Side by Side Comparison of: TEKTON vs Komelon

When I got my new tape measure, it was in great condition, i have tested it with my house. i measured the yard and to make a design of my garden, and i measured the broken leg chair to fix it. i have to say the tape can easy to pull out and get back to the shell smoothly. so good quality with such a good price

I bought this to replace a 16' tape measure that developed a nick in the metal tape. This one has an extra button to pause/hold the tape open temporarily. At first I thought that was just "sparkle/farkle". In retrospect I have come to use the feature quite a bit on some of the carpentry and tile work that I have had underway on my home renovation.

Any tape measure is better than no tape measure. I realized this some years back and also that about a 12' tape would fit into one of my cargo pants pockets unobtrusively. I have an assortment of 12' tapes that have the first couple inches worn off, I paid $1 for them, so not a big deal. But the $1 replacements are those awful combination metric/US system. I agree the metric system is better, but I don't think or measure in that system. I tried finding tapes that didn't have the metric system on one edge and could not anywhere. Until these. A well built tape, not expensive, all in non-metric measurements, even has fractions on one edge - which I like. It is rare that I want to try measuring in the metric system and having both on one tape is confusing, I just don't need or want that. This is what I would consider the perfect tape measure for my everyday carrying around with me. 12' generally satisfies all my needs.Feels like a quality tape measure, spring tension is good, lock works fine. The only thing remaining to be seen is how well the tape holds up. The measurements printed on the cheaper tapes really didn't last all that long, will these last 4 or 5 times longer? That remains to be seen. Right now I am pleased with this purchase

Good quality tape measure. Perfect if you need something basic. It was way better than I expected. It locks into place to make it easy to measure stuff. When I lock it I have no issues with it releasing before I'm done. I have had other measuring tapes prior to this one that are bigger named brands such as Craftsman. I believe that this one is better!

At first I was extremely disappointed with this order. Out of the box, the tape measure was clearly jammed and would not retract at all. I sent an email to the customer support contact listed on packaging to ask for guidance. I heard back from Tekton almost instantly. They confirmed that it sounded like a defective tape measure, and asked for my address so they could immediately ship me a replacement. It was here in a matter of a few days. This is a terrific product that is exactly as advertised. The tape stays in place until you retract it. The retraction is smooth. The housing unit is very sturdy and I particularly appreciate the easy-to-read fractions between inch marks. I am deeply impressed with Tekton's customer service, and very happy to have this tape measure.

it works, the case feels durable, the tape itself feels pretty thin but this isn't meant to be a 15 dollar Stanley or craftsman.Keep in mind the width of this tape is only half an inch, that contributes to it being a tad flimsy. For the odd and ends household work that most people need a tape measure for -- those who use it at the most a few times a year on average -- this is perfect. No it won't last forever, nor will it take the abuse a big named tool would --- but its 4 bucks. You really can't go wrong with it for 4 bucks.the little BLACK button on the side makes holding the tape out without locking the RED button on top (where the lock usually is in any tape measure) I feel this does make casual usage a bit easier, its a good design feature.

Its a tape measure, and is really good at measuring how long things are. But what makes this an exceptional tape measure is its in both metric and imperial, so best of both worlds. I grew up in feet/inches and still think that way mostly. But at school I was taught metric, so i can think , math and measure in metric, but cannot size. Note outside of US, rest of world is metric, so a dual measure helps you visualise how they relate.

I was looking for a measuring tape that had both inches/ft and cm scale. This was one of the very few tapes that I found had both.Also, I wanted the scale to be continuous. Some of the tapes had measurement reset every 10 cm. This tape continues the count to 11, 12 and so on and does not reset to 1 after every 10th marking (see picture).Overall I am happy with the quality of the tape.Note: The Steele-blue colored tape that Amazon has in product description of this tape is incorrect. It is a yellow colored tape v

Wow. You might think, what can be so amazing about a measuring tape. Well, I have been a professional carpenter for years, and I just bought this little guy to have on hand for those quick little household projects where I don't want to drag out my whole tool belt. I wasn't expecting much for the price I paid. But here's why its amazing: 1) lightweight 2) nylon-coated blade so it has a super-smooth motion 3) even though it is only 3/4 inch wide blade, the extra curvature makes it able to extend surprisingly far without support. So that's why it gets a Wow rating - way more than I expected for the price - truly a superior product.

