3 Best Jack Stands 2021 – Top models rated and compared
Finding the best jack stands on the market is crucial to your safety. Every year thousands of people visit the emergency room due to their jack stands failing, if that isn’t a good reason to make sure you have a good jack stand, then what is?
When you go looking for jack stands you need to keep a few points in mind, as the weight capacity of the set for starters. And you need to check what the range of height is that they can adjust to. Also, check the width of the base for how much space you have (take space constrictions into account).
You also need to think about which type of adjusting mechanism you prefer your jack stands to have. Ratcheting stands in general are the easiest to use, but stands that use pinholes are actually the safest.
Keep in mind what the weight of your vehicle is, most of the time a 3 ton rated pair is more than enough for any car you might own. Spending the additional money on a 6-ton pair of jack stands may well be a waste of money unless you specifically need a heavy-duty pair.
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Like with anything you buy, you need to think about the quality and durability of said product. Think about the materials that the jack stands are made from.
For example, the base is often made from aluminum which is fine, but the pins of the ratcheting mechanism should be heavy duty so they don’t wear out and break causing injury.
3 Best Jack Stands – Reviewed and Rated
Table of Contents
Our goal is to provide you with the reviews you need to get good value for your money. Read through the reviews, and if you’re still unsure about which one to buy also read through the buying guide at the bottom for more details.
Torin Big Red Aluminum Jack Stands
These jack stands are fairly lightweight (weighing about 4.6 lbs each) which gives you the ability to easily maneuver them around in tight spaces. They’re light because the frame is made from aluminum, which has the added benefit of being resistant to rust. This is a major pro because if your jack stands were to become rusty they get difficult and even unsafe to use.
As we mentioned before the pin-through design is the safest style and is more dependable than the ratchet design, fortunately, these jack stands do come with the pin-through style design so they remove the chance of the jacks slipping and causing injury.
Additionally, the saddle is designed in a way where it is large enough to easily and securely fit the frame of the car.
The t43004 jack stands are designed like a piston-operated hydraulic jack with a large aluminum base. One key benefit of this design choice is that the weight is more evenly distributed on your garage floor compared to the traditional design which has a greater likelihood of damaging your garage floor.
Because the base is made from aluminum it is resistant to rust.
The height these stands lift to ranges from 10.75 inches to 15 5/8 inches, because of the wide range these jack stands can be the perfect option for a car with low amounts of clearance.
A drawback these jack stands have is that the height is rather limited. So if you need stands capable of holding up a truck, or another large vehicle, then you may need to consider getting some with a higher range like the ESCO stands listed below.
ESCO 10498 Jack Stand
The 10498 jack stand is another great option. It has a three-ton capacity and is heavy-duty in design. The top of the stand is flat and has a rubber cushion to decrease the risk of scratching the paint on your car. The design of this jack stand means that it is ideal for your vehicle when it doesn’t have an obvious jacking point to use.
It has a powder-coated base with circular pads that provides a great level of stability making the 10498 ESCO stands some of the safest out there.
This stand is one of the tallest available on the market. Each one is able to extend from 13.2 inches to 21.5 which means it is perfect not only for cars but trucks also (and other taller vehicles). ESCO, unfortunately, sells these jacks stands individually, so if you need a pair of them make sure to order a couple.
These aren’t the cheapest jack stands on the market, but they’re surely some of the best.
There are actually a few slightly different versions of this jack stand, so be sure to check that you order the right version.
Some consumers have accidentally wound up with a shorter version than they intended on having. Some consumers have complained about small manufacturing defects like poorly drilled holes, however, these complaints are not common at all.
Hein-Werner HW93503 Blue/Yellow Jack Stand
The Hein-Werner jack stands are heavy duty and high quality, plus they have a high capacity of 3 tons per pair. With a capacity of 3 tons, they are medium weight, but certainly sturdy enough for at-home applications. The bottom of the stand has triangle reinforcements for better stability on various surfaces.
The HW93503 Jack stands to have very wide bases at 7.5 by 9 inches so they’re ultra sturdy and stable – on the downside, this means they may have trouble fitting into confined spaces.
The adjustable ratcheting design is also great and gives you a range between 12 inches and 19 inches which beats most of the others on this list by at least a few inches.
Overall, while these jack stands are a little on the expensive side anyone who has bought these stands will tell you it is well worth the price.
Factors to consider before buying a pair of jack stands
Tonnage
Tonnage is the weight a pair of jack stands can safely support. So a 3-ton jack stand can support 3 tons across the full range of height settings. So basically the tonnage you need depends on how much your vehicle weighs. To find that out you can look online, or check the owner’s manual.
In general, it’s a good idea to have jack stands that can support at least 25% more weight than you will actually be using them for.
Base Area
A larger base area means that the jack stand will be more stable. That being said this feature does come with some trade-offs that you need to consider before you buy. A larger base area also makes the jack stand more difficult to pick up and shift. Ideally, you should go for a balance between base size and accessibility.
Stability
One common complaint that is voiced regarding jack stands is that they can have a tendency to wobble. This is an issue that can easily be fixed with a little grinding, but obviously, the better approach is to buy a high-quality stand in the first place so you don’t have to fix it.
Materials
Aluminum is the most common material used to make the base of jack stands. Aluminum is ideal because it is resistant to rust and corrosion. With a “pin through-hole” jack stands the adjustment arm is most commonly made of heavy-duty steel for maximum strength.
The Very Best Jack Stands – Conclusion
Overall the Torin big red aluminum jack stands are our number one top picks. They are our favorite jack stands because they have a number of great features and are known to be high quality.
They are also priced very affordably compared to some of the other options out there. Hopefully, you have enjoyed this guide and found it useful in your quest to get the best jack stand for your money.
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