Jack stand recommenations?

[buck91]

Yup, still online instead of working on my clutch.

Simple survery question. What jack stands would you recommend for a budget-conscience DIY'er? I own a 2 ton pair of Craftsman and a 3 ton pair of HF; both of which have bee well tested over the past few years. Would like a taller and stronger set to add in as back up and for my truck, any thoughts? Not willing to spend an arm and a leg, but since those appendages do depend on them I would spend a buck or two extra for quality.

Thoughts?

 

[Alex_V]

I have a pair of Craftsman 3 tons I trust to hold up one end of your average car, though I hesitate to put the front end of any full-size sedan up on them if the Evercraft 6 tonners will fit. Those, I feel confident setting anything including ton trucks on.

 

[RooflessVW]

My HF 3 ton set held up my 5,200lb car admirably.

 

[ajchien]

I like my us jack 6ton jack stands.

 

[Kool1]

Generally the more weight the jack stand can support the larger the base is. A large base does limit the area your creeper can access.

 

[Nick1994]

I have 6 ton Harbor Freight jack stands. They're great, I like not having to slide them up much if at all. I even use them when working on the 1970 VW Beetle, a 2,000 pound car so 1,000 pounds on the rear or 500 pounds on the jack stands. I'd say it's within capacity

My brother's Jeep sat on them for over a year too.

 

[xfactor9]

Make your own pedestals. I nailed a bunch of 2x4's together to make a solid cube. It's strong and sturdy. Put one under each tire. The base is larger than any jackstand so there's no way the car can slip off. The only drawback is that you can't do brake work, as the wheels need to be on the car.

If I had to do it again I would make 2 sets per side, each 3-4" high, so I can stack them to vary the height.

Total cost $25 per pair.

 

[demarpaint]

I have and old set of Craftsman and Allied Signal 3 ton stands which are fine. I recently bought the HF 6 ton stands for the extra height. They were well worth the money.

 

[IveBeenRued]

I personally use a set of 6-ton double locking jack-stands from Northern Tool. I like the extra safety pin that they have.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200641758_200641758

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

Stronger? Most jacks are overkill anyway, if anything its stability and saddle shape.

I usually reach for my ESCO flat-top stands... only downside is their minimum height and not as easy to extend/lower as ratchet-type jacks. However on the plus side, their super stable, wide and cushion top to prevent damage on unibody and undercoated surfaces. I always hated the y-type saddles, only good for "framed" vehicles IMHO.

 

[ABursell]

I have some no-name stands I have used for many years, recently picked up a set of Craftsman stands that I really liked as the feet on the base are not just the cut edge but a flat foot welded onto the bottom of the stand. I feel like it will add more stability and less chance of cutting into a non-concrete surface. I think they are were sale for $20 a pair, normally $55 or so.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00950163000P?origin=sears.com&shcapiBypassSSO=true

One thing I noticed when I started looking into them, many that have 4 TON or similar in big bold letters, are actually rated per pair. The descriptions on some are even wrong. Read what it says on the stand itself. On the ones I linked you can even zoom in and see the stand says "Rated capacity per pair (2) 4 Tons" while the description says "can support up to 8,000 pounds of weight a piece." This may not be a big deal, but something to consider or at least know what you are buying.

Adam

 

[mjoekingz28]

Those four ton Sears look top notch. I got mine early-on (around 2011) and the footing is likely different than on newer ones (but same part number I believe).

If you look on the posted link, you see the middle/lower photo has normal feet- the webbing is actually inside a half inch up from the ground IIRC.....while on the new ones (pictured to the left) the webbing is clearly seen at the base of the stand.

 

[MRtv]

I am using HF 3 ton jacks. No problems. Cheap right now too.

 

[Kestas]

For the 44 years I've wrenched on cars, I've never used jack stands. I've always used short sections of log. I always toss another on under the car for good measure.

 

[dlundblad]

I prefer something with pins that is not cast steel.

https://www.amazon.com/Larin-JS-6-Jack-Stand-Capacity/dp/B00062ZEYO


These are nice, but only really work with 4x4's. They also held up a cabbed Kubota Grand L for 2 weeks while her tires were in getting filled with liquid.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Two ton jack stands I purchased from NAPA forty years ago. Very well made and the afixed NAPA Logo and specs are still there for the next owner to see. Hope someone gets them that appreciates good equipment. There is very little quality anywhere anymore.