I love my 1/4 foot... Before I got it though, I had a magnetic tape to put onto face plate... but of course masking tape works just as well.
As far as getting your tape off, have you tried fingernail polish remover? It works for lots of things.
Masking tape is a better choice for many purposes since it doesn't damage the surface it is on. For example, it's great for putting up party decorations without peeling off the wall paint when removed. I've used it on my fabric for straight lines instead of penciling like when quilting diagonally across the squares.