Milwaukee has had tape measures out for a couple of years, so measuring isn’t new to Milwaukee. However, they recently came out with some long tapes which I know people have been waiting for. It’s great to have a nice tape measure, but there are times when we just need to measure something in great length where an LDM might not be a fit. So Milwaukee came out with a couple new long tapes, the Milwaukee 100Ft Closed Reel Long Tape 48-22-5101 and the Milwaukee 100Ft Open Reel Long Tape48-22-5201.
Milwaukee Tool 100Ft Open Reel Long Tape 48-22-5201
For most of the people who use long tapes, it is usually used outside in dirty environments. Milwaukee saw this and decided to deign their long tape with a blade wiper to help not only keep your tape clean and easy to read but also help stop debris from getting in the gears, which makes it last longer. The tape has a 3:1 metal planetary gear system so winding it up takes very little time.
For the blade, Milwaukee designed it with a kink resistant blade and it’s 1/2″ nylon bond steel. As with all other Milwaukee hand tools, this comes with a lifetime limited warranty which surprises me since this tool has moving parts. But I guess that’s how much they believe this tape will last a lifetime.
Milwaukee Tool 100Ft Closed Reel Long Tape 48-22-5101
The closed reel resembles the open tape in almost every way except it’s a closed system and not an open system. This tape features the blade wiper along with a 3:1 gearing system. The closed reel has a very nice metal frame to protect it from drops and more. This tape has a different tape to it. This tape is a nylon coated steel blade which means this one can kink where the open reel can’t.
There are plenty of long tapes on the market, but as of today, these seem like the best solution for the worksite. They seem tough, well designed and should hold up to daily abuse.
