OX Trade 8m Tape Measure

The Surprise: Budget Price, Trade Quality I bought this as a quick, cheap stop-gap after my old tape measure finally gave up the ghost. At just £2.95, I was fully expecting a flimsy, "disposable" tool that I’d replace with a premium model within weeks. I couldn't have been more wrong. ​Build & Durability Despite the price, this does not feel cheap at all. It has a sturdy, durable feel and a robust casing that seems like it can handle the drops and knocks of a renovation project. The blade itself is 25mm wide and nylon-coated, which gives it a much better "standout" than I expected for under £3. ​The Standout Feature: The Side Button The addition of the side button is a game-changer. It’s a small detail, but it makes taking one-handed measurements significantly easier when you're trying to hold multiple things at once—a constant struggle when working solo on an old house. ​Verdict I was ready to spend much more on a replacement, but I’ll be keeping this until it eventually gives up on me. It’s effective, reliable, and punchy. If you’re looking for a dependable workhorse without the "big brand" price tag, this is it.

I’ve bought several tape measures because they always seem to disappear in our house like socks & you can never find one when you need it. This one is great quality, sturdy & very reasonably priced. It’s really handy to have a few spare around the house.

I’ve been using this tape measure for a few DIY projects, and I’m impressed with its build quality. The nylon-coated, 25 mm-wide blade feels tough, the rubberised case offers a comfortable grip, and the true-zero end hook provides accurate measurements every time. The push-button lock works smoothly, and the belt clip keeps it close at hand on the job. The only thing that frustrates me is that it’s metric only—no imperial markings—so I constantly have to convert centimeters into inches. In a mixed-measurement household, that’s a bit inconvenient.

OK tape measure. Do I like it? no. (answer is "mostly yes" now I've modified it but see warning below) Would I recommend it? Yes. Why?.... Good: *The markings are fairly clear and the tape wide and fairly robust. *Price is good for a metric measure. *Overall quite solid. Bad: *I find it bulky and awkward compared to other brands of the same spec. *It has 2 superflous ways to lock the tape -additional to the standard front lock there's one on the side which is unuseable in the right hand and sort of useable if you hold it in your left hand (but still doesn't feel as natural as the front lock), then there's another one underneath. I assume this is so that when extended you can just push the case down onto the surface and it (temporarily) locks the tape but again it doesn't seem that useful and just makes the case unstable -the case dosn't sit happly on it's base and easilly falls on it's side. Also, the bottom lock tilts the whole case about 15 degrees so the tape extends out into space instead of staying flat (until it falls over again...) -madness!! These 2 "extra" locks seem gimicky or at best very poorly executed. If I was using it all day every day I would just grit my teeth and pay the extra for a Stanley or similar but would feel ripped off (see rant below). This is the second of these OX measures I've bought and the first is still going strong (despite many, many modest drops) so dumb additions aside they are good and so much better value than the other (metric) competition. NB. Writing this review has made me wonder if the bottom lock is removeable. It is and I've just done it :-) Health warning though, you have to open up the case and take the risk of the tape springing out and unwinding itself in a dramatic fasion that is best avoided. Easy to do as long as you are careful. It also leaves a thumbnail sized hole in the bottom. I don't think this affects operation in any way but does potentially allow debris in (electrical tape is an OK solution). Rant warning!!!: It is almost impossible to find a reasonably priced measure that doesn't have both metric and imperial scale. Most of us choose metric or imperial but don't flipflop between the two, having both printed on the tape only serves to annoy as neither has the space for decent sized markings and inevitably the scale you are using is on the opposite side from where you are marking (maybe this is more an issue for us metric users as the inches are perhaps printed on the ergonomically more useable side?). Anyway, I had a Stanley measure (metric) but it's gone. It was MUCH nicer than these OX ones however, like all the quality manufacturers Stanley charge a massive premium for the metric only versions of their tapes which I don't think is in any way justified by lower demand and feels like price gouging.

Does the job Thought for the cost it wasn’t work and material was going to rubbish but!! I’m very impressed with this tape measure only use for light DIY Work so very happy with the purchase. Length is good 5m, and it locks the tape well Definitely worth the buy

Love ox tapes! These are my go to tapes now, good quality with a nice mechanism, mine get dropped ALOT! And keep on going (only broken one so far) Measurements are easy to read, tape holds it shape when stretching out, retracts well without ‘snapping’

This is a great tape. I had originally bought a Stanley Fatmax, but found several issues with that. This OX tape is a great alternative , and significantly cheaper. The tape itself feels good quality, both imperial and metric on one face, and metric only on the other face. The locking mechanism is easy to use and easy to release using only my thumb. The end hook-end is solid AND magnetic. Also there is a place to attach a wrist strap. All round this is excellent.

This tape is ok for what I bought it for.

Gut ablesbar und sehr praktisch. Immer wieder, Gruß Jürgen

Excellent tape measure and solidily made. Clear measurement reading.

Sono geometra e soprattutto tecnico du cantiere, vivo costantemente a contatto con strumenti di precisione ed attrezzature, posso dire con estrema franchezza che il metro acquistato è ben fatto, sia nei materiali esterni antiurto ed antiscivolo siliconico che ne costituiscono l'impugnatura, che nel nastro metllico metrico, che è di un buon acciaio, abbastanza largo e curvo nello spessore che quindi garantisce un'eccellente rigidità del metro nelle misurazioni alimetriche. Inoltre è assolutamente ben studiato a livello ergonimico l'impugnatura con i due blocchi istantanei del riavvolgimento, sia laterale che al di sotto del metro. Un ottimo rapporto qualità prezzo, peccato che ne ho acquistati solo tre a quel prezzo, oggi pare siano aumentati. Consigliatissimo!!!

Good

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