CRESCENT LUFKIN SHOCKFORCE TAPE MEASURE

 

When I first saw the press releases for the Crescent Lufkin Shockforce Nite Eye tape measures I was intrigued by the 100’ drop and 14’ standout claims. I imagined they would be pretty large tapes. 

  I was pleasantly surprised at how compact they were in person. This is pretty important for me because I have a love-hate relationship with some of my current tape measures. 

 

  There has been a supersizing trend with many of the popular heavy-duty tapes for many years. They have gotten so fat or wide that it is difficult to get them out of my tool pouch when I need to take a measurement quickly. 

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  Sometimes I spend 30 seconds or more trying to dig them out of my pouch. It can be quite frustrating.

 

  I have had no such frustration with the Crescent Lufkin tape measures. They fit into my pouch very easily. Even with the thick rubbery protective coating, I can retrieve them any time with very little effort.  

 

 

 

  The compact size also helps with weight. Without getting my scale out I could easily tell that they were noticeably lighter than my previous most used tapes. 

  One reason they are lighter is the width and gauge of the steel used in the blade. I don’t know the exact measurements but they do feel thinner than some of the other heavy-duty tapes on the market.  Is that a problem? So far it is not.  I do not expect it to cause any problems with durability.   

 

Is Fatter Better?

 

  I have not had any better durability from the fat and wide tapes over the regular ones from the same companies.  In fact, in some cases, I have broken those fat and wide tapes faster than regular size tape measures. It seems that when the blade bends wrong they can develop a split more easily than standard size tape blades. 

 

  The package says 14’ standout.  That’s a pretty bold claim for any tape.  If I am careful I can get about 11’ in real-world conditions.  I am happy with that.  It’s a good usable length for a thinner narrower tape. To get 14’ I would have to have perfect conditions,  perfect angle of deployment and no wind. I don’t see that happening anywhere with an 8’ ceiling.

 

  More important than standout is blade useability. I requested the Nite Eye version. The blade is all black with Hi-Viz markings.  I love Hi-Viz anyway but it really works well here. It doesn’t have to be low light conditions to see the benefits. The finish is more of a satin or flat finish so there is no glare even in bright light. A big bonus with the tape is the double-sided readability.  It can really come in handy more than you realize. 

Get A Grip

 

  Another unique feature is the diamond-coated end hook. It offers a nice grip from the top and bottom without being too wide like some hooks. The bottom half is diamond coated. This is useful and gives extra grip from the bottom of the blade. In my hands, it actually helps hold the hook where I want it. 

 

  There is a thru-hole in the tape body to use for scribing or a pivot. It can also be used as a tether point. I have not tried it out yet since I have not needed to. I will try to remember to update later after using that feature. 

 

Keep or Pass

 

  I will be using these extensively in the foreseeable future. Normally when I receive a tape for review, I get done with it and pass it on to someone else. These are different. They have enough useful features that I want to go long term and see if they become my new standard for tape measures. 

 

  At this point, “I can say they are definitely worth a look.  No matter what your trade is you can benefit. They offer the toughest design, great standout, excellent readability, tenacious hook, and compact size. Add a lifetime warranty and you have a real workhorse you can depend on.” 

Thank you to Crescent Tools for kindly sponsoring this post.

 

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