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500th staircase done and the cheap tape measure got the job
I counted 500 staircases finished this morning on a reno in Boise, and the $7 measure from the hardware bin has been more dependable than my digital unit ever was, so how many of you still trust the old beat-up tools over the fancy ones?
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angela7281mo ago
Wait, you really think that $7 tape measure is gonna hold up the same way in a year or two? Look, I get the nostalgia factor, but cheap tools are cheap for a reason. The plastic casing gets brittle, the lock slips, and the markings fade after enough use. My digital one has never once lied to me, and when I'm dealing with 500 staircases, I need accuracy down to the 1/8 inch, not a guess from a flimsy ribbon. Sure, it's fun to root for the underdog, but when a job goes sideways because the cheap tape stretched, you'll be kicking yourself. The fancy stuff costs more because it takes the abuse and keeps its calibration, that's the whole point.
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ruby_bell471mo ago
nah @angela728, the cheap ones are actually fine for most stuff, but you're kinda mixing up the digital vs. manual thing. my $8 tape is still dead on after two years, the plastic is scratched but the lock works, and honestly the stretch thing only matters if you're marking long spans like drywall or foundation, which you wouldn't on stairs anyway. digital is cool for sure, but it's not like the old ones are guessing, they're just simple.
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