Great little measuring tape. I bought this tape after I lost the earlier one while moving apartments. It is made of solid durable plastic and will not break easily. The tape retracts into the body once you release it after measuring. The little black slider you see in the product image holds the tape in place and prevents retracting in case you want to keep working with the tape continuously. Probably the best measuring tape for its price on Amazon. Recommend buying it.

This is an affordable retractable tape measure that works well. The bright yellow color is optimal because it makes it harder to misplace at a job site. It includes a nice belt clip and the retractable tape action feels very smooth! Also, a small thumb press will hold the tape in place. A harder thumb press will completely lock the tape until the user wishes to unlock it to allow the tape to retract. The size is minimal as well. I have larger hands and it fits comfortably in the the palms of my hands.

I received the 4912IM tape measure today. Wow.....for $6.62 (@ 55 cents a foot, lol) it can't be beat. Small enough to fit in your pocket, perfect for measuring items at the store or home. I like the combo metric/inch measure too. Like most current tape measures, it has a plastic housing. However, it appears durable enough. In fact, laugh you may, when was the last time you saw a retracting measuring tape housing made of metal??? Even Stanley's are made of plastic as well. A nice touch, the Komelon has a spring loaded "bumper guard" when the tape is retracted. It prevents hook shock during quick retraction. And last, the metal tape is coated with their "Dura-NY-Coat™" a very slick and protective nylon material.Let's see how well it work a few years down the road!

just received my 12 foot tape and really like the small, light weight handy size. While using it for the first time I was not used to a tape that slapped back on my thumb like this one. It hurts. I must remember to hold the extended tape before using the release button.

Very solid, well-made. As others have noted, the tape numbers are large and easy to read, the tape is firm enough to reach a 10-ft ceiling without collapsing, it rolls back in very easily and for the price, is far better than I expected.What impressed me is that some of the reviewers who wrote about something breaking or not working right were followed up immediately by a post by someboy from Tektron telling them to contact and they would immediately send a replaceement. That is reall good customer service of the Amazon type.I have not had it long enough to determine how well it will holld up, but it certainly seems substantial.It is a little larger and bulkier than I expected, but still will work for all my needs, even if it makes my pants sag.

Item arrived on time and as expected. I really like the auto-lock feature on this tape measure, making this a very user-friendly item. The body is also stainless steel. I haven't had any problems out of Tekton products so far, and I believe this one will be no different (time will tell however).

The final part of the tape bent after 1 day.I was immediately contacted by a representative and they sent me a new tape measure. I have being using it for months now and it's working great.I particularly appreciate the marked 1/8 fractions and the "quick stop" button; the belt clip is also very handy.I rated it 4 stars, instead of 5, because the tape retracts too fast and you need to make sure your thumb is out of the way.

This is the perfect "around the house" tape measure. I just wanted something compact. Like the rubber grips .The little button on the side was a surprisel.. You feed the tape and then press the button to lock it, Find your measurement, release the button, retract the tape, and you're done. The markings on one side(1/16 in.) have the 1/8 markings labeled, "1/8, 1/4, 3/8" etc.,which is kind of distracting. The other side is regular 1/32's The blade is curved quite steep, so it can hold about 6 ft.hanging in the air before it starts buckling, but it's hard to mark cuts at that angle. The thumb switch isn't too stubborn. My favorite tape measures are the ones with the lever, but this is a good deal at this price, considering they'll send you a new one if it's bunk.

