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Dewalt’s new Tough Series tape measures are advertised with a 100-foot drop rating.
The fine print says that the Dewalt Tough Series tape measures are still perfectly functional after a 100-foot drop into packed soil.
I imagined that the impact testing was done using drop weight towers, and tried to work out how drop rating claims relate to more realistic scenarios since tape measures should always be secure when working at height. But, all that was for naught.
Recent Stanley Black & Decker investor communications convey exactly how the Dewalt Tough Series tape measures are drop-tested.
[The Tough Series] also features a measuring tape that can survive a 100-foot drop. This is a test done many times via drone by our engineers. It’s one of their favorites.
That does sound like fun. Hmm, this is one of Dewalt engineers’ favorite tests. What else could come close to dropping tools out of the sky?
I’d hope that impact tests are done as well, but at least now we know – Dewalt Tough Series tape measures are drop-tested using drones.
Are any other tools impact-tested in a similar manner?
Drop tests with soil as the impact surface still isn’t exactly a very scientific measure, or at least it’s very imprecise. Is the drone drop testing done at the hand tools HQ in Connecticut, or power tools HQ in Maryland? This could make a difference. What happens when you drop the same tool on concrete?
A few years ago, a tool brand tried to show off their power tool durability by tossing a cordless drill out of a helicopter and onto a grassy field. I suppose dropping tools from a drone is the modern equivalent.
I wonder if Dewalt did the same sort of testing over a parking lot or other similarly hard impact surface.
