Advent Professional AGT-5025 2 in 1 Gap Tape 5m/16ft x 25mm Professional Tape Measure

Nicely made, solid feel, sexy rubber coat, clear scales..Nice smooth retraction action. Even the label is a quality polyester (?) badge and not some tacky sticky-backed paper. It feels like a properly engineered item and this inspires a certain amount of confidence as it performs like it feels.This thing is a joy to use and really does solve THAT problem with alcoves.It's a tape measure; what does it say on the tin blah blah...?Non shiny tape. No sharp edges. Easy to read when extended. No cursor - the edge of the case is your datum line and is quite chunky. It may need a little care to read the tape precisely but this will only be a problem if _really_ pushing it for microscopic accuracy.If laid on its back so the tape sticks up in the air as a height gauge, it leans a degree or two as the top of the case is shorter than the bottom "datum" side whereas the RightCut Faithfull Right Cut 5 Metre Tape Measure With Saw Guide doesn't.They are conceived differently and are both useful in unique ways, but as a day-to-day all-purpose measure, the Advent wins hands down if only for its conventional size and shape.I ran a gauge over the offset, between the two case halves, that seems to be causing a little consternation over the precise positioning and location of the true back-edge of the instrument. I made it 0.3mmm. I can live with that. It's certainly less than the parallax in reading the scale against the casing on the other side (which is in fact not really a problem, just an observation for comparison.)EDIT_A year on, and it's still my favourite tape but constant use has made me aware of a couple of shortcomings which are becoming irksome.1)The lock doesn't lock as tightly as it should, which means that if I transfer a measurement directly to a mitre saw or saw table, it has probably slipped and given me a too-short cut. This means that I have to use the numbers, rather than being able to simply transfer the locked-tape setting directly to the machine. Worse, If I say, take an internal measurement of an alcove etc that I can reach but not see, the lock is not firm enough for me to guarantee that the measurement I see is the same as the one I set, so I have to take maybe half a dozen measurements and pick the largest, hoping my sample set is big enough to catch the real size I want.I will contact the mfrs and see if they have a solution.2)when the measure's casing is set level on a surface, the tape does NOT exit the case parallel with that surface. Instead it comes up at about 5°. This is a complete bummer. It means that any tape extension longer than three inches or so stops the end/zero hook from hooking over the sample, and in practice this means that when the zero point is attached, the tape is stretched/unrolled and the tape then put down on the surface to read or mark what is required, the zero hook flies up into the air, invariably retracting and needing hooking on again. Doing this a dozen times or more to mark a cut point on a board is horrifically frustrating.The solution is simple but inelegant - cutting a wooden wedge or rib and taping it in place so that the back end of the spool case is lifted high enough to drop the zero hook back down to ground level. I'm about to try epoxying a ten-pence piece or something similar in place to see if that's more durable. This really shouldn't be necessary but I'm afraid that it is.Internal measurements - locking issues aside - are fine and accurate.Overall, I still like the tape. It has an easily-read background and markings combination even if it requires a certain amount of ingenuity to make use of it. Internal measurements are far easier to read on this than on the overly-fancy top-window designsBUT - it needs improving.I'm knocking the rating down to four stars from my original five and I would still recommend the product.

The unit is sturdy and on the whole well thought out, with only a few dubious points.A lot of the reviews are 1 star which is dragging down the rating. Almost all of the writers of the 1 star reviews have clearly not read the item description and missed the point of the product.Ignore the 1 star reviews, this tape is very good, provided you know how to read.This tape is dual purpose! One scale for measuring normally (tape hooked on outside of object) and one scale on the reverse for measuring inside of a gap/cavity (e.g an alcove). The gap measuring scale on reverse is purposefully offset from normal scale to take account of the body of the housing, which saves you from having to estimate by bending the tape into the gap. Great, if you know how to read.One review which is balanced bemoans the fact that the back of the housing isn't at 90 degrees, so the tape doesn't stick straight up when placed on it's back. This is true, but a necessary evil - if the housing was a perfect 90 degrees it would only be effective at measuring gaps that we're perfectly true and parallel. This is rare out in the wild, so the bottom of the housing is necessarily a bit longer to ensure that it is the surface that the gap measurement is referenced against.The only two dubious points are that the tape housing is rubberised and it's hard to tell if this is the sort that will age well or get all sticky and attract debris.The other more significant issue is that the rivets that secure the hook catch the housing quite badly when retracting the tape. It's hard to know what this will mean for the longevity or accuracy of the product over time.The last gripe I have is that the lock is not only a bit weak, but it also moves the tape a lot when pressed. The weakness can be worked around if you're careful. But the movement is impossible to do anything about in a way that is workable. It's not the end of the world but it does limit the use a bit.All in all it's a very good tape, with a useful unique feature, that is well made and accurate. The negatives are not bad enough for most people to worry about, although some will find it awkward.

This really is a great idea but I still need to test how accurate it is especially on internal measurements. Overall it feels very well built, sturdy and good quality. The print on the tape itself seems to have better definition than other measures I have and the numbers are very clear. The mechanism feels really solid without any play but I guess most do when you first buy them.My gripe with this tape measure and why I'm doubting its accuracy slightly is that the back of the housing which butts up against an internal surface is just made of rubber which is rounded off. I would expect this to be a piece of accurately machined metal not just molded rubber. The two halves of this rubber housing on mine aren't joined together exactly leaving an overlap all the way round of about half a millimeter so it cant sit truly perpendicular against an internal surface. For a window fitter etc who can afford to lose a millimetre here and there then this is a perfect tool. For a cabinet maker looking for exact 100 percent internal measures then I guess you'll have to wait a bit longer untill someone develops something better.Having said all that if your looking for a great all round solid tape measure then you cant go wrong with this (just measure at least twice!) and why I'm giving it 4 stars.