There's not much to say about a tape measure. It's got inches and feet on it, so as far as I'm concerned, it does what I need it to do. My one issue is that it sometimes gets a little harder to unroll once you pass 2' or so, and occasionally when retracting the tape I will have to manually feed the tape back into the roll if it's out too long. This could be from the roll getting some stray drops of paint or other things on it from being on construction sites, but either way it's a fairly minor quibble.

I really like these tapes. They hold up really and the lines on the tape last a long time. The only complaint I have is that, all the Komelon tapes I have used are 1/32 off. Do to the tip. If you burn an inch, the tape is accurate.

I need a tape measure with both metric and imperial units for work. Since that work is archaeology, and I go through a lot of tapes (lost in cornfields, lost in thick patches of briers, accidentally buried in a hole) I also need those tape measures to be small and affordable.This fits the bill.

Nothing fancy about this. Does what it is supposed to do. Bought it after a super old one that was passed down to me froze up. I use it all the time and it works well.

I really love this little tape measure. It's SO handy for measuring smaller distances, like how far apart to put nails to hang up a frame that takes two nails. One star off because it is (for me) hard to lock and unlock. I use it ALL THE TIME.

The tape measure is a good size for day-to-day interior measurements. Seems sturdy enough for that purpose. I am happy with it.The packaging is terrible; I was surprised that I eventually managed to separate the product from the packaging without serious injury, and without damaging the product. It took me about 10 minutes with a sharp knife and scissors. Even the instructions tell you to slice it out of the plastic packaging, which requires cutting down towards the product. Once you separate it from the packaging, the product is good.Better also order a sharp knife and a first aid kit when you order this tape :)

Ok, what can I say?Plastic, good quality on the outside.Quality feel to the brake/lock as well,The only star it loses is for the packaging!The item almost requires you to break it, or break yourself in the process trying to free it from it's plastic cage!Other than that, it's an excellent tool!

My father has a 25' Stanley that I got used to growing up. Now that my wife and I are in a new home that affords me space for a workshop, I've been building my toolkit. After serious dedication to reading reviews, wanting something quality that would last- as well as keeping an eye on budget, I took a leap to try something new.I love that Tekton has such great customer service. Consistently, people seem happy with their products and if they write poor reviews Tekton reaches out and tries to make something better of their experience. Based on witnessing this, I went ahead and also bought an 8-pc (great price) set of slotted/phillips screwdrivers thinking "this is a company who will go out of their way to make sure you are happy with what you've got." Kudos Tekton for rocking on that! Although I have not needed that, based on my confidence in them as a caring company that wants to see you satisfied - they get a 5 based on what I've seen.As for my experience with this tape measure- it gets a 3.The Good:a) Size and length fineb) Small markings in red to get fractions of an inch in redc) It worksThe Reason a 3:a) The metal is flimsy and doesn't hold straight.b) The lock button doesn't engage as nicely as I am used to on the Stanley. In fact I prefer using the small button to hold because it seems to engage the stop better.c) The return feels dangerous. The metal is so thin that I fear slicing my fingers where I never had that problem with the Stanley. I am used to using the stop lever to slow it down and get my fingers out of the way. Since the lock button is not so hot on this, my technique is not as effective for this tape measure.I will keep this one and use it because it is what I have. If it is lost or given away I would spend a few dollars more on a Stanley for replacement. For tools you rely on, I suggest either going with what you are used to or upgrade.

I decided to try this because I've got other Tekton products that were pretty good and the SS Komelon that I was using was pretty hefty for a tape measure. However this tape measurer was too cheap for me. I dropped it for waist height about three times and it shattered on the last time comparing this to my Komelon that I've dropped dozens of times which is still holding up real well. Also my Tekton tape measure was a full 1/16 inch off which was noticable when I was using it. I've since gotten use to the heft of my Komelon tape measurer while wearing it on my belt.

