7 Perfect Jack Stand – Great Addition to DIY Mechanic’s Toolkit (2022)

Are you looking for a pair of 3-ton jack stands that are light and easy to transport?

With a weight capacity of 3 tons for each pair of stands, Torin’s Big Red Aluminum Jack Stands can hold up most cars and light trucks. They accomplish this while weighing less and taking less space than their heavier steel counterparts that are also made by Torin.

This makes these stands more convenient if you need to transport them often. They feature a cotter pin locking mechanism to set the lift height, which is safer than other mechanisms like ratcheting stands. The trade-off for this increase in safety is fewer lift height positions that can be selected.

Conclusion

Torin’s aluminum Big Red Jack Stands are lighter and more portable than their steel versions. You do lose some tensile strength by switching to aluminum, but the upside is a lighter more compact product.

We’d recommend these stands if you need to take them with you to remote work sites and don’t need to lift anything heavier than a light truck.

What makes it stand out?

• Lightweight aluminum construction makes these stands easy to move from place to place
• The locking pin is safer than other mechanisms used to fix the stands in place at a desired height
• Rated to lift up to 3 tons, which is enough to support most cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks

Which disadvantages must you keep in mind?

• Aluminum is lighter than steel, but not quite as strong

Need an inexpensive set of jack stands to lift your car?

Then Torin’s Big Red Steel Jack Stands could be a good choice. They have the weight rating to handle any car, SUV, or truck under 3 tons. The cradle design on this model is also a selling point, being large enough to allow good contact with many different models of vehicle.

The lift height on these stands is not outstanding, but it’s plenty of room to hold up the front end of your car while you change the oil. They are not hefty and can be transported from one place to the next with relative ease.

Conclusion

Torin’s Big Red Steel Jack Stands are a great choice if you want to hold up a 2-ton car or SUV. They have plenty of weight capacity to handle that kind of load without overstraining them.

You may want to get heavier stands for trucks that are over 3 tons, though. These aren’t the ones that you want to test with loads close to their limit.

What stands out?

• Each pair of the stands has a capacity of 3 tons, handling both cars and light trucks
• Lightweight, sturdy construction is dependable when under a load
• The large saddle allows maximum contact with the lifting spots under a vehicle

What cons did we manage to find?

• You’ll want to go up to a higher weight capacity if you have a heavy truck

Looking for a jack that can double as a jack stand once you’ve got your vehicle in the air?

Powerbuilt’s 640912 All-In-One is an innovative bottle jack that doubles as a jack stand once you’ve got the load jacked to the height you desire.

At that point, you can install a locking bar to seat the jack in place at that height and use it as a stand. This makes it a safer option for changing tires or working with only one wheel off the ground at a time.

Traditional floor jacks and bottle jacks are less safe because the chance that they may fail is higher than a jack stand. Still, you’ll need a pair of stands to safely get under a vehicle.

Conclusion

This is a great addition to any DIY mechanic’s toolkit, especially as an emergency jack for changing tires or working on vehicle brakes one wheel at a time. For jobs that require you to get under a vehicle, though, you’ll still need a pair of jack stands to stay safe.

The Powerbuilt All-in-One certainly will make a good back up jack, but it won’t be able to hold up one side of a vehicle by itself.

What do we love it for?

• Functions like a bottle jack to get your vehicle off the ground
• Locking bar fixes the jack at the desired height once it’s reached, turning it into a jack stand
• Can lift and support any vehicle under 3 tons in weight, which includes most SUVs and light trucks

What were we disappointed with?

• You’ll still need to use a pair of stands to stay safe when you plan to get under a vehicle

Got a heavy truck to jack up that weighs over 4 tons?

Torin’s Big Red Steel Double-Locking Jack Stands can handle heavy loads like a 6×6 6-ton truck. It has a lift height of over 23 inches to handle making contact with the support points of trucks with extra ground clearance. The wide base on the stands also protects against slippage and adds additional stability to the load.

