Jack Stand Recommendations?

[HomeTheaterMan]

I need another set of jack stands so I bought a set of the 6 ton Strongway (same as Torin) jackstands from Northern Tool. The double locking feature really seemed nice. I grew up using the pin style stands and ever since switching to the ratchet style I've felt uneasy under a car with them. Seeing failures posted online combined with having a relative killed from a car falling on him don't help. I thought this was going to be a perfect solution until I got the stands. The welds look really sloppy on these stands. Going up the seam the bead is wavy and parts of it don't even touch where the stand joins together. I'll have to take a picture tomorrow for you guys. These have me really skeptical of if I should even use them. I'm thinking I may need a better set of stands, but I can't find any others with the double locking feature. It seems like it's either the pin style or the ratchet style and no one else has both. What stands do you guys recommend? A search showed a lot of HF recommendations along with a few failures of their stands. I just can't bring myself to trust anything from their enough to hold a car up while I'm under there so that's not really an option for me. Any suggestions on a good quality stand?

 

[blackwire]

This thread might help

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=170426

 

[drtyler]

JackPoint jack stands are solid. As they are cast alloy, they are not adjustable.

 

[paulsomlo]

http://www.amazon.com/ESCO-10498-Jack-Stand-Capacity/dp/B0019JVIPM

 

[QwikKotaTx]

I believe these are made in the USA but hard to verify these days as manufacturers change where things are made, ridiculous.

http://www.amazon.com/Hein-Werner-HW93506-Yellow-Stands-Capacity/dp/B0011O2RYQ

I looked at the welds on my Torins and they look decent and I like the extra pin for safety.

 

[gdocktor3]

I am a HF hater when it comes to mechanical or electrical items, but I bought a set of their 6 ton jack stands on sale a few years ago and I can honestly say they're really good. I can understand if you want something better, but they do the trick. I had my full size ext cab f250 diesel completely supported from the trailer hitch by each one just as a test before I trusted them with my life and they worked perfectly. I also had the front half of the truck supported by both of them for almost 2 days while I did motor mounts and radiator supports.

 

[TheGrooveking]

In the last few years I started double jack stands, I have multiple sets of US made (bought in the 80's) and multiple sets of Harbor Freight and will report that their 12 ton stands are very solid. I use them for my superduty crew cab long 4x4 and love the room under it when its axles are up on those stands. Being a pretty large guy I'll take as much room as possible.

So if you go the Harbor Freight route, buy twice and then you will be safer.

TheGrooveking

 

[kctyphoon]

I have some HF 6 ton jackstands as well. I had the front of my 95 f350 diesel dually up in the air for a few months using them and I have nothing bad to say about them.. It all depends what you wanna spend. It's like anything else - the cheap one will work just fine, but there are others available if you just want to buy "piece of mind".

 

[gdocktor3]

In the last few years I started double jack stands, I have multiple sets of US made (bought in the 80's) and multiple sets of Harbor Freight and will report that their 12 ton stands are very solid. I use them for my superduty crew cab long 4x4 and love the room under it when its axles are up on those stands. Being a pretty large guy I'll take as much room as possible.

So if you go the Harbor Freight route, buy twice and then you will be safer.

TheGrooveking

I am a HF hater when it comes to mechanical or electrical items, but I bought a set of their 6 ton jack stands on sale a few years ago and I can honestly say they're really good. I can understand if you want something better, but they do the trick. I had my full size ext cab f250 diesel completely supported from the trailer hitch by each one just as a test before I trusted them with my life and they worked perfectly. I also had the front half of the truck supported by both of them for almost 2 days while I did motor mounts and radiator supports.

I have some HF 6 ton jackstands as well. I had the front of my 95 f350 diesel dually up in the air for a few months using them and I have nothing bad to say about them.. It all depends what you wanna spend. It's like anything else - the cheap one will work just fine, but there are others available if you just want to buy "piece of mind".

This is kind of looking bad for us Ford guys....

 

[firworks]

I use the HF 6 ton jack stands for my Jetta. I've had no worries about their strength. My only issue is getting the car high enough to even put on the stands! I like them though.

 

[crab]

I'm like you about stands. I think I will weld up some non adjustable stands that I know wont fail, be a lot cheaper also.

 

[Qualitytools]

http://www.amazon.com/ESCO-10498-Jack-Stand-Capacity/dp/B0019JVIPM

+1 for the ESCO stands, they come with the round rubber pad or the metal, I prefer the round rubber pad less slippage and they are SOLID. The original design is from AC Hydraulic, I own the jack but I own 2 sets of the ESCO, you will not go wrong and several places sell them besides Amazon.
Let us know what you get!

 

[kgorman]

http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/shopcart/TOOL/POR_TOOL_ACHyd1_pg8.htm

Yes, ESCO

 

[white_335i]

I have 4 of the ESCO stands and love them. I read somewhere about somebody complaining about the locking pins. Love to hear your thoughts on that..

 

[bry@n]

I have Hein Werner jack stands. For the few extra bucks, I'd rather buy peace of mind.

 

[90zcar]

I have a set of the heavy duty jack stands from harbor freight......I'm alive typing this response so I guess that means they are pretty good!

The woman at the register when I bought them asked me if I wanted the extended warranty on the jack stands. I said "no that's pointless".....she asked why I say that...I said "if these things ever fail....I won't be around the return them"!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[paulsomlo]

The ESCO stands are on sale at Tooltopia: http://www.tooltopia.com/esco-10498.aspx
$54.99 and free shipping.

The only thing that you might find objectionable, is that the minimum height on these is 13", which can be alot, if you're just changing tires. I believe that they make another model with a lesser minimum height.

 

[JAKE-THE-TOOL-MAN]

I love my Hein Werner stands

 

[anndel]

Hein Werners +infinity

 

[winlinmac]

For any jackstands, visual inspection is recommended before using. That's what "every" manual states

 

[2xTime]

New to posting here, but I've been a reader for a while. Good stuff.

I posted this question earlier today in the Hot Buys section after a search on Craftsman 4 ton jack stands, but I probably should have posted it here since it was related to the actual tool.

Regarding the 4 ton Craftsman jack stands that Sears currently sells, does anyone know what the inner width of the saddles is? I'm trying to figure out how large a frame member will fit. I know 6 tons are wider, but I like the smaller size of the 4 tons. The 4 tons look wider than most 3 tons in pics, but it's hard to tell.