The major reason I bought two of these is because of the marked fractions. I couldn't find many tape measures with marked graduations, so the choices are limited. One thing I liked about this tape was that different colors used to mark the fractions. It makes for a quicker reference. I actually bought these to give to two workers in the Dominican Republic. They understand some of the concepts of reading a tape measure, but they had a hard time understanding fractions and the tick marks on a standard tape. I figured this would help. These will be used at a job site and one of the tests will be how well they hold up to daily use. The tape itself seems to be of standard quality, but not beefy like a FatMax or the like. The brake button on the side seems cheap and will probably break after a short while, but I've never found those helpful on any tape measure. If you need one to stay put, I'd suggest the auto breaking type. The lip at the end of the tape has three rivets, whereas many have two. This may help hold up to wear and tear, but honestly, if you just let the tape retract without ever slowing it down, any lip is going to break off no matter how many rivers there are. The body of the tape is your basic cheap plastic and probably won't survive a drop of over 10 feet. This will be a great tape for the home toolbox or for the worker who takes a little care with his tools. Probably not the best for heavy use. For me though, the price was right and I'm hoping to get at least three month on the job site, in which time I hope the workers grasp the whole graduation/fraction concept. Good tape for the price. 4-stars for the features and price, 2-stars for build quality = 3 stars

I compared this tape measure to other brands and these are ok, but the auto lock didnt stop the tape well and Komelon Self lock tapes worked better in my opinion. My concern with this tape, if it doesn't stop well once it's new, how will it work with age?

Did the job I bought it for. Am replacing it after I accidently slipped the blade behind a plugged-in appliance plug while taking a measure and causing a short which damaged the blade of the tape. This Tekton tape measure has a lock which doesn't hold, making it mostly useless (the lock) and frustrating when trying to take long measurements where the blade needs to stay extended. I should have just bought a quality tape measure in the first place. Lesson learned.

If I could give this tape measure 2.5 stars, that would be more appropriate for this product. I will explain. I bought this tape measure to replace a worn out version that I had received from my parents many years ago. At a glance, this looks like it would be a fantastic tool. The plastic casing is mostly covered by the black rubber-like material that looks like it would protect the product from drops, work bloopers and day to day work. And so far, there have been no problems with the housing portion. The problem comes with the internal spring that allows the tape to extend and retract. It only took one use of the tape to hear a "twang!!" inside, at which point, the tape no longer retracted, and pulling it out to measure is quite a a chore. Once finished measuring, I had to stuff the tape back in to the housing. I really wanted to like this tape measure, as it has a nice look and looks durable. I think this particular tool, which is so vital to many trades, hobbies and general use, could seriously benefit from a higher quality spring and roller mechanism inside to give the toughness inside that looks like it would have on the outside. Sorry Tekton!

The tape is too soft. I would suggest buying the 30ft/9m version (Komelon 4930IM The Professional 30-Foot Inch/Metric Scale Power Tape, Yellow) instead, which have wider and harder tape.

This is not greatest tape measure I've ever had but I will say that it is well built. My particular problem with this measure is that the markings are long by 10 cm at the 300 cm mark. All measures have some margin for error so this is understandable though it does seem a bit of a large error to me.

Product works fine but it takes literally an hour to remove from the plastic clamshell packaging. Would not recommend.

I really like my old Stanley tape measure best, but it broken after 30 years.This one is ok but it's much heavier & doesn't fit well in my small hands.

I bought this tape in Jan of 2012. In the last year or so the numbers in the 1 to 3 inch range started peeling off and were hard to read. Finally the end broke off and it is now junk. It worked fine for a while but now I know why it has only a 1 year limited warranty. Fine for home use but not for an active woodworker. Next tape I get will have a lifetime warranty

There's nothing wrong with the tape itself, but this is some of the worst packaging I've ever had the pleasure of opening. Be prepared to carefully cut the clip out of the thick plastic packaging (a task for which even the Komelon admits scissors are not recommended) if you want to extract the tape without damaging it.

flimsy tape

This is low quality item. The belt clip broke when i unpackaged it. It is illogical on the placement and function of buttons. It has the feel of low quality. At same shipment I bot the Komelon SL2825 Self Lock 25 foot Powertape and that is high quality and logical.