With a weight capacity of 6 tons for each pair of these stands, four of them can lift a semi-truck that weighs under 12 tons, or you can simply enjoy the peace of mind you get from using jack stands that are rated to carry more weight than you use them for.

Conclusion

These heavy duty 6-ton devices are the answer to supporting heavy trucks, especially when you need the extra lift height to get them off the ground. A set of four of these stands can handle 12 tons, more than enough for most repair and maintenance work on large trucks and machinery.

What makes it stand out?

• Extended lift height can reach nearly 2 feet for trucks with extra ground clearance
• Weight capacity rated at 6 tons for each pair of stands
• Wide cradle affords plenty of surface area to make contact with the lift spots on a vehicle

Which disadvantages must you keep in mind?

• These jack stands are designed with large trucks like military 6x6s in mind

Looking for a set of jack stands that can handle plenty more than you need?

Safety is foremost in the mind of many DIY mechanics when they need to get under their vehicles. One way to stay safe is to practice overkill with the stands they use to hold their vehicle off the ground.

With a weight capacity of 6 tons, a pair of Performance Tool’s W41023 can certainly ease your mind whenever you work on a car or truck.

With a lift height up to 23 inches, this model can handle lifted trucks as well as smaller cars. These are heavier compared to others in their category, so you may not want to transport them from place to place.

Conclusion

Performance Tool’s W41023 jack stands can hold up any passenger vehicle you might need to work underneath. A set of four of these stands can handle larger loads like large trucks or construction equipment.

If you want stands that aren’t going to be overloaded by anything you’re likely to work on in your garage, these certainly fit the bill.

What makes it special?

• 6 ton weight capacity ensures that these jack stands won’t be overloaded by a car, SUV, or pickup truck you need to work on
• Can reach a lift height of nearly 2 feet for trucks with extra ground clearance
• The broad base on these heavy duty stands ensures they stay stable under a load

What cons did we find?

• You may want to consider lighter stands if you need to take them with you to remote work sites.

Do you have a vehicle that lacks good support points for placing jack stands under it?

ESCO’s 10498 Jack Stands can be a good solution for that kind of situation because of their thick rubber pad that can accommodate irregular support points without damaging them. With a weight capacity of 3 tons, a pair of these will be sturdy underneath most passenger cars and trucks.

They use cotter pins to lock into position, which is an added plus if you’re concerned about safety. These are lightweight jack stands that won’t be a chore to move.

Conclusion

ESCO’s 10498 is a good jack stand with a couple solid features. The thick rubber jack pad is great for cars and trucks that lack flat or solid support points. It can keep good contact with an irregular surface without damaging it.

It’s got enough weight capacity to lift most cars and pickup trucks and the lift height to hold up trucks that sit high off the ground. The cotter pin locking design is also a great way to hold a jack stand in place without the worry that it could slip or get dislodged.

Why is it special?

• Rubber jack pad makes lifting easier for unibody vehicles that lack good support points
• Cotter pin locking design adds to the safety of the design
• A weight capacity of 3 tons is enough to lift most passenger cars and trucks

What are the flaws?

• A higher weight capacity rating might make some home mechanics feel more secure

Looking to get outfitted with a handy pair of jack stands, a floor jack, and a creeper?

Performance Tool’s W85030 Garage Starter Set is a good deal with a DIY mechanic looking for a full kit for working under their car to change its motor oil or change its tires. Both the floor jack and the ratcheting-style stands are rating to lift up to 2 tons, which is enough for most cars on the market. You also get a creeper to get under a vehicle without laying directly on the floor.

Conclusion

If you outfitting your garage for the first time and need to a full kit of tools for working under a car under 2 tons in weight, this starter set could be the one you’re looking for. If you have larger vehicles over 2 tons, you’ll need to find a floor jack and jack stands with more capacity than these.

Why is it special?

• Great starter kit if you need to get a floor jack and creeper
• Ratcheting-style stands make setting and locking in the lift height more convenient
• Weight rating of 2 tons is enough to support most cars

What are the flaws?

• If you have a large SUV or pickup truck that’s over 2 tons in weight, you’ll need stands with a higher weight capacity