Here’s the list of products reviewed. More details in the video description. Thank you! Larin: amzn.to/45clvCb Big Red: amzn.to/48Cg8PC Arcan: amzn.to/3RLFwNb US Jack: amzn.to/3ZJbCLq Esco: amzn.to/46xTVjW Sunex: amzn.to/48yTw2u TCE: amzn.to/3PXeDmX Hein Werner: amzn.to/3ZJbMm0 ZSP: amzn.to/3EZ6cST Daytona: Harbor Freight Husky: Home Depot
Some jack stands claim to meet ASME-PASE standards, but very few are compliant with them. I believe US Jack stands are ASME-PASE compliant and USA-made.
Always leave the jack in place after the jack stands are set and place the wheel that you take off under the frame as well to give you some extra protection.
Nice review. I built some jack stands in my high school metal shop. The instructor would not allow them to go out until he inspected them and tested them in a big press; they had to hold 6,000 lbs each. I have been using them ever since, about 48 years now! Thanks Todd.
Just as a point of conversation... US Jack tests every single stand they make up to its load. If it goes in the box, it has been in a press and tested.
Our aircraft jacks in the USAF are mostly Tripod types, due to the possibility or uneven ground (Concrete), a four leg stand would always rock. One thing I immediately noticed when you were testing the side to side tests, and the three legged stands, we are required to place our stands with two of the legs along the center-line of the load (aircraft fuselage) and the single leg Perpendicular outward. That arrangement has two main reasons, maximizing the footprint stability, side to side, and keep the inside legs from intruding under the airframe, where we might have need of access for maintenance.
I learned a valuable lesson for almost getting my legs crushed changing the tire on an F-150. I was balancing the tire on my knees with my legs straight out trying to line the holes on the wheel with the lug nuts. I started hearing a creaking sound and quickly moved myself out the way. As soon and I did the jack folded like a piece of paper and the truck fell down. Now I always always use jack stands and still get nervous about it. Great video.
Yeah its no joke man, I always use jack stands and still use a a jack under the axle incase it lets go. Or even better I stick a wheel/tire under the tires if I am changing the exhaust or the oil
I was doing that once up in the hills once with a jack that was on soft soil and not perfectly flat soft soil and to boot. I had my legs under there focusing on the job when it dawned on me how stupid what I was doing was. I pulled my legs out a little but the tires were so big I needed to use my legs to get it lined up. I did slide the wheel/flat tire under the axle but even that was nerve wracking and dangerous operation that was even worse than having my legs underneath of it (I guess - haha - I suppose maybe better because it would be quicker) There really wasn't anything else to do other than walk 30 miles back to town.
One of my sister's best friends lost her father to a jackstand accident when she was a kid. Traumatizing all around. My friends and I had a Honda slip off a jack in a garage once, and the only reason none of us were killed is that the tool chest caught the brunt of it. I'm still terrified of being under a suspended vehicle, even on a lift. Thanks for doing these tests - they were honestly kind of hard to watch, because my brain was screaming at me to run away the whole time. Bottom line: this video is going to save lives.
I had a scare once and now idc if I'm only changing a tire I keep my jack, jack stands and a block of wood. Gotta have those redundant systems in place. You never know what might fail.
It’s an uneasy feeling for sure. Once I have the weight fully on the stands, I put my jack under the area closest to where I’m working and raise it to within a millimeter of the frame. I figure it’s good insurance in case a stand fails.
Whenever I'm under the car on jack stands, I build a stack of spare tires under it, to catch it if it falls. Two tires (or rather, two rims) are higher than I am and should keep me safe from being crushed. I own those folding jacks btw 🥲
If you are working under a vehicle using jackstands on a job that requires removing the wheels, always place the wheels under the vehicle in such a way that if the stands fail, the wheels stop the vehicle from coming all the way down. You can find another rim easier than another limb.
Todd, about 25 years ago I was apprenticing for my A & P, the guy I was working under was a younger guy in his 30s, considered top of his field & was just promoted head of maintenance for Comair (remember them?) at our location. He went home, crawled under his old truck to replace a starter or something very elementary & never returned. The truck slipped off the stand & killed him. He was found a couple of days later when his girlfriend finally decided to go do a welfare check. Your opening comments really hit home. RIP Andy. Stay safe out there guys, gravity & Sir Isaac Newton are both unforgiving, mean sumbitches that will take lives at the drop of a hat....
a few yrs ago a mechanic was changing my clutch, he had it up on jack stands as all the other lifts in the shop was occupied, the jack stands failed and fell right on top of him pinning him to the ground and unable to move when the other mechanics was what had happen they all stopped what they was doing and ran out and we all lifted the car off him.. he lived and the ONLY thing that saved his life is the tire that one of the other mechanics placed under the car (just moments before we was joking about it).... from that day i ALWAYS keep a few tires in my garage for this exact reason, jack stands can fail and when it does it can be fatal...
There have been so many times that I have been in the market for something, and this guy makes an amazing review of several options. These tests are so thorough and well thought out. Thanks!
Definitely my first stop prior to making any decisions on tools and yard equipment. I've been watching his channel for years. Although there have been a couple of videos that I have disagreed with based on my educational and real world knowledge. He still does an amazing job creating the test and providing the results in a way that most people can understand.
Excellent video. The side to side failure is why I never extend jack stands past their 50% mark and also use a floor jack on a jacking point as backup whenever possible. I'd rather have less working space, but a more secure setup.
I have a pair of 3-ton and a pair of 6-ton. The 3-ton is shorter than the 6-ton at minimum height. Depends on which car (Kia Soul, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Ford Excursion) I work on I always select the pair that I can use the minimum height to hold up the car so I don't have to raise the center column or may be just one or two clicks. I also keep the floor jack in place as added safety.
If you do some major works you can also support the wheels or wishbones with some stacks of wood or bricks. In a stable manner of course. Just as an additonal safety measure and a bit of a more stable setup.
About 30 years ago, my cousin had his dad's car up on two jackstands in the driveway. While it was raised, he got underneath to work on something. Anyway, the car slipped backwards off the stands on the slight slope and came down on him, pinning him against the concrete. Despite the pressure on his chest, he was able to yell for help and fortunately his dad heard him and raised the vehicle so he could get out. He went to the hospital but luckily other than lots of bad bruising, scratches and soreness, he didn't break anything or suffer internal injuries. My cousin later became a fireman to help other people in need.
It's absolutely insane to me that ZSP can even sell a jackstand this dangerous. You don't need to be a mechanic to take one look at the ZSP and know it's a widowmaker.
@@Marco-qe5zw Most of the top stands in this test are made in China. Doesn't automatically make a product bad, the US has pumped cheap shit out for years.
I agree that the direct downward pressure is a pretty unlikely failure scenario, most of those jack stands could support the entire weight of farmabago on one stand. Side to side failure is a much more realistic scenario and frankly I didn't see more than a 10% difference in all of the jacks except for the 3 legged ones as I recall. In other words most of those jack stand were pretty good. Keep the good stuff coming.
Agreed!! And in this case, no reason to waste close to $300 on a heavy duty (price wise) Jack...just go get your Husky or Harbor Freight and your good to go - being careful to get them set up correctly!