Cheap & breaks easily, but guess that's to be expected for a $3.50 measuring tape. I bought 10 of these last year for the office - the last one just broke. Not sure how this measuring tape can be described as durable...the plastic is cheap, the end tooth breaks off too easily, and it constantly has problems retracting. Even though it only costs $3.50, it's still a waste of money since it won't last.

This tape failed within a week of regular use, the tape locked out and would not retract. Before it failed I already knew it was not a good tape, light weight materials, and a really terrible belt clip that unscrewed itself in a few days. The one thing that keeps me from giving it one star is the increment marks, very fine lines that it is easy to get a good pencil mark from, and the first foot has 32nd increments, which is great.. If only that tape were wrapped up in a solid package package! This is essentially a give away tape, Keep trying tekton!

I reread the description and they never actually say the tape has both feet and meters but the outside label has 5m written right next to 16'. I would not have bought it if I had known it didn't include meters. I"m disappointed because I found it to be a sturdy tape measure. I like the rubberized grip and the lock and quick stop mechanisms seem to work fine. I had planned to use this as my go to tape measure, but without meters this is being relegated to the tool box in the back of the closet.

Bought 10 of these to distribute to members of my woodworking class. I liked the fact that it seemed as if it would be easy to read on both edges. One failed on the first day and was replaced by Amazon immediately. As I have examined them over the past couple of weeks, they seem to be falling apart in one way or another. Maybe it's a result of being used by teenagers but I do not think that Stanleys would fare so badly. One usually gets what one pays for. I took a chance. Oh well ...

The case construction and tape itself is perfectly fine on this product and the dual units is helpful. Unfortunately, the locking mechanism broke after a few uses which makes the tape almost unusable in certain situations.

this device comes in one of the most obnoxious blisters packs i've ever had the experience of meeting. i cut out all the material around the tape risking my hands getting punctured by the plastic splinters only to find they had the belt clip encased in another layer of the crap. i have to say that the clip is sturdy because at one point i had my foot on the packaging pulling up on the device with all my weight on the clip in this plastic coffin. i finally had to risk cutting a finger off by employing a sturdy box-cutting razor knife to literally whittle the plastic away.i wouldn't have given it two stars if the clip hadn't survived this abuse. who comes up with this sort of crap anyway? they need to be sentenced to open every single item they sell personally. /guy

Two Problems were evident as soon as my 4 tapes arrived. Three of them were very badly scratched up - as if they were shipped in a large wooden crate and these were the ones on the bottom. Deep and dirty scratches that made me wonder if they might crack easily. I returned the 3 damaged onesSo I opened the one good one after a LOT of struggling to the point it was dangerous! Between the overly strong and sharp plastic edges and the scissors in my hand - I am lucky blood was not drawn.This item would have been much better packed in a cardboard box to protect it. The only thing covered by the ridiculous packaging is the small belt clip in back - which is too small to actually use./

Good scale, absolutely impossible to remove from packaging. Been using it for two weeks with plastic packaging still on. Ridiculous.

Very average product, needed an extra one around the house. Unfortunately, it is not self-locking which can be a pain, but cheap price so fine. The packaging is so bad that it prompted me to write this review. Took me longer to cut through the plastic attached to the belt clip than it would have if I had walked to the hardware store, bought one and walked back.

On the first use measuring a long space, the tape measure popped out of the case. Very poor quality. I put it back in but had to tape it in. Does not function well and will have to get another one. Will NOT be buying this brand again. Fortunately, Amazon customer service saved the day. Just finished chatting with them and they gave me a prepaid shipping label to return and get a refund. Yea Amazon! Just fyi, I just tested a couple at Home Depot and they looked about the same so I just got a $2 generic one because even the Stanley brand had the exact same problem. I remember my stanley lasted for 15+ years. They don't make em like they used to. : (

I don't use it that often, and after just over a year it sticks so badly in retracting that i have to pull it out all the way and then get my hand whipped with the metal end.

after 3-4 days the tape measure doesn't lock the tape... i went though 2 of these and same issue on both.... used with cutting woodi highly doubt a little bit of saw dust completely makes this tape measure stop working.

