FastCapProCarpenter True32 Metric Reverse Measuring Tape - Ideal for Professionals and Home Improvement - with Lever Action Belt Clip and Dual Locking System - 16' - 99953

The best tape measure I have used. recommend!

I already own a couple of the imperial FastCap reverse tape measures which I find excellent, so I decided to get myself a metric tape for flexibility as I build stuff.I really like this tape measure - well built, handy little scratch pad to jot down numbers (which I thought was a silly feature at first but it's actually come in handy given my tendency to forget numbers after I make 10 steps).The built in sharpener is a nice touch, but I've not used that yet.I also like the fact its got 2 buttons for locking the tape (temporary hold and a true lockdown).The color of the housing is blue versus the green ones that are the imperial tapes I have so its really easy to spot on the bench.I'd buy it again (in fact my wife got jealous of it and wants one too!).

I have been figuring out fractions for my diy wood projects for year. Using a metric measuring tape is much easier. The blade can be read easily regardless of direction. Love it.

First point - I don't want to get into a "metric vs imperial" argument here. I just find that - sometimes - I find it easier to work in metric than imperial... and other times it's vice versa.What I was looking for - was a tape measure that would be useful around the shop, was sturdy, and easy to read. This tape measure provides ALL the above... AND you can easily read it from either side of the tape (not that reading numbers upside down is tough - it's just easier this way). I liked it so much I got a couple of others from the same company - the white background and black numbers are fantastic!

After several months of use, these are my observations:1-the right/left side reading allows easy marking of material for cutouts.2-The built in pencil sharpener creates a fine point for precise marking.3-The rough service case protects from breakages during accidental drops.4-The coated tape is silky smooth that helps prevents major dust particles from collecting on the tape during use and allows a quick retracting of the extended tape. What small particles do collect are super easy to wipe off with dry rag.5-The writing area on the side of the case makes a cool way to measure several cuts, notate the dimensions, then transfer them to material for cutting. Great idea!6-Overall, this tape measure is an asset to my work flow in my small woodworking shop (I also have the imperial dimension version). However, someone with small hands may find the overall size of the case bulky. I have “normal” size hands and it works fine for me.

Chances are that you're looking for a quality metric-only tape, which isn't that easy to find in the states. Here's a quick comparison between a few readily available metric tapes from the perspective of a woodworker and DYIer.In the comparison:- The Starrett KTS12-3.5M-N- The Komelon PG85- The FastCap PMMR-TRUE32 (this one)Starrett KTS12-3.5M-NThis is a "regular cheap" 3.5 m tape, the kind you get for free when buying some other tool. It has a cheap hard plastic case, feels cheap and is just not well made. I didn't beat it and haven't used it too much, but the tape is already kinked near the hook. This is clearly just a cheap tape with a Starrett sticker on it.It had a standard metal clip that I removed because I don't like them - they're hard to clip to anything, and tend to scratch the work.Sadly, I cannot recommend this tape.Komelon PG85This is a well built, but otherwise pretty standard 8 m tape. It consists of a hard plastic case that's been embedded in a rubber sleeve. It is not overmolded - you can remove the rubber cover if you want to. It's well made and the brake has a good positive action.The layout of the number on the tape is standard left-to-right.The downside of this tape is its bulkiness. Since it is a hard plastic case embedded in a rubber sock it is much bigger than most tapes of similar length (which are generally overmolded).It has the standard metal clip which I dislike because it's hard to clip to things, and tends to scratch stuff, so I removed it.It's ok but I don't think that I'd buy it again.FastCap PMMR-TRUE32Like most FastCap products, this tape tries to set itself apart through innovation. It has several features that you won't find on any other brand, some of which are good and some of which aren't.Overall, it is well made, and has an ideal size for most woodworking and DYI projects. The brake clicks in place with a positive action, and the tape has a decent amount of stiffness and standout.The differences between this and your "typical" tape are as follows:- The numbers are printed twice on the tape, left-to-right and right-to-left, so that you always have an "upright" number to look at. I never really had a problem with the regular layout, but I think that it is a small plus.- On a normal metric tape, each centimeter is marked with its number (1, 2, 3, ..., 21, 22, 23), and the millimeters are marked by lines. This one is different. The numbers are millimeters, and only every 100th millimeter is marked in its entirety (100, 200, 300). Inbetween you find every centimeter marked with in millimeters, but only the last 2 digits.In other words, the first 23 cm on a regular tape look like this:1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 ...The first 23 cm on the Fastcap look like this:10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 200 10 20 30 ...I'll be honest, I don't like this. First off, why use mm when only every cm is marked? This just adds a bunch of useless zeroes. And the "clever" omission of the leading digit makes it much more likely to be off by 10 cm. Instead of just looking at the number that you want to mark, you have to glance left or right to ensure that you're in the right decimeter.- It has extra markings every 32 mm (hence "TRUE32"). I think this has to do with cabinet construction, I'm not sure and I don't use this. It's subdued enough so that you can easily ignore it and it doesn't get in the way.- It has two brakes - the regular "slide switch" brake in front, and an additional brake button at the bottom. This is kind of neat, but I haven't used it very much.- The clip is superior to every other clip that I have ever seen - it's rubberized so it doesn't scratch stuff, and since it has a lever to open and close it (a bit like an alligator clip) it's much easier to clip to your pocket or belt.- It has an integrated pencil sharpener (I haven't tried that yet). It doesn't add to the bulk of the tape so why not.- I think you're supposed to be able to write on the side of the tape and wipe it off. Not a feature that I need.

just what i needed for more precise measurements.

Great product at a great price.