when you need to setup for a cut. (The man who taught me how to build cabinets and furniture only used metric,  some habits just stick with you. I am teaching my son the same way ) 
 
Which model Stabila has the inside measure capability?  It looks to me that the 80010 doesn't.  I'd like to buy a new folder and definitely want one with the extension. On the Stabila site showing their folding rule models none of the pictures show an extension. Lufkin has the extension, is this feature an American thing?
 
Stabila doesn't sell a folding rule with inside slider in NA. I had customers that wanted metric folding rules with the slider for inside measurements. That's why I decided to import the Meterex G52.

While researching the G52, I also came across the Meterex LM1. It is a folding rule with a built in LED.

The G52 does a lot more than just inside measurements. It would likely be worth a minimal investment of time to look at the details of what it does.

Tom
 
Tom Bellemare said:
The G52 does a lot more than just inside measurements. It would likely be worth a minimal investment of time to look at the details of what it does.
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It's much more minimal than I expected; the G52 seems to only be present on your site alone even meterex make no mention of it...

Is it being discontinued?
 
CrazyLarry said:
Tom Bellemare said:
The G52 does a lot more than just inside measurements. It would likely be worth a minimal investment of time to look at the details of what it does.
Click to expand...

It's much more minimal than I expected; the G52 seems to only be present on your site alone even meterex make no mention of it...

Is it being discontinued?
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It does appear so, Larry...

Tom
 
Like I mentioned above... I bought the G52 from Tom a while back. It is a great rule!  I use it a lot for several things. How are you defining "minimal"?  I can't imagine that there are a ton of use cases that a sliding rule can/should do.

It is accurate, measures angles, inside measures, accurate, plastic for longevity, solid, accurate... What else should a folding rule do?

I love mine
 
bkharman said:
Like I mentioned above... I bought the G52 from Tom a while back. It is a great rule!  I use it a lot for several things. How are you defining "minimal"?  I can't imagine that there are a ton of use cases that a sliding rule can/should do.

It is accurate, measures angles, inside measures, accurate, plastic for longevity, solid, accurate... What else should a folding rule do?

I love mine
Click to expand...

Minimal refered to investment of time to research it not the rule itself!!!
 
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