I’m with the other 2 star guy . I use mine 100s of times a day . I wear them out too fast. If you bend it to read the tape, its nick city, then tape tear, then new tape. I’ll be getting the cheaper one myself.

I’m a finish carpenter and unfortunetely I got addicted to the fat max too, but after going through one tape every 2 months or less I’ve switched back to the “Wimpier” 1″ rule. The problem is that the tape is so ridgid (which is great if your measuring across a room) that it gets nicks in the side of it instead of flexing then when the edge of the tape hits anything the tape starts to rip and after a few more uses the tape breaks. After dropping $25 bucks a tape every couple of months i just can’t afford these tapes anymore. They are nice but you have to baby them, even so I still go through them way too fast. I use my tape hundreds of times a day and this one just doesn’t stand up to the punishment. The locking mechanisim doesn’t work well either, you have to push much harder than most tapes to lock the tape in place.

I think this is the best steel tape ever. Wide and easy to read, it can extend further than any other tape I have ever used.

This tape is vary tough I’ve dropped it many times, some from 10+ feet. Yeh it’s bulky for sure but most of the folks I see using them simply clip them onto what every belt or strap they are wearing. I can’t see much improvement on it except maybe more screws to hold the clip and 1/32 marks but really it`s not used often where that kind of accuracy is needed. Bottom line if you need quick, long, unsupported measurements (say finding the center of a ceiling) this tape is worth giving a try. Also I haven’t notice the locking mechanism being hard to open or close. I have had it come out of the little slot inside and make it hard to open after a good hard drop thou.

I really am addicted to thes tapes. Working on real busy sites tapes grow feet and disappear. Unfortunatley these walk of on me about once every three monts or so which kinda stinks at $20.00 a pop but, I cant buy another tape. Ive been using these since 2000 and only ever had one break on me and that was on the day i got it and I was able to take it back no Problem so I think that had a bad spring to begin with. Once you use the thick tape ull never gp backto a thin tape again this is so much easier not only on vertical standout but horizontal as well and even in the wind wich is to me a real plus. It just feels so tuff and heavy duty compared to other tapes that i cant use other tapes try one and you wont be disapppointed