Can we talk about tape measure locks? The new ones seem to give out after a few months...

2 comments

2 Comments

My buddy in construction said the new FatMax tape measures have a plastic lock that breaks after a few months. He told me they used to have metal locks that lasted forever. I saw a forum thread where people were saying the same thing about other brands too. It's really annoying because a good tape measure is a basic tool that should not fail so fast. When the lock gives out, you can't hold the tape in place, and it just snaps back. Companies need to go back to using better materials for these parts!

miles3857d ago

On my last job site, I saw three FatMax tapes fail from the plastic lock within a year. What I do now is clean the lock with rubbing alcohol every few weeks to stop grit from grinding it down. Scott.ryan, it's a dumb flaw, but a little maintenance can push its life a bit longer. Still annoying for a tool that should just work.