My observation here is most common jackstands in this weight category are good for way more than the mfgr states. The flip side is most accidents are NOT the jackstand failing due to weight rating issues. Your tests of lateral stability and sinking into blacktop prove the point well!
Thank you for all you've shown us, I've definitely made some of my purchases based on your videos. I think it would be really interesting to see different types of shop airline setups. I've seen people use black pipe, pex, copper, airline kits like Rapidair, and I've even heard of some crazies using pvc. It would be fun to see how easily each method is to install, what the price difference would be for a small shop or garage, how durable each option is to bumps, abrasions and other minor shop mishaps, and most importantly, the psi each method can handle. I think that video could be incredibly helpful for those of us setting up a shop for the first time. Thanks again for all you do for us viewers!
I am a full-time RV'r and we go through RV water filters like crazy. There are a lot of claims out there which one is the best...whether it be Camco, RV guard, Clear O2, Tastepure, Spiropure, Aquaquest, on and on it goes... I would personally love your help on this issue as I'm sure many other campers would as well. I appreciate you, your time, your integrity, your Channel and all you do. Thank you so much for your consideration.
I know of a guy that had a car fall on him. It knocked the breath out of him and due to the weight, he couldn't draw a breath back in. Unfortunately, his son found him dead several hours later. Great video Todd! As always. I like the built on Monday morning and Friday before quitting time comments. 😄
@@ProjectFarm It's actually funny, that in Finnish language "maanantaikappale" or "monday piece" means a product of unusually low quality, as if it was built on monday before fully recovering from the weekend. Might have something to do with Finnish drinking culture...
Great test ! I had a friend crushed to death under an RV, many years ago. I ALWAYS take the time to back up the jack stands with some huge wooden blocks I have, If the jack stands ever fail, i'll have some shorts to throw away, but the wooden blocks will stop me from being killed. Also, your viewers should be aware that welds might look "good", but penetration is key to a strong weld.
Yes, I also worry about how to tell if the welds penetrated correctly. The welds are ugly because they didn’t grind them off and make them all pretty, but the pretty looking welds might also be shallow so I don’t really know how to tell a good strong weld under paint.
I built a pair of wooden cradles to support my truck if I don't need to have the wheels off. I'm fine with using jackstands when they're needed, but some big solid pieces of wood that the truck can't fall off of give me peace of mind. Totally agree that big solid pieces of wood are a great backup plan for the stands too!
I don't always listen and watch Todd do reviews. But when I do, my neighbors do too. Loud and proud. Well done, good sir. I sure do appreciate you and all the hard work you do to get these videos to us. I always trust and know you go to great lengths to do fair reviews and honest, fact-based, data to back it up. 😊
25 years ago, my buddy / neighbor had his nova up on cinder block and stands for months as he replaced his engine, transmission and exhaust. He was under it one day trying to get the headers installed, prying with a bar when the car shifted forward, the cinder blocks tipped and cracked and the car came down with the transmission bellhousing crushing his hip and pinning him. My brother in law was outside when it happened and people started screaming, I ran out to see what was going on and saw his feet sticking out from the front of the car while my bother I law was trying to reach in. I ran over looking for the hydraulic jack and my brother in law yelled at me to grab his feet while he grabbed the front bumper and deadlifted the car up about eight inches while I dragged him out by his feet. My brother in law never lifted, wasn't a gym rat and quite honestly was in pretty terrible shape, yet he lifted a 75 nova with a V8 and auto trans enough by himself. My neighbor survived, spent a month in the hospital and another month in rehab, shattered hip, fractured femur, torn knee ligaments, broken wrist and broken arm, broken clavicle and some internal bleeding, he was fortunately young and able to heal. Always use quality jack stands and back those up with an actual jack if you can.
It is amazing what an adrenaline rush enables people to do... many examples of people performing superman strength feats during moments of crisis/panic.
Have been sitting watching my cursor blinking for a few minutes now, not knowing what to say, but wanting to say something in response to your testimony. I'm still speechless, but very glad your friend survived and recovered, despite such serious injuries. Lifting that kind of weight is far beyond possible- in normal circumstances. Your brother in law did a truly heroic thing, and your quick thinking was enough to save the poor guy under his car, AND your brother in law's back, before it gave out! This video has been one of Project Farm's most important to date, and experiences like yours, shared here, are invaluable. Thank you 🙏
@@robair67 it happened a long time ago, but it's a lesson I've never forgot, I always use quality jackstands, I leave a hydraulic food jack under the frame and will also often put a wheel under the frame to limit how far it could fall. My brother in law drove a bus for a living at the time, he was the last person who you'd imagine could have lifted 200lbs, let alone the 500+ I imagine he would have had to pull to get the front of that car to raise a couple inches. He has no idea how he did it, he claims he looked for the floor jack and when he couldn't find it, the only thing that came to mind was to grab the bumper and lift with everything he had out of desperation, he was just as amazed when it budged as I was.
Not quite as harrowing of a story but I was doing something similar with a F250. I had it on cinder blocks on top of railroad ties. I crawled out from underneath it to get a tool to pry with and about two steps away from the truck i heard a pop and it started going over to one side. I was literally just a few seconds ahead of it. Scared thr crap out of me. I would have been luckier because the tires were still on and there was more ground clearance but it took a while and some real jack stands before I would go back under it.
@@sumduma55 dude, scary stuff, imagine it happening and you weren't crushed to death but still fully pinned, and you were alone with no one within distance to hear your screaming. I get overcome by claustrophobia just thinking about it.
You deserve a lot of credit for this video, sir. I personally knew a women that saw a car fall off of a jack onto her husband. However, he did not survive. She turned to alcohol and suffered from it until the day she died. On a brighter note, I have a set of NAPA jack stands that I got in the late 70's. USA made and top notch quality. Been using them for over 40 years. Be damn sure of the security before you get under any piece of equipment. Thanks for your effort on this one.
My dad owned a salvage yard and he yelled at me for having harbor frieght stands when he came to visit. I moved to another state for work. He also told me that one of his old American made ones had a ratchet failure. No one was hurt. I remember working in the shop as a kid and they were old. That was 40 years ago.
There are a couple of issues with the three legged stands 1) The maximum height is considerable less than the others. All the other jacks performance would improve at a comparably lower height setting. 2) The tipping performance is more dependent on alignment of the 3 legged jack than the 4 legged versions. As for the ZSP jacks, they are a lawsuit in waiting
In 59 I was 3 and remember going to the hospital to see my dad. He had a shop where he primarily worked on manual transmissions. A car fell and crushed his skull and for 11 days he had blood running from his ear. He survived and later I found out the jack stands were made from removable axle housings. You could remove housings from each side of a differential housing. They had a notch curve cut from each small end to make a cradle. My brother opened his own shop and I worked for him about 30 years and always thought about my dad every time I used stands or hydraulic lift. One thing I always watched for is after the weight is on all the stands is the stand stable. Sometimes you don't have pressure straight down on the stand and their will be an almost unnoticeable side pressure. In other words each leg on each stand may not have the same pressure on it. If its not even the car may actually move with slight pressure on the fender. If its a small difference a tap on each of the 3 legs will settle the stand and equalize pressure and make the stand stable under load. When people put stands under a car on a sloped driveway you are basically setting a trap. If jack fails and stand catches the car it will shift and car can easily tilt the stand and car will fall from stand.
