In my review Maxi Systainer Review - What Festool doesn’t say that could change your life! Someone asked about dimensions… so I added some images showing the dimensions annotated with a tape measure. In a reply, Brian.ca, wrote “What type of tape measure is that in the pictures Steve? That looks really slick.”. Check the above post to see the tapes in action… don’t hold your breath they are not that exciting.
Someone quickly replied and gave him the link for the tape measure I used. I thought about replying to my other review and adding information to that thread but realized that Brian.ca’s question really pointed to the fact that things as simple as tape measures can be a valuable product to and more information can be of benefit.
I don’t know how many tape measures I have owned, used, broken or lost over the years. Some I liked many I loathed. Too many times I found the scale down to 1/32 of an inch or even 1/64 of an inch, on the first few inches and Dang! Try and read that when you’re working above your head in dark corner!
Or they are only readable on one side of the tape and you can’t get to that side for the location you need to measure in. Also the color tape and the numbers so close they have no contrast and are hard to read.
FastCap makes many things; their website says the best selling line for them is their tapes measures. I just have just three types of their many measures and would enjoy having a complete set to see how much I would use the others. What I find refreshing and like about the FastCap line is that they offer many options.
As with any measure accuracy is important. Now if you only have and use one measure you are always accurate. But if you want “Your 36” cut match someone else’s 36” cut. All tapes need to accurate. But even then measurement is a moving target. Take a tape sitting in your vehicle at -30 F. and measure something outdoors at -30 F. then go into a heated shop them tape warms up and you cut warm material… load it in the vehicle and the next day take back to the -30 F. location and don’t be surprised that you cut it short… How much? In rough/framing…not enough to matter. Want it to fit an existing dove tail… not going to happen.
I took all of the below tapes and my others and in a temp stable site shop all my FastCap tapes measured spot on the same, at the full length of the tape. I checked my other tapes against them and found a couple of off brand tapes to be measuring differently. But not much more than the width of the line markings when tape to tape was measured. The oldest tapes had more hook slop….go figure.
We all work differently, on different things; therefore having measuring options just makes sense.
When working in remodeling the Lefty/Righty is what I use the most. I have two of them and have no issue having someone measure with one and another to mark and cut to the other.
I use the True32 for standalone project work as I just like to work in mm and Festool supports that. Also it is getting harder to find products, materials etc. that are not manufactured in mm…but labeled in inches.
Both the Lefty/Righty and the True32 use conventional locks. If you pull the tape out and let go it will retract back in. Push the lock lever down with your thumb and it locks.
The PMS (how they came to name it that, I have no clue), had an Auto lock. If you pull it out and let go, it stays! A very handy feature! Also the overall shape of the PMS is more comfortable to hold.
If I had to pick Auto-lock or manual lock, I would pick auto-lock for all my tapes. Now will the self brake wear out? Most likely I will lose, someone will take, or it will get kinked/stepped on before it wears out.
Other features on all of FastCap tape measures are:
The White dot on the label is a reusable writing surface that I have come to love and depend on! At first I thought it was a gimmick. I soon found that I have come to depend on it. I have even found the myself and crew marking down the measure and tossing the tape to the cutter and they toss back a clean tape so we don’t have the excuse of not hearing what the cut was.
With a writing surface included you need pencil… (I will review the Fatboy pencil later)… with a point. All the FastCap tapes have a built in pencil sharpener! WhooooHoooo! I don’t know how long I have used my Benchmade knife as my pencil sharpener. Once you see this you wonder why someone else hasn’t done this before!
Another feature that is head slap moment is that is that clip on the tape. Most tapes have a fixed clip. FastCap’s have a thumb actuated clip. What I like about this is it goes over thicker surfaces with ease. All my other tapes I have to work to get them on even a thick tool belt strap. The FastCap is just flat out faster to clip and unclip.
I haven’t tried the flat tapes that FastCap offers. I like the concept and look forward to finding one on a dealer self soon so I can try them.
