Crescent Lufkin Shockforce G2 Tape Measures Deliver Tough Performance
The Crescent Lufkin Shockforce G2 Tape Measures include some crazy durability claims. How crazy? How about 100-foot drop-testing crazy! It comes in both regular and Nite Eye versions (remember the Lufkin Black Widow tape?) and we put it through more than just our standard tape measure tests.
Pros
- Incredibly durable design
- Diamond abrasive on the hook grips better than slick coatings
- Redesigned belt clip
- Reinforced holes are ready for tethering
Cons
- On the expensive side
- Tough blade to throw
Editor’s Note: Think you know everything about tapes? Check out our article on how to read a tape measure and we promise you’ll learn something new!
Crescent Shockforce G2 Tape Measure Durability
The Crescent Lufkin Shockforce G2 Tape Measure boasts its durability over everything else. In the hand, it’s certainly impressive. Four screws hold the tape together (the 5th in the center just holds the belt clip).
Lufkin also uses four rivets to hold the clip in place instead of the standard 2 or 3. The blade gets a standard nylon coating to prevent scraping off the print. It’ll still happen, it just takes much longer than with cheap tapes.
Rubber overmold covers the majority of the housing and metal roll bars protect the lock. It’s a tough enough build that Lufkin claims you can drop it from 100′. We’ll presume that’s on compacted soil and not concrete or asphalt. In our testing of the first-generation Shockforce tapes, they survived several falls onto concrete until we finally managed to break the tape. These have the exact same build quality.
So yeah, this is a tough tape.
Standout and Throw
Crescent Lufkin claims a 14′ standout for these measuring tapes. We didn’t quite get that far, but we did manage to eke out more than 12 feet. Looking back at our last best tape measure review article, that’s pretty competitive! Even without trying hard, you’ll repeatably get around 11′ 8″ of standout every time—at least until the tape breaks in a bit.
The throw is a bit different, and arguably not as important. The internal spring lets the tape spin faster inside than it comes out, creating a backlash effect. As with the first-generation Shockforce tapes, these are stiff. In fact, I could only get these to consistently throw between 55-64″. That’s well short of the 96″ length of sheet materials.
I’m not all that worried about the throw, personally. Just know that it’s tough to use that way if it’s something you expect your tapes to do.
Crescent Lufkin Shockforce G2 Tape Measure Accuracy
The printed marks are 1/16″ and you have your standard bold stud highlights every 16″ and truss diamonds every 19-3/16″. Read our article on tape measure markings if those don’t sound familiar to you.
Things started off well on our Lixer Master measuring tape calibration. Both the standard and Nite Eye versions of the Crescent Lufkin Shockforce Tape Measure were dead on at 6″.
Additional Crescent Shockforce G2 Tape Measure Features
Blades
If it’s not already obvious, you have two choices when it comes to your blade. There’s a standard black on yellow and the Nite Eye hi-viz green on black we saw with the Black Widow. I personally like the Nite Eye printing, but both are easy to read.
Using red for the regular Shockforce G2 and hi-viz green for the Nite Eye, stud points get a large highlight every 16″ and the truss marks use standard diamonds.
Hook
Crescent Lufkin keeps the 360º hook from their Black Widow measuring tape, and it does a nice job of grabbing on the top, bottom, and both sides. They also put a diamond abrasive grip on the bottom half that helps it grip better than slick coatings.
Clip
Crescent Lufkin reinforced the stamped steel belt clip on the Shockforce G2 tape measures. They also added a handy tab at the top that lets you apply pressure when sliding it on and off your belt or favorite tool rig. This marks a huge improvement over the original model which we found difficult to clip onto our belts.
Tether Ready
Reinforced holes at the back are ready to receive a tether when working at height.
Lock
The lock is a standard design, bringing its plastic shield down to hold the tape in place. It holds as well as anyone else’s. They also have an Auto-Lock model that automatically locks the tape in place until you release it with the front-mounted button.
Price
On our 25′ models, the standard Crescent Lufkin Shockforce G2 Tape Measure runs $30 and the Nite Eye version is $28. That’s a premium price, but well in line with other premium brands. The DeWalt premium XP measuring tape retails for a similar $28, and it’s among the most expensive for major brands, though others like Tajima can go higher.
- Milwaukee Stud: $19.99
- Stanley FatMax FMHT363255: $26.99
- Lufkin Shockforce G2: $29.99
- DeWalt XP: $29.99
- Lufkin Nite Eye: $27.99
- Tajima GS Lock: $42.99
The Bottom Line
These are some of the most durable tapes we’ve tested and they have a satisfyingly long standout. With two blade patterns and multiple lengths to choose from, they’re definitely in the conversation with the top names. If there’s any hesitation, it’s in the stiffness of the tape and whether you want to pay a premium price.
I like the Crescent Lufkin Shockforce G2 Tape Measure for Pros and DIYers who value durability. However, if you have a hard time keeping track of your tapes, you might consider something with a lower cost of entry.
Crescent Lufkin Shockforce G2 Tape Measure Specifications
- G2 Models
- L1216: Standard 16′
- L1225: Standard 25′
- L1235: Standard 35′
- L1216B: Nite Eye 16′
- L1225B: Nite Eye 25′
- L1235B: Nite Eye 35′
- Blade: Two-side printing, nylon coated
- Markings: 1/16″
- Original Gen 1 Models
Wanted a new tough 16 footer. Mostly impressed with feel and accuracy. Return spring was great. Curve in the blade is definitely a draw back for quick reading. I do mostly home renovation work so not the hardest on tapes. Pulled it out one day and the end was bent and tape crinkled. Totally not impressed with endurance of the tape. 2 months in and now junk. Going back to my old fat max which is going on 2 years old no real problems and still accurate
Absolute garbage… two days of working with this tape, the blade is about to break. Has issues retracting beyond 13-15 feet and you can feel it stressing to go further. Do not buy !!
These tapes get my POS TOOL ALERT rating. I hardly ever think it’s worth writing a review, but in this case it’s mandatory. These are pure junk. The clip is not only flimsy, but the tip is so close to the body of the tape, I defy anyone to put it on your belt with one hand, even with two hands it’s a chore, what a joke! I’ve had one for just over two months, which is only seconds in tool-life-years, and already the first foot or so is crimped and dinged from the tape stop pinching it. The tape… Read more »
As a Boilermaker and Structural Steel Fabricator I’m lucky if a quality tape lasts more than 8-9 months. Downunder the 10M tape retails for $37 AUD which is @ $5+ for other tapes. As to the accuracy issue the tape I bought is spot on. I don’t use the clip and a tapes throw is irrelevant in my trade. To date all seems ok,
I’m so glad someone else has noticed the inaccuracy between the front & back graduations. I purchased a 16′ regular version and was unimpressed. It did feel great in my hand but the blade and retracting mechanism left a lot to be desired. In order to get the rated Stand-Out, the blade is concave to the point of being a semi-circle. The edges of the tape were straight up. I couldn’t just tip the tape over to get the blade edge against my work piece, I had to lay the whole thing on its side. It still broke at 12′… Read more »