IRWIN Tools Combination Square, Metal-Body, 16-Inch (1794471), Blue

I just got this Irwin square today, and at this price point im very pleased. Nice heavy build quality along with touches like a brass lock nut, brass knobbed scribe that is firmly held in the casting by a friction sleeve and even a brass level plug really add to the build quality and heavy duty feel of the casting which is itself nicely done and doesn't look cheap -- I also have a comparable Stanley and I like this one better, the casting is heavier and thicker at the machined edges like a Starrett and feels like a bit better quality than the Stanley. The Irwins rule is nice and thick, easy to read and made of stainless steel not clear coated metal that will peel and rust as my Stanley has, but I have no use for the mm scale on the Irwin, I think they should make either one or the other and not force metric on you if you don't need it -- I don't know a single carpenter at least here in the US that works with mm. The casting borders are nice and thick on the machined sides, giving the look of maybe a Starrett or similar - However a Starrett is around $100+ and the casting on it is iron, which isn't as soft as the Irwins aluminum or zinc whatever it is - but the Irwins cost is MUCH lower and Starrett quality is legendary & in a different class - but you pay dearly for it and most of us cant afford that kind of luxury for it to be lost or stolen on a job sight. I checked my example for squareness soon as I got it as I saw a reviewer who said his was not, fortunately mine is right on so buyers should always check, indeed any tool that involves accuracy should be checked and verified. I did spend some time gently cleaning up the casting and rules corners and edges with a stone, lightly oiled the threads and moving parts and now it slides much smoother than when I first got it - it wasn't bad mind you just needed a bit of "optimizing" to make it good as it could be - Im very pleased and also glad I bought the 12" version as well elsewhere, what ive said in this review also applies to the 12" version and im very pleased with both examples. Empire makes one of similar quality and a stated accuracy within .002 of an inch and price is comparable but the Irwin wins out with a bit more brass bling, for example the level plug is plastic on the empire and brass on the Irwin, and the blue Irwin casting is an eye catcher if that's of any value. Oddly the Irwin makes no specific claims regarding accuracy on their packaging, but they should as it seems to exude enough quality to back it, at least my example does. Im even tempted to purchase the 16" version as these are such a good value. If I had any criticisms, it would be to be careful about dinging the softer aluminum casting on the machined corners,as this would cause out of square measurements, but it is a precision measuring tool and should be treated as such, but thats not always reality on a job site, and no square in this price range im aware of has an iron casting so im not saying the Irwin is at fault since all castings in this price ranges are made of similar material just stating fact, aluminum would be easier to ding than iron, but price is related to material cost so I still say for the price this square is a bargain and I don't see how you could find one any better for the price. Final word, there are many very good reviews for this square and that speaks for itself, you cant go wrong for the money its a really nice tool.

I've 'made do' with a variety of subpar measuring devices for many years, but decided to get something decent and durable. This combination square was impressive right out of the box - if nothing else, but for the weight of the instrument - and it's all (thick) stainless steel construction. Great instrumentation for determining 90 and 45 degree angles - and great built-in bubble level. Also very clear and precise measurement delineations, both in inches and metric. Suspect this combination square will be my new best (woodworking) friend for a good long while.

This is my best 6" combo square. The slide is very flat and very easy to read, so long as you want to use imperial. The brass nut has a nice and sharp knurling and feels great. Cons: The rule was uniform in width end-to-end, but it had just a wee bit of a banana such that the straight edge is not actually straight and the angle of the rule would change when you move it. Also, the reference faces of the body are hollowground, and only 4 tiny points make contact with the work. Well, only 2 of those four would make contact when doing one of the most common things you would use these for. And when measuring an outside corner, it would obviously read slightly acute, due to the slight hollowgrind. But it looks like many if not all of these cheap combo squares are made this way. All that said, I wouldn't go adjusting the square like you see on YT until you sort these two points out. There's no way to get repeatable results to even know it's off, out of the box. And it will change, anyway, if and when you decide to fix these two things. Gritty movement: I found the ruler movement was very catchy and rough, despite deburring. I finally figured out the reason. The hook barely engages the slot, so the hook rubs against a very tiny bit of steel on the corner of the slot in the ruler. I was able to jam a shim behind the draw bolt so that it would engage more fully. This cured it. Metric: Some squares, you can flip the slide for metric. This slide works in inches in one direction. And if you flip the slide, you can read in inches on the left and metric when you flip the square to look at the other side. This is how I use it, and it is great, unless you are hardcore metric.

These are well built and quite substantial. However they were not square. Looked up how to square them (it’s not difficult). Otherwise they would have received five stars. If you want a good combination square at a good price, these are the ones, they just may need some adjustment. Otherwise happy with them

Would buy agin

This is the device most people don’t even know about because they don’t know about devices, but this device does work and I like it and I use it a lot

I love this little square. My old one served me well for years, but too many drops finally did it in. This one is straight and easy to read. It is accurate and seems sturdy and well made. I’m hoping it lasts for 20 years like the last one.

Great buy 16’ combination square was dead on square! Got it out and planned on having to tune it to square, did the pencil line test and it was perfect! Who needs woodpecker or starrette when you can get one of these for a fraction of the price.

Me gustó este modelo de Irwin y aunque quizá podría ser más precisa, hace muy bien su trabajo. Esta punta que tienen todas las escuadras de combinación, la que se usa para el marcado, se me hace muy difícil de usar ya que es demasiado delgada y pequeña. Creo que se podría cambiar el diseño de esa pieza por algo un poco más robusto para que resultara útil y práctico llevarlo pegado a la herramienta. Sin embargo es un detalle que se agradece. :)) No vi si en las fotos de la publicación se ve la graduación de la escuadra, y bueno, el caso es que la que recibí tiene por un lado el sistema inglés, las pulgadas, y por el otro tiene ambos, pulgadas y centímetros.

Good

Well built and sturdy

A good solid stock with zero flex and the ruler locks in nice and true. This combination square is definitely one of the better ones available currently, it’s not LaSquare good, but it’s good enough.

Absolutely love this tool. I also own the 12 inch version and it's equally as good. Accuracy is obviously important with any type of square and I'm very pleased to say this is a winner. It's perfectly square and with only a six inch blade it helps up that anti. Feels solid and well built with quality components compared to anything else out there on the market. Chamfered edges make for a comfortable base but I did use some 600 grit to knock off some of the inside edges around the entire tool. The vial works like a charm and is easy to see and read. Brass knurled nut and pin are a touch of old school class. The blades edges have been slightly rolled which is good for comfort and at first the edges seemed off because of it. Like the corners were rounded but after very close inspection it was just an illusion really. They rolled the very top edge of the corners which make appear not to be a perfect 90 degree angle. Some have said it not square like it is in the picture which may be true but If I received it with sharp edges I would have taken them down anyhow. Now if you flip the blade over it's perfectly square edges. The reason is simple. The press punched out the blade on the side that doesn't look square. This is because it slightly compressed the edges when stamped. This an appearance thing only and does not affect the accuracy when marking. The edge in which you would run a marking knife or pencil mark rides on the flat center and not the ridge so nothing to worry about. All in all this is a wonderful tool I will take good care of as with all my tools no matter the cost.