Milwaukee has come out with a new line of tape measures, which were initially released in waves. The new tapes are built with reinforced housings and strong protection against common jobsite debris and contaminants, with the result being tape measures that last 10x longer than the competition.
Milwaukee designed the tapes after conducting extensive user-focused research that highlighted two key issues that continue to frustrate tradesmen and other frequent tape measure users.
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- Common contaminants, such as dust, dirt, and water, abrade and wear away numbers and graduations on the blade. Some brands have introduced reinforced blades over the years, but the problem of early worn blades persists.
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Tape measures break when dropped, due to weak unreinforced housings.
Features
- 5-point reinforced frames for improved drop protection
- Guarded finger stop area to hold blade in place instead of using the lock
- Added blueprint scale for easier calculations from of 1:4 and 1:8 drawings
- Wire form belt clip
- Limited lifetime warranty
In all, there are (9) non-magnetic and (9) magnetic tape measures that are available in varying lengths, from 16′ to 35′ (inch), and 5 m to 10 m (metric). There are also several combination scale tape measures in these ranges.
The magnetic tape measures feature a secure dual magnet hook design that prevents roll-off when attaching to materials such as threaded rod, steel studs, and conduit.
Tape Measure Sizes
Milwaukee kicked off the product line by introducing 2 tape measures in August of 2013, and followed up with 2 more in September, 8 more in November, and then 6 more in March of 2014.
This post has been updated after the last of the new tape measures have launched, and it has become clear that the 16-foot and 25-foot magnetic tape measures are most readily available. All of the new SKUs seem to be available at Home Depot, but the less common sizes and styles are only available online.
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Inch
- 16′ magnetic, 48-22-5116 (Aug 2013)
- 25′ magnetic, 48-22-5125 (Aug 2013)
- 30′ magnetic, 48-22-5130 (Mar 2014)
- 35′ magnetic, 48-22-5135 (Mar 2014)
- 16′, 48-22-5117 (Nov 2013)
- 25′, 48-22-5126 (Nov 2013)
- 30′, 48-22-5131 (Mar 2014)
- 35′, 48-22-5136 (Mar 2014)
Metric
- 5m magnetic, 48-22-5305 (Nov 2013)
- 8m magnetic, 48-22-5308 (Nov 2013)
- 5m, 48-22-5306 (Nov 2013)
- 8m, 48-22-5309 (Nov 2013)
Combination
- 5m/16′ magnetic, 48-22-5216 (Sept 2013)
- 8m/26′ magnetic, 48-22-5225 (Sept 2013)
- 10m/33′ magnetic, 48-22-5233 (Mar 2014)
- 5m/16′, 48-22-5217 (Nov 2013)
- 8m/26′, 48-22-5226 (Nov 2013)
- 10m/33′, 48-22-5234 (Mar 2014)
Buy Now(16′ via Home Depot)
Buy Now(25′ via Home Depot)
Buy Now(Other Sizes via Home Depot)
Be sure to check that “Other Sizes” link, as Home Depot occasionally offers special bonus packs that come with 2 tape measures for the price of one.
Also be sure to check out Milwaukee’s new lower-cost general purpose tape measures!
First Impression
Milwaukee had a few tape measure prototypes at their 2012 media event, and according to my notes, they felt robust yet nicely shaped and with a solid-feeling lock.
Although the photo is a bit blurry, it shows the guarded finger stop area quite clearly. It’s an interesting feature that I figure is nice to have, and it shouldn’t take anything away from users who don’t care to use it.
The blueprint scale is on the back of the blade, as well as vertical number markings that make it a little easier to read height measurements.
I should note that recent product images show that production samples have white blades, not yellow.
Overall I very optimistic about these tape measures. They look to be designed from the ground up for high durability, but also for high versatility and an improved user experience.
John S
Looks like simple, but helpful features!
Javier
Im a huge fan of self locking tapes. They should atleast come out with one self locking version.
Jerry
I’m with you on the self locking feature. I think the finger stop feature will be better than the standard lock, but an actual self locking tape is my personal favorite. The also seem to be hard to find anymore, though.
fred
One of my techs introduced me to the Komelon brand of tape measures some years ago. They make lots of different styles – including stainless steel, roller-end, Engineer-scale and self locking, While over the years I also have purchased many Stanley and Lufkin tapes, I have also bought some Fastcap Story-Pole and flat-back tapes, some Bontool bricklayer’s tapes, some Baklund-Hellar center-finder tapes, Rich-Lumber board-feet tapes, and Wheeler-Rex pipe diameter tapes. What I carry now is a Komelon self locking model:
http://www.amazon.com/Komelon-SL2925-Speed-25-Foot-Power/dp/B0016A72CC/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1374980476&sr=1-1&keywords=komelon
Javier
Once you try a self lock its hard to go back to standard tape measures. I have the same one Fred showed but in green.
MATTHEW
How do these compare in size to the Fat Maxes & DeWalt tape measures?
Stuart
I can’t really comment, as my brief experience was with a prototype I barely handled more than 13 months ago.
I’m not really a fan of the latest Dewalt and Stanley FatMax tape measures anymore. I tested two of the Dewalt 35′ models, and one had a defective lock right out of the box. The tape measures are large, heavy, and robust, with very powerful springs. I like the overbuilt hooks and rugged tapes, but unless I need that 35′ range I reach for one of my lighter and more ergonomic 16′ or 25′ tapes. I haven’t tried any of the smaller Dewalt tapes.
Milwaukee has released some pretty nice hand tools these past few years, so I think their tapes might be top-notch as well.
alan
Tape Measures are subjective…..
IMO, it boils down to what’s comfortable in your hand and eyes…
I love the OLD Stanley Leverlocks – green ones.
As a matter of fact, everytime I drive through a old town, I’ll used to make a pitstop at a hardware store just to check through towns I’m passing. I’m done as I have enough in my stash.
I did score myself about 8 25 footers and 3 15 footers.
Sean Gaffney
We have a great tape measure that anyone commenting on here should check out. Go to M1tapes.com and see for yourself! Self locking mechanism is the best and it includes a scribe so you can go pencil free and transfer measurements. We have designed it to be as tough as anything on the market. Please check us out and tell your friends. A partial list of stores where they are carried is now on the website, but we are already distributed across the country!
Stuart
Note: stores have the new tape measures in stock, but they haven’t been put out yet. At my local store, an associate was able to find the unopened boxes on a high shelf in the power tools department. Ordering online probably would have been easier.
Matthew
I picked up the 25′ tape & I’m liking it. The wire clip won’t tear up my pants & the finger slow down with wire shield will prevent my fingers getting slapped with the end of the tape. I wish the blade was a bit wider. The magnetic end is a beast too so if you need to measure into a tight space good luck.
All in all. Worth the investment & I look forward to the later models.