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Beloved Tools: If It Looks Dumb But it Works It’s Not Dumb

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I reached a milestone this past week.

I finally had to change the batteries in my electric tape measure.

“What’s that?” you ask. “An electric tape measure? You’re kidding, right?”

No, I kid you not.

I’ve had it for ten years, and in that time, despite being made by the down-market Black and Decker brand, it’s become one of my most beloved tools.

Which is funny, because when I bought it, I didn’t seek out to by an electric tape measure; I bought it out of desperation.

It’s like this: I had left the office and was on my way to do a site survey at an acreage outside of town.

I was halfway there when I realized that I had forgotten my tape measure.

At the last town before my destination there was no Rona or Home Depot, and my only shopping options were Shoppers Drug Mart, which is not known for having a hardware department, and Superstore, a big box grocery and home furnishings chain, who might-or-might-not have some hardware.

They did have some hardware, but my tape measure options were limited to one: a Black and Decker motorized electric tape measure for $29.99.

tape measure

At the time I thought that was ridiculous. But I was up against the clock. I couldn’t really show up to my site survey and not be able to take measurements.

So I bought it.

In a very short period of time that tape measure went from being ridiculous to indispensable.

Until you use one, you don’t realize what a labor saving device being able to deploy a tape across a long room via the motorization.

Luxuries soon become necessities, as they say.

And as far as the battery life goes, in the spirit of disclosure, while I don’t recall having changed the batteries in the past ten years, I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt and split the difference.

In that case, five years for four AAA batteries isn’t a bad lifespan.

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