Please do this forever ! I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent and continue to spend researching tools before I buy. I watch every single one of your videos, some several times, and a lot of times make the final call with your testing results. Thank you. We really enjoy the videos.
As an engineer i wanted to note a few things. 1) the 3 legged jack stands will technically have a different tipping force depending on the direction the are tipping. (Highest when tipping in the direction of 1 foot, lowest when tipping in the direction straight between 2 feet) 2) i would be interested to see what the tipping for each stand would be in proportiong to their height (tipping force per inch) since that would give you a better standard of which stand is more stable. 3) for the downward force test, the prefered failure method would be one that slowly lets the bar sink down (which several had) and not crumpling of the feet. In the prefered failure method you would have some more warning, and it might not drop the load completely down.
Love the dance moves! I'm such a fan of this channel for so many reasons, and the disco scene was hilarious! Thanks for all that you do to provide accurate testing and data for the products you review. I've recommended your channel time and time again to friends, and always find value in your videos. Please keep doing what you do!
Great video! I have been using the Daytona jack stands in my shop for some time and feel very safe under them. On the weight test to failure, I was hoping that you would go back and test the other stands with the pin lock in place as intended with a heavy load. So one test with the pin lock and a second test without. Love your thoroughness in all your tests!
I really do appreciate you making these videos. I just got a Daytona low profile. 1.5 ton floor jack from harbor freight and I love it. Used it for the first time today. It's a bit tipsy on slanted driveway but just had to reposition smarter and it works great and cost me less than 100.00. next purchase is going to be the Daytona 3 ton jack stands for 50.00. I went with the best for the price and performance.Thank you again for the content.
Unless the contact point is unsuitable, rotate the stands 45 degrees (opposite on each side). Effectively enlarges the base in the direction of the most likely shift and changes the direction of the sloppy movement.
Thank you once again for a very subjective and entertaining test of the products we all use every day. It blows my mind to think the ZSP brand costs $170. These are the same as the $10 ones from ebay and amazon being sold for a higher price to make people think, "They cost more, they have to be better." Out of curiosity, I looked on ebay and most of these are sold under different names and prices. The Daytona comes to mind when in the UK it can be found on ebay for £18.
That's exactly what was the most mind blowing in this test. You can get those for about $30 a pair from a local market here in more expensive countries of Northern Europe. I'd use them, but I know what I'm doing (and that they are cheap and not trustworthy). At least until now. ;)
I would love to see a comparison of rubbermaid type storage bins/tubs. I find that certain brands that claim they are weather tough or cold resistant still crack and shatter relatively easily. Maybe a cold resistance test since we’re getting into winter, a test of the lids for water resistance, or a test for shock when throwing heavy items inside. Thanks for all you do!
I found that out the hard way changing flat on my old pickup truck. Though it was only on the cheapo jack that came with the truck. I couldn't get the wheel off (probably been on for 5 years) so I started beating on it with whatever I had in the truck bed. Eventually it fell off the jack taking a brake line out on the way down. She got the shortest tow ever back to my shop, about a block and a half.
it's important to remember he had them all at max height, and there aren't a ton of scenarios where you would need *that* much clearance (although it depends on your vehicle of course).
The thing I found most helpful in this video was the demonstration of a car falling off jack stands. I always wonder how sturdy they are when I am working on a car, but now I see that there are obvious visual indicators when it falls. Thanks!
Great video as always! I'm personally a fan of leaving the jack in place along with using the jackstands if I don't have access to a lift. Feels a touch safer especially if you need to reef on something
Thank you. I depend on jack stands and it is nice to know the failure scenarios. Mine are decently made in China of the common designs shown here, but brand names are different here in Australia. I keep them as low as possible to minimise the side tipping over danger.
I've personally bought some overkill 10 ton Jack stands that you buy individually (10 ton each capacity) to work on my cars maintenance, they're industrial solid chunk of steel with a solid steel pin that are going to last at least 100 years. And now I don't have to worry about getting under my cars because of that, I've used them many times, they've paid for themselves many times over.
Same here, bought 2 sets of 22-ton jackstands (11-ton per) to work on my F-150 and other three family cars. Put the tires under the frame as well, and back the whole deal up with some 6x6 lumber. Total overkill, I know. But gives me peace of mind and although expensive, the money I save doing all my own work more than makes up for initial outlay. I’m an airline pilot, but have a good friend who is an A&P and told me of a few horror stories of people he had known with jack failures working on aircraft as well as cars.
What I love about your reviews is that it gives you a good sense of quality for the tool type, so even if I see a brand not reviewed by you, I can tell most of the time if it's going to be good or not. Thank you for doing this!
Thank you for including Larin units in this test as I'd suggested in the previous jack stand review. I like them because there is no quick-drop feature. I'm very happy to see you still reading the comments and taking our suggestions into account! Thank you for all of your time and effort. Your videos are invaluable.
I'm glad to see that the big reds were able to place at #3 on the list, especially at their lower price point. Based on other good reviews at the time, I bought two pairs of them a few years back. One very important thing about the big reds, or any other brand of jack stand, is to inspect the weld quality when unboxing a new pair. I had to exchange one of the pairs because of bad welds that were full of holes.
I also have 2 sets of pre c0vid produced Big Red jack stands and have used them many times, one is the previous model without the additional locking pin... The safety pin chains/split rings definitely need replaced with cable or even Para cord as they will eventually break... I also broke one of the roll pins by hand while attempting to be lazy while working on a project. The jack didn't have tons of pressure as it could rotate by hand, but trying to force drop it proved the safety feature actually worked atleast on that batch... But lesson learned, spend 5 minutes resetting instead of an hour to replace the roll pin with one that may be way stronger and no longer provide that safety feature 🤷♂️ luckily it was on the additional safety lock pin jack, so not a big safety issue since I ALWAYS use the safety pins! Although now with the price increase and possibly some quality control issues I may try a set of Harbor Freights next time, as I do work on asphalt/gravel occasionally and carrying my baseplates around gets old, even though they definitely increase safety... I have had great luck with Big Red hydraulic bottle and floor jacks aswell, but once again most were purchased pre late 2019... Nowadays many classic go to quality brands are guaranteed to throw you lemons... Moog, Every brand of car battery, many tire brands, AC Delco, Wix, many good parts store brands... The automotive replacement parts market has been an absolute disaster the last few years 😒 Even factory/dealership parts from new to old... It may never be the same since we keep buying the junk, not just from China, but low quality or poor quality control parts from Taiwan to Mexico to Korea to Japan to the USA... Glad I'm not a full time mechanic, or running a repair shop! 🫣
Saving peoples lives and money one video at a time. Thanks again for all the work you put into these tests, this is the best channel on youtube. I'd like to make a suggestion on reviewing the best tarp. From the "heavy duty" harbor freight stuff, the silver/brown ones you get at Walmart, and a few high end (aka more expensive) ones. It'd have to be like a year long test to see how they hold up to UV, puncture and abrasion resistance, general durability, obviously water proofing from both rain and standing water, sagging over time, as well and whatever else you can come up with. Thanks again for everything you do.
