Review on Stanley FMHT33348 FATMAX Auto Lock Tape: Ultimate Precision and Efficiency by Darrin Parasson

. I also wanted an auto-lock strap. I'm not a professional user at all, this should have been overkill for home projects. It worked initially, but it wasn't until the second day of use that I noticed that the auto-lock feature felt weak. Very light, when you press the band it slowly retracts. On the third day of use it didn't work at all. The tape slowly crept back into the body. I couldn't believe it. Is it from the USA that got the FatMax pros excited? took the tape apart and the automatic lock works by using a small metal protrusion as a spring that feeds a triangular rubber bumper into the tape's slot between the spool and where it unwinds, allowing it to be pulled out but not retracted . The spring and wedge attach to the pivot while the button is depressed. opposite end. Pressing the button causes the mechanism to rotate, pulling the tongue out of the slot and retracting. The problem is that the thin metal spring tongue inside creates too little tension, and as soon as dust accumulated on the rubber bumper due to the tape passing through, its friction gradually decreased and it quickly lost its blocking ability. Cassette. Badly designed. The included hook is also useful, but cannot be securely attached to the case when not in use. I seriously doubt it will last long before falling off and being lost with daily use of the tape on a construction site. I dusted the bumper and bent the metal tab a little to take more tension. It's currently working better than new, but I really don't know how long it will last. I may have to repeat that a bit in the future. Regular FatMax bands can live up to the hype, but stay away from auto-lock bands.