NEW INFORMATION IN COMMENTS SECTION…
I purchased the Magnogrip Quick Snap Magnetic Tape Measure Holder a few weeks ago.
I loved the concept, a quick release for my tape measure.
I constantly fight with my tape measures, fumbling to hook them on my belt or pocket, or cussing the tape pouch/holder on my tool belts. So the possibility of just snapping in on was a big draw. And at less than $10 at Home Depot I figured I’d give it a try.
I tried a couple of tape measures on the tape holder, they slipped on easily, and didn’t slip back off.
The magnetic buttons grabbed the belt holder very tightly with minimal movement required to ‘click’ the holder into its secured position.
This past week I had a contract job to build some shipping crates. It seemed the perfect opportunity to try the tape holder out. So I put an old 25 foot tape on and clipped the belt holder onto the 1 1/4 inch leather belt I wear on my work jeans.
On these jobs I’m constantly using the tape measure (my motto “Measure 5 times, still cut it wrong). I got set up and grabbed the tape measure for my first cut. NICE, the tape came away right in my hand. I made the measurement, and went to slap the tape back on my belt. DRAT, I pulled the tape UP instead of pushing it DOWN, so the whole assemble had pulled up in my hand. OK, my bad, the directions say to push down and I pulled up, so I’ll remember to do that the next time.
Next time I’m zoned into the measure and cut quick mode (time is money)...DRAT, I pulled the tape UP again and it all came away in my hand. Cussed myself for doing what I’ve done for 40 years, pulling the tape up, and vow to do it right the next time.
50 times later I realized this was a total and complete failure on the part of Magnogrip to make sure their design engineers actually used the tools that they sell.
Here’s the fail on two counts…
1. The holder clip for the belt is a bad design. It’s exactly like the spring clip on your tape measure, designed to slip off quickly. My Toughbuilt phone holder has an OUTSTANDING clip. The bottom of the outside part of the clip is turned completely back toward the inside part and back up, forming a J shaped hook at the bottom of the clip. I have to put my fingers in my belt and push that part away to get the holder off. THAT’S the way to make a stay-on belt clip. The Magnogrip just slips right off if you forget to push DOWN on the tape. AND the belt portion of the holder is a hollow back molding, so when you go to put the holder back on you have to reach in and pull the spring clip away from the molding to put it ON.
2. The holder clip for the belt is too short. I wear an 1 1/4 leather belt on my jeans. Not really that wide, certainly not as wide as a tool belt. The clip on the Magnogrip isn’t even wide enough to fit completely over the leather belt. On a tool belt it would only clip onto the belt, not lock around it (and yes, the cell phone holder will hook around my tool belt…it’s 2 1/4 INCHES wide.) So the Magnogrip belt holder isn’t even securely on my work belt to start with, hence the ease with which I kept pulling it off.
And the third issue is that asking woodworkers to change decades old habits to use your gadget speaks to me of bad design implementation. Did they field test any prototypes in this configuration to see if professionals, or even hobbyists liked the reverse motion required.
In summary, if they had a clip that was big enough, and hooked enough to stay on the belt if the user pulled the tape the wrong way, this would be and OUTSTANDING tool. I did get myself into the habit of pushing down on the tape by the third day, and the whole thing works GREAT, off in a second, back on in a couple of seconds. But it would have been easy to just take it back for a refund if I hadn’t decided to keep trying to work it right.
And now you’ve probably guessed it….I KNOW I’ll try pushing my other tapes off my belts now.