As a career tire guy that has worked on everything from wheel barrow tires all the way up to the biggest tires in the world, I really appreciate this video. Jack stands are absolute life savers no matter the size of vehicle
Im not sure how difficult they would be to get in the states but I would really like to see some Mastercraft brand products tested in the future if possible, Its a very popular brand for low cost tools here in Canada, sold at the store Canadian Tire which is sort of like a tool store, Automotive store and sporting goods store rolled into one. Great videos as always
I love your work and your character! Your tests are always well conceived, thoroughly investigated and concisely explained. Thank you for all your time and sacrifices, you are an icon and guru.
NO ... they're NOT! I'll admit that MANY of his tests are fair and accurate, but some, like this one, allow him the SKEW the results toward what he wants them to be. He has biasing built into some of his tests, even if he won't acknowledge it or repeat the tests without the bias. Eg in BOTH tipping tests, at 6:18 and 12:19, he had BOTH the three legged ESCO stands with the base of the triangle in the direction he was tipping the vehicle, so of COURSE it's going to be EASIER to tip (the center of the BASE of a triangle is HALF the distance to the triangle's center-point as any corner), as if he was DELIBERATELY trying to SKEW THE RESULTS for the triangular stands AWAY from a higher tip value.
I think the key take away from this video is that the danger with jack stands is not putting too much weight on them, it's every other way they can fail!
Yup, and all the issues shown here are WAY worse with the little scissor jacks that come with cars for installing a spare. Watched my buddy wrench the whole car off one, folding it in half in the process, trying to snug the lug nuts up once, before putting it down.
@michaelscarport Sure, there is a right way to do it which is at least relatively safe. That doesn't change my point. I think most people have never considered that just wrenching the nut they could exert enough force to pull the whole car down.
Very good testing! I also have seen the effects of a car falling on an acquaintance. Drove up to his place and found him pinned. His floor jack had failed without jackstands in use. I was able to use my Buick factory tire change jack to get enough pressure off him so he could breathe. He stayed pinned for another 15 minutes until we located another jack capable of getting the car up enough to get him out. Horrible and still hard to recall. By the way, I really had a great laugh at the dance moves there at the end of your testing! Needed that today!
when it comes to a life or death device, it's not uncommon for it to be engineered for 3 or more times the rated capacity so there is a massive margin of safety against improper use, defects, etc.
Just dig a hole in your back yard wide and deep enough and then just jump down in and have someone drive the car over it :) Just don't ask the wife to do it because if she is mad at you she may not come back out and move the car to let you get out when you are done :)
Those numbers are where they experienced catastrophic failure when tested until failure all in one go though. They really tell you nothing about what kind of weight the stands can safely handle over and over again and still remain just as mechanically sound as they were when they came out of the box.
I would love to see a test on dead blow hammers. The Snap On prices are out of this world compared to the Trusty Cooks or Tektons. Durability of the handle and hammer face as well as recoil would be ideal, plus any other metrics you can measure. Keep up the great work!
One of the reasons snap on tools are so expensive is because they are almost all made in the USA at a union factory. Everybody claims they want to support union made in america stuff instead of offshore imports, but then when given the opportunity they balk at putting their money where their mouths are
@@SuperAWaC Saying union built products can't be competitively priced doesn't reflect well on unions. I'm not a route customer so I have to chase down trucks or pay 10-20% shipping on online orders that take a week to get a tracking number. If that's what a union results in then I'll start explicitly buying non-union built items. Snap On sells tools that get used hard by professionals and warranties them for life. That and the fact that they are the premier brand allows them to sell at a large markup.
Most urethane dead blow hammers are fine. My previous one never let me down. Stanley, Estwing, Gearwrench, are all fine. Just pick the right size for your work. 1 1/2 to 2 pound are good for me.
@@SuperAWaC I mean, I knew a guy who did heat treat for snap on, and other brands like harbor freight(nickname hazard fraught). US shop, sure. Union, no. Snap On used worse quality of steel, and worse heat treat regimes than harbor freight, because they knew no one would care if it broke if they would just replace it no questions asked. That said, I support made in America, or any country with actual quality and labor standards, like Germany, Japan, the UK, or even Taiwan. But given my experiences with unions first hand, I can't say I'd support them if I had a choice between two equally good and equally priced items.
Amazing video as usual, but if you would be willing to take suggestions, I would suggest also doing a standardized height lateral force test as to eliminate the jacks’ different maximal heights in the future. For example, if all jacks can reach 23in, then have a test where you see how much lateral force needs to be applied to make them fall over at that height, and then also run the maximal height test. This would be very helpful as to be able to compare apples to apples and focus more on the jack’s design
Wasn't there at least one that couldn't go high enough to support the truck without lowering the truck wheels first? It's kind of hard to standardize that to a single force, though perhaps setting the overly-low jack stand on a stack of planks to get it to standard height might do.
While valid these tests are testing each jack in its worst position. I think that’s valid as it shows how different dimensions affect the safety of the jack.
Awesome jack stand dancing! I updated my Torin stands to the new Daytona's (2 pairs) and also picked up some wheel chucks. Definitely feel safer under the vehicle, and I also use my jack as a backup...always have some kind of backup in case something fails. Also, push on vehicle from several directions to make sure it is stable before going under. I drove by someone the other day who had their front left corner lifted with a jack only and the long jack handle stuck way out it the street, just dying for someone to hit it...not good.
Great video as always! The tipping comparisons would have been better if you had adjusted the stands so they were at the same height. That would have removed the disadvantage from the taller stands. Also, the lack of pads on the jack legs may have actually helped rather than hurt in your test - if the legs compressed the rubber all the way so the force was being borne by the concrete then no further compression would occur when you tipped them, making them more rather than less stable.
And to your second point.... The rubber is a terrible replication of asphalt. While depicting visually how the feet will dig in for those who've never seen it, it's a good showing. However in execution of this test, there is the subsurface (concrete) that acts as the backer, like you explain. In reality, asphalt has dirt, or cloth coverd dirt. Moral of the story. Get padded feet. I used to have 3/4 oak plywood plates that I would place under my older jack stands when deployed atop asphalt.
Not sure if already mentioned, but the lateral force test to have the stand tip seems like it should either be done at the same extension height. Or, have a way to take the height into effect. I'd think higher jacks (all else being equal) would be more apt to tip over than one with a shorter extension. But otherwise a well thought out (and entertaining to watch!) test.
Great video. Love the dancing!! I have 2 sets of the Larin. They are actually rated at 6 tons for each stand. I like them alot. The only downside is not having as many height selections as ratcheting ones. Great video, like always!!
Would live to see you test car ramps next! I remember watching my older brother in horror as he drove his 74 cougar up onto them when i was 9! I alway thought they were so scarey and dangerous. Would love to see them tested to see if they are safe/worth your time!
