25' x 1.06" Self-Lock Powerblade II Tape Measure, Yellow/Black, SL52425

Absolutely love these tape measurers. This is my third one. Had to buy again after leaving the last one on a job site. It was also beginning to lose a little bit of the self locking feature, but to be fair, it had seen a lot of use. I have one at home as well and that one still works like new. Overall they’re very sturdy, well made, and the dual sided print is my favorite feature. I have owned both the 25’ and 16’. I do like the size of the 16’ because it is very compact and light weight but I wanted the extra length for work purposes. Highly recommend either size.

I'm a general contractor/carpenter and have used a lot of tapes. This is by far the best tape I've used yet. Pros - The auto lock feature is fantastic & saves my pointer finger from undue strain "locking" the tape every time I pull it out - The numbers are BIG, and at every inch marked (in red) i.e. "4 ft 3" and i.e. 51 (in black). Very easy to read quickly. There are no printings for fractions which I like, that's too much clutter anyways - The hook can be hooked on all 4 sides - White tape on back, still english measurements - no metric. I personally don't want metric and don't use metric, plus would clutter the tape up well - It looks awesome, has that "professional" look - When reeling the tape back in, if you want to stop it (let go of the button), the tape stops on a dime - impressive (there's a YouTube video of this somewhere online) - The blade seems to be coated in nylon or something, which makes it hard to cut yourself on the edges - The tape has yet to bend/crease yet - The metal clip for your belt/pocket/pouch is strong - easy enough to take of and put on, but strong enough to hold - 16s are marked VERY clearly and you can see them from a distance (same with the foot markings) - The tape is matte, not shiny like the FatMax (which, for me, the matte is easier to read compared to the shiny-ness of the FatMax) Cons I struggled coming up with even these, these are only slight and do not affect the rating: - Because it is an auto-lock tape, when you pull the tape out, say to 10', it locks. If you're measuring something vertically, the tape could get pulled out a little bit more, though there is enough force in the tape measure to stop this from happening (again, this is a HUGE stretch to be a "con") - It's the same weight as the Stanley FatMax (again, not much a stretch, the tape feels really nice held) All of my future tape purchases will be this tape

I was so pleased with my recent purchase of a Komelon EV model with the self-lock and other features that I quickly acquired this one (25-ft) for shop and site use. I have an old Craftsman with this feature and love it, don't know why they discontinued it. The two-sided scales, high visibility upper, and dual hooks are quite nice and also influenced my decision. Not a ding but I could do without the xtra large 2-11 numerals. FYI, this tape has a 10-ft. stand-out. For inside measurements add 3-3/4": 3-11/16 case plus 1/16 hook.

This tape has great features--strong, wide tape, measurements on front and back, solid case. The auto-lock system is how every tape measure should function! It is quick, simple, and convenient. This tape is no lightweight so not the one you'll grab to carry around in your pocket or if you don't need the length.

I work in construction and this ain’t it. I’ve had this on a job for 2 days and already the auto lock is broken. Completely useless.

I recently purchased the SL52425 self-locking model. I've owned several Komelon tapes over the years and have always loved them for their durability, stiffness and legibility. Those traits are all still just as good with this tape. However, I have stopped using it after a couple months. When laying down on a work surface to mark, the blade slowly crawls back into the body of the tape. Since there's no way to manually lock the tape, this makes it impossible to accurately mark work.

I got tired of pinching my finger when retracting my famous-brand slide-lock tape. This one has a top-lock button, and a bit of a 'snout' so I don't carelessly leave my forefinger in the way when I'm tired or have shifted focus to the next thing. Big and easy to read. Downsides, 1- it's freaking huge, and 2- the retraction spring is scary strong, I worry that if the tape isn't flat on the floor with a straight shot to the case, the oversize claw on the end of the tape will whip around and take a hunk out of me.

I'm a professional handyman/carpenter and I've been on the hunt for the perfect tape measure for some time. I've bought all of the tapes from all of the big brands - Lufkin, Stanley, Dewalt, etc etc etc. I had one of the cheap Komelon tapes from Lowe's a while back and loved the auto-lock feature. The Craftsman and Stanley auto-lock tapes both broke down over time and the tape started to drift back into the handle. I've had durability issues with a number of tapes as well. I can't believe how well this one has held up and it is now the only tape I'll use. I'm ordering another one right now in case they stop making it.