I bought this as it was the cheapest prime eligible tape measure listed on Amazon, it certainly turned out to be just that. I removed the paper backing pulled the tape measurer and lo and behold it stayed right there without retracting. I literally have never seen the product in working order. Worst thing I've purchased on amazon to date. I suggest anyone considering this product note the plethora of one star reviews in concert with mine. Stay away.

This tape measure is not worth buying. I purchased one two months ago. When it came in the mail it was all scuffed up and the package holding the tape measure was broken. The tape measure itself didn't work. The quick stop button isn't even a button at all-it's just there for looks. The tape measure wouldn't rewind and it was so hard to pull the tape out. There was no easy glide to it. So I thought I had been given a used tape measure on accident. I decided to give it a second chance and Amazon was nice to replace my tape measure at no extra charge.When I got my new tape measure in the mail it looked like it was in much better condition, and it actually worked the first time I tried it. Well, had to measure a room in my house a week later and by the time I was done, the tape measure didn't work just like the first. The rewind had stopped working, the quick stop button didn't work, and I couldn't even retract the tape all the way back into the case. So now I'm stuck with another faulty tape measure and Amazon won't return this one because I've already returned one before.I don't think it's coincidence that I ended up with two faulty tape measures - these are just overall poorly designed and won't last for more than one week. Other people may have given this good reviews but don't fall for it. They probably haven't tested their tape measures like I have.

Sorry, but I think people should know. Went to use this product for the first time and the tape did not retract. So just had a big pile of measuring tape. Threw it away. Not worth asking for a replacement bec. not very expensive or worth the trouble. However, if the seller wants to send me a new one if seller think this might have been a fluke I would be willing to try again. But for what I paid for it, only willing to take the time to write this email and not mail dysfunctional one back. thanks

I saw that this tape measurer had a 4 out of 5 star rating, so I thought it was going to be a great deal! I should have scrolled down, because now I see the first 5 or so "most useful" reviews are negative and generally about how it stops retracting.I used this a few time to measure short 2 or 3 ft. long distances with no problem. Then I measured 15 ft distance and it no longer fully retracts. I will go until there is about 4 feet sticking out. The breaks are not being applied. The spring is just not pulling it more in. Not worth it!

Stupid packaging. Got two cuts on my hand. Very difficult to remove. The product itself is ok

Overall it looks good and reasonable construction but the stop slider is just too hard to press and release (comparing to similar products) to a point that I prefer not to use it and get a different product.

I got this because it has metric and our local big box store only offers standard. I used it on items a few feet long a couple times then tried to measure something 9 ft long. At 9ft the tension started to slip and I could not get it to retract. I pulled it out to the max 12ft with some difficulty and that's where it got stuck. It went into the trash. I know it wasn't expensive but it does say "professional" on the side. I expect to be safe pulling it out at least 75% of its max length. Apparently not.

I was bent over measuring a rug and dropped the tape. This was maybe a 2 foot fall onto an area rug. The tape measure came out of the housing. I would expect any tool to be more durable than this. It is ruined and unusable. Yes, I tried to put it back together, but that doesn't seem possible.

I opened the package, tried to measure a room in my house and at the second measurement, whatever piece holds the metric tape breaks and I am left with a 12 Foot tape that can no longer retract.Cheap as cheap can be.

I pulled it about 3/4 of the way out--maybe 9 feet or so, and the thing just broke off it's roller, and does not retract. A complete POS.It's always been my policy not to buy cheap equipment because it costs more to buy something cheap two or three times than it does to spend more for quality once. I decided to ignore this rule, and a broken tool is the result. I'm going back to my original policy:Spending once cost less than saving twice.