Putting quality and stuff aside, I would probably go with the Torin's myself because of the lower minimum height. Working on my Mustang can be a pain in the rear at times due to my stands being a little high.
Try the Permatex Gasket Remover Dangler! Its about $5 a can (roughly) at Advanced/Autozone. I was in the exact same boat you are in. I sanded with a wire wheel, sanding disks, sandpaper, I tried everything. I know its sort of off topic but it'll take powder coat off.
Here are some pictures of...
I recently stripped the powder coat off an old nitrous bottle I had laying around. I used Permatex brand gasket remover. An aerosol product that's VERY potent.
I just sprayed it on the bottle in about 8 inch long sections then used a wire brush or a razor blade to peel it off (which was super...