Are Craftsman jack stands better than any other?

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kkreit01

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I've never owned a pair of jack stands -- but need to. There's a local Sear's Grand going out of business. Are Craftsman (made in China) jack stands really any better than Wal-Mart or Harbor Freight "made in China" stands? Currently, items are only 10-20% off. I see the other thread further down -- related to USA jack stands, but prefer not to mail order.

(off topic) They do have some 4 ga jumper cables (made in USA) --which I want. I was surprised they weren't made "elsewhere".
 
As long as they're constructed well they'll be fine. Even the HF ones.

If you can get them cheaper then get them cheaper.
 
My father and I change our oil using some ramps he bought in the early 80's.
Early on he noticed the welds breaking on the supports. So he drilled them out, bolted them and used lock washers and locktite to make sure the bolts didnt back out.
We are still using them.

Sometimes you buy quality and it still needs work, other times you buy junk and it still needs work.

Just observe how well they do and go from there.

And Be Safe!
 
i just bought craftsman 4T jackstands. they're made in china. can't tell you much more except that Ive only used then 3 times without any problems.
 
I'll only be using them about 2x/yr. as a "backup" when rotating tires. I have 2 jacks, but read stories of (cheap) jacks failing. The Craftsman Chinese stands were $40 + 10% off. I could probably get HF, Wal-Mart, or auto parts store models for cheaper.

For oil changes, I only use ramps.
 
Jack stands are not backups - they are primary. Jacks are only for getting the vehicle up so that the stands can be put in place. You could use a jack as a backup for a "feel good" but it doesn't even serve as a backup since it can't be a primary.
 
We've had big, really big things fall off of trucks around here, and when crews came out get the loads back on trucks they wood for blocking. It seems to be commonly used.
 
Originally Posted By: kkreit01
I've never owned a pair of jack stands -- but need to. There's a local Sear's Grand going out of business. Are Craftsman (made in China) jack stands really any better than Wal-Mart or Harbor Freight "made in China" stands? Currently, items are only 10-20% off. I see the other thread further down -- related to USA jack stands, but prefer not to mail order.

(off topic) They do have some 4 ga jumper cables (made in USA) --which I want. I was surprised they weren't made "elsewhere".



dude, a jack stand is one of the simplest devices you can buy... not much room to mess it up. just make sure you go with one rated for more than your car weighs and you'll be fine.
 
Based on the (excellent) reviews of Craftsman stands on their website, I would probably be better off buying theirs vs. HF. My truck weighs slightly over 4500 lbs. I should be fine with the 3 or 4 ton set. I will only use them on one side and a time.
 
Be safe. Use common sense. When in doubt, use a backup system. Paranoia is just fine when it comes to personal safety. Buy the most heavy duty jackstands you can afford, no reason to scrimp on something that could kill you if if fails. Forget about China Freight, they cater to a price point, not a quality point.
 
Actually I have seen stuff at Sears that looks just like the stuff at HF but just with a different name plastered on it. As long as you are well within the rating of the stands I don't see any problem with them.
 
I forget where I bought jack stands about 30 years ago. I am sure they were cheap ones, but did just fine with what I had then. In 1992, I bought a Grand Am GT. Any jack I could get under it, didn't have enough throw to get it high enough to fit my jackstands under it. I had a chain saw and some 5 1/2'' osage orange. I carefully cut a couple 8 1/2'' long pieces. I don't know what the rating is for them, but I can't imagine the Grand Am or the Cavalier I have now crushing one of them.

Neither the Grand Am, nor the Cavalier have needed that much work requiring me to get under it. With the cartridge filter, I don't even need ramps to change the oil on the Cavalier.
 
I have HF jack stands and they are fine. They are as fail safe as any other.

HF is more than enough for a shadetree mechanic. And their jack stands are good for a shop or shade tree mechanic. But most shops use a lift and little need for jack stands.
 
I have a set of wood ones that I've used for many years and yes I is probably the safest as far as not having to worry about them collapsing. I didn't like that if your tires or the wood was a little wet sometimes it was a little hard to get up on them. Also they didn't have the recess for the tire to roll into that would help prevent the car from rolling off. Most metal ramps have too steep a angle on them for the cars of today to clear to get up them.
 
I have worked in a shop where we have used jack stands from snap on, big red brand from northern tool, and craftsman from sears. I have seen no failures from any of them. They are all used daily. I will say the snap on stands are made from better steel therefore they are made light and small with the same weight rating. You can get them in places easier than the others but I don't think they are any safer.
 
Those Snap-On are high $. US Jack (made in USA) are also ratchet type $69/pair for 3-ton & $77/pair for 6-ton. Hein-Werner are about the same price & also made in the US.
 
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