kimr91•2d ago

500th staircase done and the cheap tape measure got the job

I counted 500 staircases finished this morning on a reno in Boise, and the $7 measure from the hardware bin has been more dependable than my digital unit ever was, so how many of you still trust the old beat-up tools over the fancy ones?

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1 Comment

angela7282d ago

Wait, you really think that $7 tape measure is gonna hold up the same way in a year or two? Look, I get the nostalgia factor, but cheap tools are cheap for a reason. The plastic casing gets brittle, the lock slips, and the markings fade after enough use. My digital one has never once lied to me, and when I'm dealing with 500 staircases, I need accuracy down to the 1/8 inch, not a guess from a flimsy ribbon. Sure, it's fun to root for the underdog, but when a job goes sideways because the cheap tape stretched, you'll be kicking yourself. The fancy stuff costs more because it takes the abuse and keeps its calibration, that's the whole point.