Update: my brother-in-law said my tape measure was costing me money, and I can't shake it
He runs a small framing crew in Boise and swears by the cheap 25 footers from Harbor Freight, says he loses 2 or 3 a job and doesn't care. I've been babying the same $30 FatMax for 4 years and it's held up fine, but now every time I clip it on I hear him saying I'm paying for a name. Anyone actually track whether the pricier tapes last longer or is it all in my head?