Steel stick on tape

After realizing that I had stretched my vinyl tape when assembling my tablesaw, I started searching for a replacement. I knew that I wanted a steel tape so as to avoid the issue of stretch. The only version that I found online was $17 so I postponed buying so I could search for a cheaper alternative. I was killing time in the tool department at Walmart and stumbled on this one. the Komelon 12’ x 1/2” Flat Tape Ruler. As soon as I saw that it was steel I was interested and when seeing the price was only $4.88, I snatched it up.

I am very happy with this tape. So far(three days), the adhesive seems to be adequate. There has been no slipping or other movement. The markings are clear and sharp. The tape has a matt finish so shop lights do not reflect obscuring the tape while you use it. It’s 12’ long so there is plenty of length for almost any application.

There are a few flaws, however. Its only marked to 16ths, no 32ths, which makes finer work a little bit of a guess. It’s only 1/2” wide, which is not a big issue. It’s 12’ long so there is lots of wasted tape if your fence is only 36” like mine. It’s at Walmart. The location may not be a con, but availability will vary. Their website says that my local store has none in stock, but there were several more when I picked up mine just two days ago.

Overall, it’s cheap, it’s good, it’s a buy. I’m going to get a couple more just for backup purposes.

Thanks