01 The three tapes I use most
[attachthumb=#]
02 View of what the tapes look like
[attachthumb=#]
03 You can write on the white area many times
[attachthumb=#]
04 Erase with the pencil eraser or with your thumb
[attachthumb=#]
05 The build in pencil sharpener gets a lot of use as it is always with me
[attachthumb=#]
Cheers,
Steve
Someone quickly replied and gave him the link for the tape measure I used. I thought about replying to my other review and adding information to that thread but realized that Brian.ca’s question really pointed to the fact that things as simple as tape measures can be a valuable product to and more information can be of benefit.
I don’t know how many tape measures I have owned, used, broken or lost over the years. Some I liked many I loathed. Too many times I found the scale down to 1/32 of an inch or even 1/64 of an inch, on the first few inches and Dang! Try and read that when you’re working above your head in dark corner!
Or they are only readable on one side of the tape and you can’t get to that side for the location you need to measure in. Also the color tape and the numbers so close they have no contrast and are hard to read.
FastCap makes many things; their website says the best selling line for them is their tapes measures. I just have just three types of their many measures and would enjoy having a complete set to see how much I would use the others. What I find refreshing and like about the FastCap line is that they offer many options.
As with any measure accuracy is important. Now if you only have and use one measure you are always accurate. But if you want “Your 36” cut match someone else’s 36” cut. All tapes need to accurate. But even then measurement is a moving target. Take a tape sitting in your vehicle at -30 F. and measure something outdoors at -30 F. then go into a heated shop them tape warms up and you cut warm material… load it in the vehicle and the next day take back to the -30 F. location and don’t be surprised that you cut it short… How much? In rough/framing…not enough to matter. Want it to fit an existing dove tail… not going to happen.
I took all of the below tapes and my others and in a temp stable site shop all my FastCap tapes measured spot on the same, at the full length of the tape. I checked my other tapes against them and found a couple of off brand tapes to be measuring differently. But not much more than the width of the line markings when tape to tape was measured. The oldest tapes had more hook slop….go figure.
We all work differently, on different things; therefore having measuring options just makes sense.
When working in remodeling the Lefty/Righty is what I use the most. I have two of them and have no issue having someone measure with one and another to mark and cut to the other.
I use the True32 for standalone project work as I just like to work in mm and Festool supports that. Also it is getting harder to find products, materials etc. that are not manufactured in mm…but labeled in inches.
Both the Lefty/Righty and the True32 use conventional locks. If you pull the tape out and let go it will retract back in. Push the lock lever down with your thumb and it locks.
The PMS (how they came to name it that, I have no clue), had an Auto lock. If you pull it out and let go, it stays! A very handy feature! Also the overall shape of the PMS is more comfortable to hold.
If I had to pick Auto-lock or manual lock, I would pick auto-lock for all my tapes. Now will the self brake wear out? Most likely I will lose, someone will take, or it will get kinked/stepped on before it wears out.
Other features on all of FastCap tape measures are:
The White dot on the label is a reusable writing surface that I have come to love and depend on! At first I thought it was a gimmick. I soon found that I have come to depend on it. I have even found the myself and crew marking down the measure and tossing the tape to the cutter and they toss back a clean tape so we don’t have the excuse of not hearing what the cut was.
With a writing surface included you need pencil… (I will review the Fatboy pencil later)… with a point. All the FastCap tapes have a built in pencil sharpener! WhooooHoooo! I don’t know how long I have used my Benchmade knife as my pencil sharpener. Once you see this you wonder why someone else hasn’t done this before!
Another feature that is head slap moment is that is that clip on the tape. Most tapes have a fixed clip. FastCap’s have a thumb actuated clip. What I like about this is it goes over thicker surfaces with ease. All my other tapes I have to work to get them on even a thick tool belt strap. The FastCap is just flat out faster to clip and unclip.
I haven’t tried the flat tapes that FastCap offers. I like the concept and look forward to finding one on a dealer self soon so I can try them.
01 The three tapes I use most
[attachthumb=#]
02 View of what the tapes look like
[attachthumb=#]
03 You can write on the white area many times
[attachthumb=#]
04 Erase with the pencil eraser or with your thumb
[attachthumb=#]
05 The build in pencil sharpener gets a lot of use as it is always with me
[attachthumb=#]
Cheers,
Steve
