Sokkia reel tape crappy?

[JRS at OBX]

Sokkia makes a rather bulky green appraisers tape, with a geared rewind, where you can pull in 100' in about 10 cranks. It is too big for me. I saw a new one on ebay today for $12!!!

I have one with the geared rewind. You have to be careful with that thing. I've popped myself with it a few times!!

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

How do you guys keep breaking them?

I've worn one out, but I never have broken a tape. I have held the dumb end of the tape enough to get my fingers cut with those tiny little cutouts meant to hook on the edge of a board.

 

[Tim The Enchanter]

I buy the fiberglass open reel 100 footers from Sears.
Lasts maybe a year or so, and always breaks about at the 6" mark where the reinforcement ends, as mentioned.

Also broke the rewind handle on one by dropping it on a patio. Doh!

 

[NC Appraising]

Ace Hardware sales their brand, and I love it. It has 3x rewind, and has not yet kinked up (their two rollers are very close together). Price $15.99. I use to be a land surveyor, and so far this one is the best.

The only problem is that it doesn't have a GPS on it, I have already lost (well forgot) two. I'm going to carve my address into the next one, or either buy some stock in Ace Hardware.

 

[Blue1]

I bought 2 100' tapes a year in the past. I have owned a Disto for about 3 years and have never bought another tape. Don't even carry one anymore.

 

[Alison Swain]

Yep --- I've dropped mine in dog poop once. Stupid people let their dog poop on the pool deck when they knew I was on the way (poop was still fresh and squishy) to measure.

I rinsed it off in their pool. :new_321:

 

[Couch Potato]

I rinsed it off in their pool. :new_321:

As you should have!

 

[Alison Swain]

As you should have!

My mother is still ashamed of me for that. But what was I supposed to do, reel it back in? Eeeew!

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Stupid people let their dog poop on the pool deck when they knew I was on the way (poop was still fresh and squishy) to measure.

That's why they call it the poop deck....

I used my appraisers tape for about 10 years without breaking it, but it got so soft it would suck it onto the reel upside down. That's the only reason I bought a refill tape. BTW, you only apply a certain amount of pressure when you 'pull' a fiberglass tape. Excessive stretch leads to understated dimensions.