I was just about to leave the same comment. I was looking for ramps about a year ago and found a lot of competing advice. Some people loved the plastic rhino ramps and some hated them. The steel ones can be difficult to climb without slipping. Ultimately, I found a used pair of steel ramps with an odd pivoting pre-ramp section. One of the biggest problems was finding a ramp that wasn't too steep for my son's car to avoid killing the bumper.
I made my ramps from wood scaffold planks. They are the good planks stamped osha approved. Just cut to different lengths then stack them on top of eachother, plenty of the good exterior grade wood glue and plenty of screws. They can never collapse.
@@JimLambier, my wife's Subaru Impreza wagon has the same problem. The fix is simple. Get an 8 foot 2X8. Cut 4 16" pieces. Take 2 of the pieces and put them on the ground so they just barely touch each ramp. Then take the other 2 pieces and place them on the first 2 pieces. Now slide them until they also just barely touch the ramp. Then nail them together. Now when you drive up on the 2X8s, the front of your car will go up and the bumper should clear the ramps.
@Project Farm. Thanks Todd for the informative testing of these jack stands and the entertainment at the end. I want to suggest testing fire extinguishing blankets that are used to put out kitchen fires. Hope you and your family stay safe and well.
As always excellent video, Todd. Safety is paramount it's crazy how bad some quality control is on something that's protecting your life. Thoughts about doing a set of tests on automotive windshield washer fluid/cleaner?
Todd, has anyone ever tested if all levels are actually level? I don’t mean the bubble, but checking if the level housing is actually correctly indexed to the bubble housing. That might be interesting to see.
One word: Stabila. Or a machinist's level. Neither are cheap, but cheap can also be good. My cheap light aluminum 4" level from 20 years ago is still perfectly true but a fancy wood and brass one bought at the same time was slightly off and grew worse with time.
That is a video I would really enjoy! I’ve used an electronic level, but it has a self calibration feature… but how am I supposed to know what surface is level enough to run the self calibration on?
I have 3 ton jack stands from the early 90s. Similar to a few in this video. They been great but honestly, they are built stronger my opinion. I better not see them trying to show me any moves either! Lol Great video! Me and others really appreciate your hard work putting these demostrations out there for us!
Excellent tests. One additional comment. The jack stands are really only for vertical loads. When I put a vehicle on 2 jack stands, I chock the other 2 wheels fromt and rear. That reduces the side loads on the jack stands as the tires then resist a lot of the side load. I had a car fall off a scissor jack. Bruised some ribs. Car had tires on, so I wasn't crushed, but ribs were painful for a month. That was over 40 years ago and I never took that risk again.
Love the dancing part for sure! A recommendation would be testing whether using more than recommended amounts of product like (fuel system cleaner, stop leak, stabilizer, octane boost, oil additive, etc) is harmful or gives better results. Keep the videos up! Love em’!
Really love your reviews Todd. I was hoping to account for the extra height so it wouldn't be a disadvantage to overachieve. Maybe you could do something like an ft/degrees equivalent or put all of the jacks on the heighest of the lowest Jack's settings for one of the tests? Seems like some of those super tall ones would take the lead if lowered a little doesn't it?
It almost looks like some of these jack stands were made in the same factory and painted different colors and given a different name - some of the welds look amazingly similar - like they are all equally crappy welds - i am amazed at how much side to side movement they have when fully extended - project farm provides alot of great info so i know just what to look for when im shopping for jack stands - keep up the great work ! It is greatly appreciated
Great video as usual. Personally I'd never go under a car with the jack stands full extended. I wonder what the results would look like with everything set at say 20" or 22".
Thanks for the video, I have a 20 year old set of Husky jack stands, they look better than the new ones. I also, always chock the wheels. I use a square 16" X 16" X 1/4" thick steel plate under them on gravel, since I don't have a concrete or asphalt driveway!
The first stands we ever bought were actually pretty much exactly those folding things😅 But the first time I actually wanted to work underneath the car I spontaneously went to the market and bought some beefy ridgid 4-legged ones, because I was scared as heck by the thought of trusting the flippy flappys with my life😂😂 And now after seeing this I am so glad I did that😅
You made a very good descision as you likely wouldn't have been here with us to post this comment if you had crawled under your car with just those flimsy folding jacks holding it up. Man, those things should be illegal with how dangerously unsafe they are.
Honestly the ZSP's folding design isn't the issue. The compressive force is pretty well accounted for, they just used inadequate material for shearing and tensile loading. Obviously I'm not saying they're safe, they clearly aren't. Just that the folding design itself isn't the problem.
@@ACME_Kinetics the folding design isn’t exactly the problem, but because the rest of the design sucks, it should be taken off the market. It’s insanely overpriced and it’s completely inadequate for the purpose. I’d never trust a flimsy POS that is made of clearly inferior materials The hinge pins, if I’m not mistaken, since I refuse to watch the entire video again, were rivets or something similar. They themselves would be shear-able. A solid compressive material, not a grade 8 bolt, (though it would be a good idea) should be used simply to reinforce that part of the design. Thin gauge steel? For a price even approaching $100, that would be a reasonable expectation, but these things were another $75 beyond. Yeah, I know I have wasted too much time and energy. Im pretty bored tonight.
@@STV-H4H That design of stand is often sold around £10 - £20 at Lidl or Aldi in the U.K. I want to say at the lower end, so maybe £15 for a pair? So around $20 U.S. If you were charged $178 for them, you might have a very unreasonable expectation for them! At a more normal price you might realise that you are getting what you paid for, which is not a lot. If you use them, keep the jack in place and if wheels are off, put them under the car where they can help catch it if it falls. Same with the "proper" axle stands.
Great review! I bought the TCE 3 ton jack stands off Amazon recently and have used them a few times. They seem to do a great job, but I don’t think I’d ever crawl underneath a car that’s only supported by jack stands. I like to use Rhino Ramps, wood blocks or my rims as a safety backup.
@@o_smoke_a The purpose of jack stands is to carry the vehicle's weight while you're under the vehicle. If you would never get under a vehicle on jack stands, then clearly you should not buy jack stands.
Thanks for another great video- mostly curious about the Esco stands (and the recent Harbor Freight versions). I noticed in the stability tests you faced two legs parallel with the direction being pushed toward - both when you did side-to-side and forward pushing two legs were in that direction. Wonder how they would do if they were faced opposites of each other as it seems the single leg would provide additional stability...? They are the only style of stand that allows for positioning like that, I think it would be worth testing.
I own the Esco's, both shorty and tall versions. When aligned they are just as good as traditional 4 legged stands. I like the additional working room they offer and the flat top which doesn't damage unibody vehicles - use a hockey puck with slot cut for pinch welds. In my opinion no one should rely on only jack stands. I always either have something under the vehicle that will allow me to wiggle out should they fail (vehicle damage be dammed at that point), or leave the jack in place if possible.
It's really amazing that even cheap jack stands can support upwards of 15 tons each. Nice to know that practically every jack stand (except the ZSP!) far exceeds it's rated capacity. In your opinion, what can manufacturers do to improve side-load protection? Maybe a future episode where you could build and test various side-load protection devices?
The side-load protection device is to properly raise your vehicle so it rests on 3 points. In the case of this video, he should have left the jack _juuuuust_ touching under the differential housing or even the rear bumper. On something like a front-wheel drive, even resting under the oil pan is enough to keep you from dying. I understand the point he was trying to show in the video, but to be in that situation at all is a bad practice.
