Milwaukee Launches Next-Gen Tape Measures

Milwaukee Builds on Previous Tape Measure Success with Improved Durability, Precision, and Features

Never content to rest on their laurels, Milwaukee launched a new line of next-gen tape measures. I got my hands on several models. You can see my thoughts in this video or read below for more detailed specs and info.

Click the video below to watch, then scroll down to the entire list of new tape measures!

Milwaukee Next-Gen Stud Tape Measures

The Milwaukee Stud tape has a 17-foot reach—which gives it about 14-feet of usable standout. It’s the most durable tape they have in this collection. Among the many options, this would be your basic contractor tape measure. It lacks a magnetic tip and has a nice feel to how the tape flows in and out of the housing. The coating feels amazing and is supposed to be incredibly durable. It can handle abrasive contact and being run over and through construction materials without wearing away.

One of the other features I like about these tapes is the inclusion of an engineering architectural scale on the backside of the blade. I’ve been out in the field before and had a disagreement on a layout or where something went on a set of plans compared to what’s actually being constructed. That often takes you back to the original drawings. With this tape, you can lock it in, and between the measurements of 10 and 22 you have an architectural scale. It reads in both quarter and eighth-inch scales. We tried it out on a set of plans that happened to be in quarter scale. It’s a nice feature as you don’t need to carry around a scale to take accurate measurements from your plans. While a simple little feature, it’s definitely useful.

Another nice feature of this tape is the wire belt clip. It’s a lot easier to clip and unclip from your belt or tool pouch versus one of those bent sheet metal-type clips. These are very durable and long-lasting.

Milwaukee Wide Blade Tape Measures

The Milwaukee wide blade tape measure has 18 feet of reach—that’s around 15 feet of standout. The wide blade is about an inch and three-eighths in width. That’s a considerable increase in blade size, making the tape a lot stiffer overall. The result is that it doesn’t break as easily. In fact, it actually takes a considerable amount of effort to get the blade on this tape to bend. This is a perfect tape for a contractor or GC—perfect for general purpose use. Like the Stud, the Milwaukee Wide Blade Tape has the built-in Architectural scale on the backside.

As is common across several of these tapes is an exposed portion on the bottom. This lets you throttle the tape in or out by using your thumb or your index finger to adjust how fast that tape moves. It’s positioned such that you can never cut the edge of your finger on the tape either. Of course, you can use the lock as well. I found the lock very efficient at holding the tape steady.

Milwaukee Electrician’s Tape Measures

Auto Lock Tape Measures

Compact Tape Measures

Magnetic Tape Measures