Since the announcement of the first Milwaukee Stud tape measure back in 2018, it’s had plenty of field time to mature. Now in its third generation form, the Stud is part of a newly refined lineup with each model focusing on meeting a specific need for Pros. So, what’s different in the latest design? And who is it the best fit for?
I’ll help you answer those questions as I take a deep dive into this popular tape measure.
Pros
- Outstanding blade durability
- Excellent throw and reach
- Remarkably straight standout through medium-distance measurements
- Excellent housing durability
- Improved blade visibility
- Double-sided printing with architect’s scale
- “E” models have an engineer’s scale
- Perfect accuracy
Cons
- Top of the hook doesn’t grip well on the corners
- Heavier than cheaper models
- No magnetic options
- Expensive for a tape measure
Editor’s Note: Check out our recommendations for the best tape measures!
Sorting Through Milwaukee’s Tape Measure Lineup
Remember the old adage about Swiss Army Knives? They contain several good tools but no great ones. For a core tool like a tape measure that nearly everyone uses, it’s tempting to have the same mentality by making one that’s as feature-rich as possible but that forces you to make some compromises.
Instead of trying to make everyone happy by packing all the features into one tape measure to rule them all, Milwaukee’s tape measure lineup now splits into specific models to meet specific needs. Here are the priorities:
- Stud: The highest durability
- Wide Blade: The longest reach and straightest standout
- Magnetic: Stiff, straight standout with a strong magnetic hook
- Auto Lock: Lighter weight with an automatic locking feature
- Compact: The lightest and most compact
- Electricians: Purpose-built printing for electricians with a straighter, stiffer blade
- LED: 100-lumen LED on a wide blade tape for low or no-light applications
Milwaukee Stud Tape Measure Basics
Before we jump into what I learned from using the Gen 3 Stud, let’s start with a quick walkthrough of the features. Some of these may sound the same as the Gen 3 model, but have been improved. We’ll dive into those details in a moment.
- EXO360 Blade: Improves rip and tear resistance
- Double-Sided Reinforcement Coating: Additional protection on the first 6 inches of the blade
- Reinforced Impact-Resistant Housing: Improves durability for tough jobsite environments
- Finger Stop: Slow down or stop blade retraction with your finger
- Hi-Viz Blade: Improves your ability to accurately read blade markings
- Double-Sided Blade Printing: Accurately read from either side of the blade
- Architectural Scale: Easily transfer measurements from blueprint to building
- Lanyard Loop: Easily tether your tape measure when working at height
- Wire Form Belt Clip: Secures the tape with less wear on belts and pockets
What’s New and Different on the Gen 3 Milwaukee Stud Tape Measure?
EXO360 Blade
Like other high-durability blades, Milwaukee uses a nylon coating to help protect against rips, tears, and cracks. The previous model included this, and you could feel the texture difference between that coating and the smooth texture of unprotected blade printing.
The new version feels smoother and slightly thicker than before. Even though we’re talking about a difference of less than a millimeter in thickness, even a small increase in how thick the protective coating is makes the blade more durable.
Like before, the first 6 inches of the blade get additional coating to reinforce the highest wear section. The difference is that it’s now on both sides of the blade, not just the bottom.
Visibility
The color of the blade printing shifts away from the gold-yellow of the previous model to a greener hue that’s more of a yellow-green highlighter shade. The human eye picks up green better than other colors, which is why we’re able to see green cross line laser beams at a greater distance than red ones, so making a greener shift should help. Crescent Lufkin took advantage of this with a reverse-contrast green-on-black printing for Nite Eye version on its Shockforce G2 tape measure.
I worked in several different lighting conditions to see how much of a difference the change in color makes for the Stud. In bright light and direct sunlight, there isn’t much gain, though the contrast between the two colors is obvious. As I moved to darker scenarios, the greener hue of the new blade helped make the markings pop a little more so they were easier to read. As someone with relatively poor eyesight, I’ll take any visibility improvement I can get.
Hook
The most obvious difference between the Gen 2 and Gen 3 Stud hook is what the design team took away: magnets. At least for now, the Stud is no longer available with a magnetic hook. I don’t have sales numbers to back it up, but I’m guessing that in the tough applications the Stud is designed for, there’s not as much demand for a magnetic tape measure.
There’s a subtle, but important change to the hook as well. Oddly enough, I noticed it while I was making adjustments to the saddle height on my road bike. One hook fit into the bottom bracket, and the other didn’t.
When I looked more closely, the Gen 2 Stud’s hook tapered in much more dramatically than the Gen 3’s. The bottom corners of the hook are now closer to 90°. That gives the hook more surface area contact with your material when you need to grip with the corners, and it’s less likely to slip off.
The top of the hook is effectively the same. You can get a decent grip when both sides can engage, but gripping with only one corner is tough.
Blade Lock
Another subtle difference is a small change to the blade lock thumb interface shape. Even though it’s a little thing, it seemed to operate more easily when I used them side-by-side, especially when unlocking.
Milwaukee Stud Tape Measure Field Testing
Standout and Throw
I ran the new model through our standard throw and standout tests. With the Gen 2 Stud tape measure, the best throw I sent out was right at 123 inches. I was able to extend it with the Gen 3 to 128 inches. Considering the Gen 3’s noticeably smoother extension and retraction, the blade coating is a likely candidate for this improvement.
There’s no change between the two in the 14-foot standout and 17-foot reach ratings. Considering there’s no noticeable change in the blade width or curve, that’s no surprise.
During my tests, the standout at 8 feet was remarkably straight compared to other tapes I’ve tested. For those of you who frequently work with sheet goods, you’ll appreciate that.
Testing the reach, I wasn’t able to get to the full 17 feet Milwaukee markets. Factors such as wind and my own hand’s slight shakiness come into play, so take that with a grain of salt.
I was able to consistently reach between 15 and 16 feet, though. The bend in the blade is significant at that range, so it’s debatable how practical that distance is. More likely, you’ll enjoy how much straighter the blade is on those medium-distance measurements compared to models with shorter standout and reach ratings.
Blade Markings and Accuracy
The Milwaukee Stud uses nice bold number markings along with standard 1/16-inch increment marks between whole inches. Like the previous model, the blade has double-sided printing. You even get an Architect scale on the bottom along with the expected stud and truss indicators.
With this launch, there are also “E” models for the 25 and 35-foot lengths that include an engineer’s scale on the printing.
The accuracy measures perfectly at the 6-inch mark on our Lixer Master tape measure calibration tool.
Milwaukee Stud Additional Design Notes
Ergonomics
I have medium-sized hands, and the Stud is a little larger than I prefer. As a super-durable, wider blade model, it’s also heavier than many models (20.4 ounces for the 25-foot). However, the overall shape forms into your hand well, and the Finger Stop and lock are both easy to operate with one hand.
Finger Stop
I am 100% a fan of the Finger Stop blade brake. For starters, it keeps your finger out of the way as the blade retracts, so the hook doesn’t smack it.
It’s on blade extension that I get the best use from it, though. As you extend the blade or want to hold its position temporarily, your finger keeps it from retracting without having to change your hand position or engage the lock.
It’s so ingrained into the way I work that I’ll skip over every other tape measure in the drawer just to have the Finger Stop feature.
The Bottom Line
On paper, it might not look like Milwaukee made many improvements to the Stud tape measure. A closer look reveals that there are changes to several elements that make it even more durable and user-friendly than before. If tape measure durability is your top priority, the Milwaukee Stud is the one you want. Better yet, its combination of extreme durabilily, long standout, excellent visibility, high accuracy, and user-focused features make it our top-rated tape measure.