They could make a wider base but they seem to want to make them compact. I suppose a person could jury rig an attachment to make them safer but I think it's better to just have a backup safety like some blocks wood or something.
@@dtester Just as a note, the US Jack foot print is about 2-3" larger than most others and it didn't really seem to help them much. In practice, they can be mildly cumbersome to use because of it.
Your videos are always entertaining and always informative. I loved the extra humor you added on this video (I know it was more work, but a dancing jack stand made me laugh and was awesome to see). Thank you for all your hard work sir! I was wondering if you could test different gas stations gases and see if there is a difference? I recently went on a trip and got some cheaper gas and I lost 10 mpg with that gas (it was windy too so there is that). I was wondering how much different is each “brands” gasoline. Maybe future video?
I bought some Husky jack stands a while back, think I got the right ones. Thanks for the video! As I get older, I'm starting to appreciate a good flashlight. Would be nice to see a video about the newer rechargeable ones out in the market.
Oh man you're going to be blown away by the last 10 years of flashlight development if you aren't familiar with them. LEDs and high drain 18650 batteries have made them small and powerful with flawless beams. There are whole online communities around them.
Wow. I've always admired his efforts in testing for us but this was over the top for work put in. Thank you so much. Google of jack stands showed a lot that looked indistinguishable. This gives me what I need, thanks again.
I purchased a pair of Hein-Werner 6 ton stands a couple years ago, very satisfied. Looks like some of the imports are reliable/safe as well. Good show Todd, always enjoy them.
Back in the 80s I used those folding ones because it was all I could afford and my friends were just relying on the jack. Luckily my early British sports cars didn't weigh a whole lot and my stands had simpler and stronger leg locks. But 40 years of crawling under vehicles later, I'm using stands rated at 6 tons each in all four corners of my 5" lifted 3 ton LR4. Better safer than flatter.
I love all the testing you do - most times its products I don't think I'll ever need but I try to watch every video anyway! Why? Well, obviously the testing is kind of the main point, but the witty monologue is a definite factor. And then often there are awesome moments like at 17:09. Dancing jackstands? That is the mark of a creative genius!
Very interesting. Somethings were not what I expected. Man I'm leery of chinese jack stands because of the mystery metal they will often use, but was pleasantly surprised they weren't too bad. I have to buy a 10 ton jack stand kit soon and will try to use this knowledge for it. Thanks for another great vid!
Totally agree about leaving the jack in place or better, blocking appropriately with wood in case something does go south. Thank you for this great vid! I'm curious about those black-colored jack stands Harbor Freight is pushing with high capacity?
@suspicionofdeceit I've gotten cars almost completely on ramps just to see them slide off. In every case, it was because I didn't chalk the wheels in the front or the back. And with jack stands it's even more critical to block each portion near the wheel.
The dancing skit was hilarious. 🤣😂 Thanks for always providing awesome reviews! Big Reds is what I got for Christmas, nice to see they did pretty well.
This is one of my worst fears. I was working on a car under jackstands and got massively claustrophobic out of nowhere. Before that I've never been claustrophobic in my life and this was only a few years ago.
I feel your pain…didn’t know I was scared of heights til I walked out of elevator in the Stratosphere in Vegas…..Damn near barfed and seriously dry heaved.
I cut down some Osha approved wooden scaffold planks to stack and screw together that I use as backups under the car while it's on jack stands. I'll even put a few under each wheel. Even if the stands do tip for some odd reason the car will still be supported on all the wood. People would say it's overboard, I just think it's being 100% safe.
@@jfruserDitto. Every time I'm working in my garage I'll have a neighbor ask about them. They're easy to build with simple, accessible materials and they're by far the safest way to lift a vehicle for underside work.
This was a good test subject, I've always kind of wondered how jackstands would do with a side to side motion. The little light cheap ones were scary as hell.
Really like these videos, very useful, and appreciated. Looks as though it would be worth it to use pieces of plywood (3/4 by the distance between the feet2 to distribute the weight better on asphalt (or gravel!) Looking at the last chart, I opted for Big Red. Your mileage may vary.
I love the humor of the dancing jack stands on such a serious subject! The side loading can be a big issue if you live in earthquake country like some of us do. A very complete overall test, but that is usually the rule here on the Project Farm channel !
Looks like the ZSP jack stands were designed to be collapsible, which might make them more easily stored - in a trunk - for instance. Unfortunately, they made them collapsible in more than one sense, though 😄
The zsp are a scam, a worse made version of some of the same design I bought new from an economy grocery store for equivalent of 15 dollars a few years ago. My better made version is only rated at either 1.5 or perhaps 2 tons for the pair, convenient and compact for some occasional tasks around the shop but not really fit for any automotive tasks beyond backing up the jack to quickly change a wheel on a 90's econo euro hatchback weighing less than a ton, even then only because you're not getting under it to change a wheel.
Here’s the list of products reviewed. More details in the video description. Thank you!
Larin: amzn.to/45clvCb
Big Red: amzn.to/48Cg8PC
Arcan: amzn.to/3RLFwNb
US Jack: amzn.to/3ZJbCLq
Esco: amzn.to/46xTVjW
Sunex: amzn.to/48yTw2u
TCE: amzn.to/3PXeDmX
Hein Werner: amzn.to/3ZJbMm0
ZSP: amzn.to/3EZ6cST
Daytona: Harbor Freight
Husky: Home Depot
Some jack stands claim to meet ASME-PASE standards, but very few are compliant with them. I believe US Jack stands are ASME-PASE compliant and USA-made.
Always leave the jack in place after the jack stands are set and place the wheel that you take off under the frame as well to give you some extra protection.
Great tip! I should have mentioned this!
I was taught this exact thing basically lower onto jackstands then adjust jack to where it is also a support point at equal load of the stands
No way man my wheels are way too expensive to do that
@@KreatorOfDeath1985 I like your thinking, doesn't matter if you're squished under the car, atleast the rims look good sitting next to the car
Also, crack the lug nuts while the vehicle is still on the ground before you jack it up. Most youngsters don't know that. @@Avicados
Nice review. I built some jack stands in my high school metal shop. The instructor would not allow them to go out until he inspected them and tested them in a big press; they had to hold 6,000 lbs each. I have been using them ever since, about 48 years now! Thanks Todd.
Very cool! You are welcome!
Very impressive! (tm)
Just as a point of conversation... US Jack tests every single stand they make up to its load. If it goes in the box, it has been in a press and tested.
"We're going to test that!"
I wish I still had the 2 sets I'd built in school.
Sold both sets many years ago.
Our aircraft jacks in the USAF are mostly Tripod types, due to the possibility or uneven ground (Concrete), a four leg stand would always rock. One thing I immediately noticed when you were testing the side to side tests, and the three legged stands, we are required to place our stands with two of the legs along the center-line of the load (aircraft fuselage) and the single leg Perpendicular outward. That arrangement has two main reasons, maximizing the footprint stability, side to side, and keep the inside legs from intruding under the airframe, where we might have need of access for maintenance.
