Irwin #2031304P 100' Chalk Reel Combo

• Irwin #2031304P 100' Chalk Reel Combo
• IRWIN INDUSTRIAL TOOL CO

Really Don't Like This Chalk Reel:
I've owned this one for several years now and I am looking for a replacement. I don't like this one for several reasons: 1: Awkward fit in my hand. It is a bit large and not ergonomic. It is cumbersome feeling. The rapid rewind is a nice feature if you commonly pull out long lengths of line. If you do mostly less than 15' of line then this feature just adds weight and size to the product. 2: Doesn't fit well in my tool belt pouch. It's a little large. It holds a lot of chalk but this isn't such a great feature unless you really use a lot of chalk a day in which case you wouldn't use a cheaper chalk line like this one. 3: Chalk door comes open too easily. It came open in my tool pouch and got chalk everywhere on my tools that were in that pocket. It also came open in my tool box and got chalk everywhere. I really was about to throw it away that time. The door doesn't stay closed well. It's a cheap chalk box and that's what you get. I wouldn't buy this one again. I wouldn't take it if it was free! It is perhaps what I would consider a "disposable chalk line".

Save your money!!!!!!!!!!!:
Don't get this chalk reel its junk! I owned two and they both broke in a week! The handle is too weak and snaps off of the plasic gears. Go spend your money on the(old) yellow and black model they seem to last twice as long and cost half of the price! Thanks Carpenter Greg J Wallander

Works Great!:
Has a strong string line. The hook is larger then most and stays hooked were others wouldn't. Lets you adjust the crank if it ends up in the wrong place after reeling in the line. Double speed reeling. Has a lock feature. Works good for me. No problems. Glad I bought it.

Not Good Enough:
Although it looks tough, its not. These thing are so poorly engineered they have to re-engineer them every year or so. Even the latest redesign is poor. I don't know if they are just trying to keep these things cheap or they just suck at their job. Everyone on the jobs im on have these including my guys. everyone on my crew has a different designed one and every one has a different problem with it. Reason everyone keeps these around is because it does reel in fast unlike the old school metal type and its the nicest line available in the usual hardware stores. Besides the poor engineering/materials the line its self is strong but, its really wide it chalks up a fat braided line not quite ideal for precision work like tile. There is hope. There seems to be a new model from Irwin that's twice the price and hopefully twice as nice. Maybe Irwin got their act together on the pricey model.

All eye candy but no guts:
I bought one of these a couple years ago now and am STILL disgusted about wasting ten bucks on it. The case is ridiculously rugged and suggests a lifetime of use, but the axle to which the "all metal handle" is attached is plastic. The first time I dropped it nine feet onto the concrete floor of a garage, that fine plastic axle split completely apart, rendering it totally useless. It lasted me all of a couple weeks. Besides that, the hook has a large hole with very little point to its shape, so it has a hard time centering itself on a nail. There's nothing like driving a nail on your mark, stretching out the line, and then having to walk back to the nail to make sure your chalkline hook is centered on that nail. All in all, Irwin dropped the ball on the two most important features of a chalkline. What in the world were those guys thinking??