Spec Ops Tools 25-Foot Tape Measure, 1" Double-Sided Blade, Military-Grade Composite Case, 3% Donated to Veterans

I've been looking for a tape measure to add to the few that I have. My criteria were: a wide blade, good visibility of markings, 1/8th a must, double-sided, sturdy blade coating but flexible. Having magnets on the hook wasn't critical.My favorite one so far has been a magnetic 16' Milwaukee with an underside finger retraction control. But when you're doing a lot of measuring, cutting, measuring, cutting, etc., doing mental gymnastics of which 1/8th you're looking at gets annoying. I've cut wrong several times with perfect confidence that I had my measurements right.The Spec Ops tape measure hits all my check boxes! A very solid build, good retraction, although I don't use the button to lock -- I still use the index finder to pinch the blade. Muscle memory from Milwaukee.The standout is excellent. Guys, you are being humble! The packaging says 10'. I get a consistent 12' every time.Excellent visibility of the marking. I like that the belt clip is not stiff. Clips to my leather belt nice and easy when I'm not wearing my work belt with pouches.The hook is pretty huge on both sides. I don't miss the magnets -- the darn things get in the way at times.I can't speak to the overall durability as I have had this tape measure for only a few days and put though a home improvement project, but it has become my favorite. Love it!Happy to support an American business run by veterans! Thank you for your service.

I love this tape, it retracts with some force, its the perfect size, easy to read, has both front and back of tape readout, with fractional cheater on the front (may be helpful to somebody?)...I've been in construction for 20+ years, i started using the old silver Stanley, but over the years, it seemed to me the price has went up and the material quality went down significantly, so I tried a few others and was very unhappy, landed on a fat max, that was also sub par as far as use, but they did outlast most others I had used, at a price point that was too high for what you were getting...I cannot speak to longevity yet, but as far as quality it appears to be extremely well made, I will buy it again as long as the tape survives a while

High quality professional tape measure.

I have used every brand tape measure daily over the past 10+ years doing new construction. Most of the brands seemed to have good years and eventually decline into a cheaper quality, but still a $25 price tag. After using Fatmax for years and eventually switching to mostly Milwaukee, I finally got tired of throwing my money away and decided to try a tape that wasn't a big brand.The pros: I have used this tape daily foe 10 months now. The tape itself has not cracked or twisted unlike most other tapes around.The hook is large all around, but not too large where it can get in the way. A magnetic variety may be a good addition.I have dropped this tape uncountable times and even from several stories up. It continues to operate like new.The cons: The coating on the tape itself wears considerably. Especially on the bottom side. This makes it illegible. The coating still lasts longer than most brands though.My biggest complaint is the belt clip. My tape measure is on and off of my belt clip of my pouches many, many, many times a day. The phillips screw holding the clip to the tape measure holds up fine. The clip holds up fine. However, there is a small plastic lug molded into the body of the tape measure that is supposed to keep the clip in place. This plastic lug is the weakest part of the entire assembly. Within no time, the clip spins freely on the body.Overall, the tape measure is the best one I have found for daily construction use and abuse. The belt clip design is definitely frustrating, but I will live with that for the overall quality.

Sturdy and easy to use in large settings.

Ive been using these tapes now for the better part of 6minths and even after many drops they still operate like the day I got em. I find these tapes really durable and easy to read - the tape itself is highly visible and readable even inow light conditions, which I love.The casing is very durable - I've dropped the tape from as high as 16ft onto concrete several times (by accident) and there's been no issues with the casing cracking or the tape failing to retract. My only beef with this tape measure is that the dark colored casings certainly do not stand out in my toolbox or around the shop when I'm looking for it..they're impractically camouflaged. I keep one in the door of my truck and it just blends into the black trim. I have neuropathy so I even struggle locating it in the tool bag on my hip sometimes if lighting in the workspace isn't perfect. Hoping they do something about this because the tape is one of the best I've found in durability and readability, have already lasted way beyond brand names I've used like DeWalt, Milwaukee, etc. for as visible as the tape is, the casing should also get the same attention with a a more visible color scheme.