Thanks for sharing.
The jacks they used to use at the Orbiter Maintenance Facility back when the space shuttle was flying were also some monster tripods.
"so I gently lowered the truck"
Hilarious !!
I have jacked my fair share of large aircraft in the USAF. Very labor intensive and time consuming.
Ur videos are always amazing that frist video i wach from u was that seafom treatment on that ford ranger
I learned a valuable lesson for almost getting my legs crushed changing the tire on an F-150. I was balancing the tire on my knees with my legs straight out trying to line the holes on the wheel with the lug nuts. I started hearing a creaking sound and quickly moved myself out the way. As soon and I did the jack folded like a piece of paper and the truck fell down. Now I always always use jack stands and still get nervous about it. Great video.
Thanks! Glad you cleared out in time to escape injury!
Yeah its no joke man, I always use jack stands and still use a a jack under the axle incase it lets go. Or even better I stick a wheel/tire under the tires if I am changing the exhaust or the oil
@@spoolinsvt6489yes all the above.
I was doing that once up in the hills once with a jack that was on soft soil and not perfectly flat soft soil and to boot. I had my legs under there focusing on the job when it dawned on me how stupid what I was doing was. I pulled my legs out a little but the tires were so big I needed to use my legs to get it lined up.
I did slide the wheel/flat tire under the axle but even that was nerve wracking and dangerous operation that was even worse than having my legs underneath of it (I guess - haha - I suppose maybe better because it would be quicker)
There really wasn't anything else to do other than walk 30 miles back to town.
One of my sister's best friends lost her father to a jackstand accident when she was a kid. Traumatizing all around. My friends and I had a Honda slip off a jack in a garage once, and the only reason none of us were killed is that the tool chest caught the brunt of it. I'm still terrified of being under a suspended vehicle, even on a lift. Thanks for doing these tests - they were honestly kind of hard to watch, because my brain was screaming at me to run away the whole time. Bottom line: this video is going to save lives.
It’s definitely a scary place to be under.
I had a scare once and now idc if I'm only changing a tire I keep my jack, jack stands and a block of wood. Gotta have those redundant systems in place. You never know what might fail.
It’s an uneasy feeling for sure. Once I have the weight fully on the stands, I put my jack under the area closest to where I’m working and raise it to within a millimeter of the frame. I figure it’s good insurance in case a stand fails.
Whenever I'm under the car on jack stands, I build a stack of spare tires under it, to catch it if it falls. Two tires (or rather, two rims) are higher than I am and should keep me safe from being crushed.
I own those folding jacks btw 🥲
Darwin strikes again.
If you are working under a vehicle using jackstands on a job that requires removing the wheels, always place the wheels under the vehicle in such a way that if the stands fail, the wheels stop the vehicle from coming all the way down. You can find another rim easier than another limb.
I do the same thing and many times use an extra set of jackstands
@@brokentoolgaragethis. I never trust any jacks. Two jacks and still hate being under the car 😵💫
nemertelek leveszed a kerekeke hogy jobban ossze tudjon nyomni ha ledol a kocsi igaz !!!!???
Should chock any wheels still mounted, too.
@@Iowagrown123 hogy emeled meg vagy mit er az ek ha megemeled !!!!!!!!!
Todd, about 25 years ago I was apprenticing for my A & P, the guy I was working under was a younger guy in his 30s, considered top of his field & was just promoted head of maintenance for Comair (remember them?) at our location. He went home, crawled under his old truck to replace a starter or something very elementary & never returned. The truck slipped off the stand & killed him. He was found a couple of days later when his girlfriend finally decided to go do a welfare check. Your opening comments really hit home. RIP Andy.
Stay safe out there guys, gravity & Sir Isaac Newton are both unforgiving, mean sumbitches that will take lives at the drop of a hat....
Actually a four leg jack almost always touch the ground in 3 points hence a 3 leg jack is more reasonable if the ground isn't perfect flat
a few yrs ago a mechanic was changing my clutch, he had it up on jack stands as all the other lifts in the shop was occupied, the jack stands failed and fell right on top of him pinning him to the ground and unable to move when the other mechanics was what had happen they all stopped what they was doing and ran out and we all lifted the car off him.. he lived and the ONLY thing that saved his life is the tire that one of the other mechanics placed under the car (just moments before we was joking about it).... from that day i ALWAYS keep a few tires in my garage for this exact reason, jack stands can fail and when it does it can be fatal...
Drop of a car or truck. Never seen a hat heavy enough.
@@SeekingTheLoveThatGodMeans7648I feel sorry for you.
Having taken several semesters of Calculus, I can confirm that Sir Isaac Newton can be rather unforgiving.
There have been so many times that I have been in the market for something, and this guy makes an amazing review of several options. These tests are so thorough and well thought out. Thanks!
Definitely my first stop prior to making any decisions on tools and yard equipment. I've been watching his channel for years. Although there have been a couple of videos that I have disagreed with based on my educational and real world knowledge. He still does an amazing job creating the test and providing the results in a way that most people can understand.
6:30 I bought a set of these in the UK for something like £15 back in 2006. They do the job but I wouldn't want to be under them on a windy day.
That's why I am happy to subscribe to a monthly Patreon donation for this guy !
Excellent video. The side to side failure is why I never extend jack stands past their 50% mark and also use a floor jack on a jacking point as backup whenever possible. I'd rather have less working space, but a more secure setup.
Thanks! Thanks for sharing.
And why I also put them on slight tilting angles, and I also tend to "store" the tires under the car as well (will ruin the tire, but save your leg).
I have a pair of 3-ton and a pair of 6-ton. The 3-ton is shorter than the 6-ton at minimum height. Depends on which car (Kia Soul, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Ford Excursion) I work on I always select the pair that I can use the minimum height to hold up the car so I don't have to raise the center column or may be just one or two clicks. I also keep the floor jack in place as added safety.
If you do some major works you can also support the wheels or wishbones with some stacks of wood or bricks. In a stable manner of course. Just as an additonal safety measure and a bit of a more stable setup.
@@alexyu6928 I also have a 12 ton pair and never use past 60% on any of them !
About 30 years ago, my cousin had his dad's car up on two jackstands in the driveway. While it was raised, he got underneath to work on something. Anyway, the car slipped backwards off the stands on the slight slope and came down on him, pinning him against the concrete. Despite the pressure on his chest, he was able to yell for help and fortunately his dad heard him and raised the vehicle so he could get out. He went to the hospital but luckily other than lots of bad bruising, scratches and soreness, he didn't break anything or suffer internal injuries. My cousin later became a fireman to help other people in need.
Thanks for sharing.
did he have have any wheel chocks or anything?
It's absolutely insane to me that ZSP can even sell a jackstand this dangerous. You don't need to be a mechanic to take one look at the ZSP and know it's a widowmaker.
Something that sketchy and dangerous you'd expect to be the bargain price junk, but the have the balls to ask $178 for those things! 🤯
chyna
@@Marco-qe5zw Most of the top stands in this test are made in China. Doesn't automatically make a product bad, the US has pumped cheap shit out for years.
@@Marco-qe5zwBut we keep buying it, don't we?
