Tool review: Pittsburgh 69031 25' x 1" QuikFind Tape Measure

When it comes to choosing a tape measure, there are certain factors that different buyers will look for.  Assuming all of the tape measures are accurate, some qualities that differentiate the different models include tape length, size, casing, and measurement units.  Sometimes, it's just how the tape measure feels in your hand.

The Pittsburgh 25-foot by 1-inch QuikFind tape measure (product #69031) is a good middle-of-the road tape measure.  As the name suggests, the tape reaches 25 feet, and it's an inch wide.  This QuikFind tape measure is self-supporting up to 78 inches, so you can stretch it out, unsupported, 6 and a half feet before the tape buckles.  A few times I got it out to 81 inches before it folded.

This tape measure is solid, and not very lightweight, but it comes with both a strap and a belt clip.  (The belt clip is removable.)  It has a hard, contoured, black plastic case that provides good grip.

One area in which the QuikFind tape measure sets itself back from other, similar tape measures is that it doesn't provide metric measurement.  The tape is only marked in inches and feet, not centimeters or meters.  However, it does have hash marks every 1/32 of an inch, allowing for very accurate measurements.  The metal tip on the end of the tape measure has both a hole and a slot, so you can rest it on a nail or other protrusion when measuring.

As long as you don't care about brand names, this QuikFind tape measure is a good value.  It doesn't have any "extras," but it's solid and it works.  It gets 3.5 out of 5 stars.  Since many tape measures are very similar, price can be an important differentiating factor.  At Harbor Freight stores, this tape measure is listed for $6.99 (though recently it was on sale for $3.99, and part of a give-a-way promotion for free.)  Below is a brief price comparison between this tape measure and other comparable tape measures.  (All prices are taken from Amazon.com.)

- Pittsburgh 25' QuikFind Tape Measure:   $4.37
- Tekton 25' Tape Measure:   $6.57
- Klein Tools 25' Tape Measure:   $14.99
- Snap-On 25' Tape Measure:   $17.49
- Stanley 25' FatMax Tape Measure:   $19.52
- Ridgid 25' Tape Measure:   $22.21
- DeWalt 25' Tape Measure:  $22.98

Some of these tape measures are higher quality than the Pittsburgh tape measure, but they are all fairly comparable.  (The DeWalt tape measure, for example, stands out on its own up to 10 feet, and the Klein Tools tape measure has a shock absorber built into its metal tip.)  If there is no special feature that you require that the Pittsburgh tape measure doesn't have, it's a great value for its price.