Best Damn Measuring Tape

[NickfromWI]

What's the best measuring tape you can get. I know it depends on what you're measuring. I know of 4 options.

The standard. A roll of usually metal tape. Usually 0'-50' Encases in a plastic box. The zero-end of the tape has a tab on it. This measuring tape is self coiling, no winding required.

The biggie. A larger roll of metal, fiberglass, or sturdy plastic tape. Usually 50'- few hundred feet. Usually requires winding up. Nicer models have internal gears that give you 3:1 speed advantage when winding, though it requires a tad more power to do so.

The deluxe. Known at Spencer tape or logger tape. Nail on one end provides easy one person use. Around 50' long. Self Coiling.

The high-tech. No tape. No coilng. Uses lasers, infared, or ultrasonic sensors. The unit throws the beam to a nearby surface then times how long for the beam to come back. Accuracy is questionable. Can't be used to measure things like logs that do not have a surface to bounce the signal off of. Fastest measuring method available if impeccable accuracy is not a concern.

So what is the best of the best. I am measuring houses right now. (The insides). I am using one of the high tech ones, but it fails on some departments. Is there something else out there that I should know about?

love
nick

 

[tod_k]

Sounds like you are making the project harder than it needs to be. The last two tools I did not know were around. But than again I'm not much of a handy man around the house.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

I've wondered about using one of the laser tapes for measuring cable spans or tree heights.

Is the accuracy of the laser tape related to the cost of the tape?

roller wheels are pretty quick and handy. Harbor Freight might be the cheapest outlet, quality varies.

 

[NickfromWI]

It may seem that I'm making the project harder, but the mentality I am going for here is to struggle through and find the best way now, rather than finding the easy way now. I am looking for the greatest good in the long run, not for what is good right now.

I don't think the laser-tapes would be good in the trees. The ones I have used get a reading by bouncing sound waves. I've noticed that if there was a potted plant or a person or anything like that nearby, it would give me the distance to the potted plant, not the other wall. I'd fear getting a measurement from a nearby branch and not the one you were intending on.

I, too, have wondered about how cost reflects accuracy. The lazer tape I am using now is about 50 bucks. Maybe I should "rent" a premium one from Home Depot and compare the two!

love
nick

 

[tod_k]

Like I said I'm not much of a handy man. You are already thinking further ahead than I would, so good for you.

 

[frans]

Try Tom Ds idea of a roller tape.
They dont work for rough ground but on pavement or the inside of houses they are accurate.
Other than that try a good contractors tape. Evaluate what good is by how far the tape will extend in the air without folding.
For mearsuring trees I like to climb 'em and drop a fishing line until it reaches ground and then measure the length of line.
Tallest tree so far has been 320'
Frans

 

[glens]

I think you'll find there are two types of laser "tapes". The one uses sound as you stated, usually with a "laser" indicator of the (hopefully) general sonic aim-point. The other (better; more expensive) type will use a measurement within the "laser" beam itself with generally high accuracy. Some even will interface with a computer for data acquisition.

Use for or in trees might prove problematic, though if you had line-of-sight you could use a robotic total station to follow and map your movements through the tree... http://eltas20.tripod.com/

I came across http://www.laseroptronix.se/disph/ph30eng.html and http://www.LaserMeters.com/ and http://www.strait-line.com/irwin/consumer/straitline/jhtml/laser_tape_25.jhtml all within moments of googling.

Glen