STANLEY Tylon 8m/26ft Pocket Tape Yellow/Black, 0-30-656

Stanley is something of a household name in the field of all kinds of tools, and Ive found their instantly recognisable yellow and black colour scheme has become an indicator of a certain standard of quality. Im happy to say that this extendable metal tape measure lives up to that reputation. Sporting the traditional yellow & black Stanley livery this item has a very robust and durable plastic and rubber casing held together with metal screws, and measuring 8cm x 8cm x a surprisingly hefty 4.5cm width. It is also rather weighty - in fact it has about the same dimensions as my dual steel tape & laser measure and weighs even more. This I assume to be the result not only of the superior and more robust build materials, but also of the length and width of the metal tape, extending as it does to 8 metres (26 feet). It has the same width as my laser measure because of the Metres and Feet/Inches measures marked on either edge of the tape. The tape itself is Tylon coated for protection, though I cant imagine this contributes much to the weight. The markings are clear and precise, and it is accurate; indeed over longer distances it is more accurate than my laser measure, albeit only marginally. The terminating metal tab is configured so as to allow it to be used to measure externally or internally, taking the width of the tab into account for more precise measurements. It extends freely and smoothly It also features the standard belt clip on the back. At only 3.5cm long it wont clip fully onto wide belts but the clip is stiff enough to secure it nonetheless, and while the clip is held by a central screw, it wont accidentally and annoyingly rotate around it if it loosens, as it is cleverly recessed to prevent that occurring. Having said all that, it does fall a little short of perfection; a minor irritation for me is the lack of carrying strap/loop or even a suitable hole to utilise one of ones own, but the major irritation is the stiffness of the locking tab, which requires undue pressure to lock and release, and when it does release it does so very suddenly with a jerk, thus exposing the user to the danger of having fingers caught by the metal tape as it spring-zooms back into the case. To be fair, this is all too often a property of spring loaded retractable metal tapes in general and not specific to this particular brand or model There is however a halfway position on the switch that allows one to keep the tape in position without actually being locked, just by keeping ones thumb held in position as a kind of brake, and this I find particularly useful for making fast, smaller measurements which dont require the tape to be greatly extended. Overall, I have to say that this product is as well built and efficient as I have come to expect from Stanley, and at the currently advertised price of £7.90 I deem it particularly good value for money.

Bought an 8 metre pocket tape. I wouldnt really call this a pocket tape, as youd have a big bugle in your pocket if you took this around. However, it is a great sturdy measuring tool, its accurate too from my checks.

Does the job handy that’s 8 m. Can’t get lock to stay on sometimes. Works well enough

Seems altogether robust. The return spring is strong (good) but the lock mechanism takes a firm push to engage. The scale markings are clear but the curl on the blade can sometimes make it difficult to see. Unless youre Chippendale this should be ok

It arrived when i needed it most , very happy

Nice and quality tabe. Well built

Excellent tape measure. Having spent years with my cheap B&Q 5m measure, it gave up the ghost. Wish Itd failed sooner as this tape is excellent. Smooth action, extremely clear and legible and the tape is wider than my old one so will extend much further without bending.. I cant recommend highly enough.

Its a decent quality tape measure for the price. However, it doesnt have a magnetic tip or auto lock feature which i like a lot. But that was expected.

Excellent tape measure, very strong so you can measure up to 3 or 4 meters horizontally in the air before it bends. 8m is plenty for me, I usually use 6 meters or less.

Easy to read with great durability.