Plus the widow will not get full value when she sells your tools
@17:20 the dancing is why i come back to this channel. love the random tool dancing moves!
lol Thanks!
Me too 😂
That was funny!
I agree that the direct downward pressure is a pretty unlikely failure scenario, most of those jack stands could support the entire weight of farmabago on one stand. Side to side failure is a much more realistic scenario and frankly I didn't see more than a 10% difference in all of the jacks except for the 3 legged ones as I recall. In other words most of those jack stand were pretty good. Keep the good stuff coming.
Thanks, will do!
I have hoped someone would test and compare jack stands. Thanks.
Agreed!! And in this case, no reason to waste close to $300 on a heavy duty (price wise) Jack...just go get your Husky or Harbor Freight and your good to go - being careful to get them set up correctly!
My observation here is most common jackstands in this weight category are good for way more than the mfgr states. The flip side is most accidents are NOT the jackstand failing due to weight rating issues. Your tests of lateral stability and sinking into blacktop prove the point well!
Thanks!
I will be testing the black top theory very soon as I am getting new jack stands and I have a 1 month old black top driveway
@@philwhite5815 do yourself and your driveway a favor. Make some pads so they don't sink. I use 3/4" plywood about 6" larger than the stands.
Thank you for all you've shown us, I've definitely made some of my purchases based on your videos. I think it would be really interesting to see different types of shop airline setups. I've seen people use black pipe, pex, copper, airline kits like Rapidair, and I've even heard of some crazies using pvc. It would be fun to see how easily each method is to install, what the price difference would be for a small shop or garage, how durable each option is to bumps, abrasions and other minor shop mishaps, and most importantly, the psi each method can handle. I think that video could be incredibly helpful for those of us setting up a shop for the first time. Thanks again for all you do for us viewers!
I am a full-time RV'r and we go through RV water filters like crazy. There are a lot of claims out there which one is the best...whether it be Camco, RV guard, Clear O2, Tastepure, Spiropure, Aquaquest, on and on it goes... I would personally love your help on this issue as I'm sure many other campers would as well. I appreciate you, your time, your integrity, your Channel and all you do. Thank you so much for your consideration.
Thanks for the suggestion.
The amount of effort you place into these tests is seriously impressive! Another awesome video as always!
Thank you!
"Supposing is good, but finding out is better."
- Mark Twain
I know of a guy that had a car fall on him. It knocked the breath out of him and due to the weight, he couldn't draw a breath back in. Unfortunately, his son found him dead several hours later.
Great video Todd! As always. I like the built on Monday morning and Friday before quitting time comments. 😄
Very sad! Thanks for the positive feedback on my attempt at humor!
@@ProjectFarm It's actually funny, that in Finnish language "maanantaikappale" or "monday piece" means a product of unusually low quality, as if it was built on monday before fully recovering from the weekend. Might have something to do with Finnish drinking culture...
Great test ! I had a friend crushed to death under an RV, many years ago. I ALWAYS take the time to back up the jack stands with some huge wooden blocks I have, If the jack stands ever fail, i'll have some shorts to throw away, but the wooden blocks will stop me from being killed. Also, your viewers should be aware that welds might look "good", but penetration is key to a strong weld.
Yes, I also worry about how to tell if the welds penetrated correctly. The welds are ugly because they didn’t grind them off and make them all pretty, but the pretty looking welds might also be shallow so I don’t really know how to tell a good strong weld under paint.
Using the wheel under the car for safety is also both easy and safe.
I built a pair of wooden cradles to support my truck if I don't need to have the wheels off. I'm fine with using jackstands when they're needed, but some big solid pieces of wood that the truck can't fall off of give me peace of mind. Totally agree that big solid pieces of wood are a great backup plan for the stands too!
You should leave the jack under the vehicle as well. That way, in case of disaster, they can just jack the vehicle up to get you out.
Haha - I thought I was the only one with wooden blocks. I'll never trust jacks or jack stands enough
I don't always listen and watch Todd do reviews. But when I do, my neighbors do too. Loud and proud. Well done, good sir. I sure do appreciate you and all the hard work you do to get these videos to us. I always trust and know you go to great lengths to do fair reviews and honest, fact-based, data to back it up. 😊
Thanks so much!
25 years ago, my buddy / neighbor had his nova up on cinder block and stands for months as he replaced his engine, transmission and exhaust. He was under it one day trying to get the headers installed, prying with a bar when the car shifted forward, the cinder blocks tipped and cracked and the car came down with the transmission bellhousing crushing his hip and pinning him. My brother in law was outside when it happened and people started screaming, I ran out to see what was going on and saw his feet sticking out from the front of the car while my bother I law was trying to reach in. I ran over looking for the hydraulic jack and my brother in law yelled at me to grab his feet while he grabbed the front bumper and deadlifted the car up about eight inches while I dragged him out by his feet.
My brother in law never lifted, wasn't a gym rat and quite honestly was in pretty terrible shape, yet he lifted a 75 nova with a V8 and auto trans enough by himself.
My neighbor survived, spent a month in the hospital and another month in rehab, shattered hip, fractured femur, torn knee ligaments, broken wrist and broken arm, broken clavicle and some internal bleeding, he was fortunately young and able to heal.
Always use quality jack stands and back those up with an actual jack if you can.
It is amazing what an adrenaline rush enables people to do... many examples of people performing superman strength feats during moments of crisis/panic.
Have been sitting watching my cursor blinking for a few minutes now, not knowing what to say, but wanting to say something in response to your testimony. I'm still speechless, but very glad your friend survived and recovered, despite such serious injuries. Lifting that kind of weight is far beyond possible- in normal circumstances. Your brother in law did a truly heroic thing, and your quick thinking was enough to save the poor guy under his car, AND your brother in law's back, before it gave out! This video has been one of Project Farm's most important to date, and experiences like yours, shared here, are invaluable. Thank you 🙏
@@robair67 it happened a long time ago, but it's a lesson I've never forgot, I always use quality jackstands, I leave a hydraulic food jack under the frame and will also often put a wheel under the frame to limit how far it could fall.
My brother in law drove a bus for a living at the time, he was the last person who you'd imagine could have lifted 200lbs, let alone the 500+ I imagine he would have had to pull to get the front of that car to raise a couple inches. He has no idea how he did it, he claims he looked for the floor jack and when he couldn't find it, the only thing that came to mind was to grab the bumper and lift with everything he had out of desperation, he was just as amazed when it budged as I was.
Not quite as harrowing of a story but I was doing something similar with a F250. I had it on cinder blocks on top of railroad ties. I crawled out from underneath it to get a tool to pry with and about two steps away from the truck i heard a pop and it started going over to one side. I was literally just a few seconds ahead of it.
Scared thr crap out of me. I would have been luckier because the tires were still on and there was more ground clearance but it took a while and some real jack stands before I would go back under it.
@@sumduma55 dude, scary stuff, imagine it happening and you weren't crushed to death but still fully pinned, and you were alone with no one within distance to hear your screaming. I get overcome by claustrophobia just thinking about it.
You deserve a lot of credit for this video, sir. I personally knew a women that saw a car fall off of a jack onto her husband. However, he did not survive. She turned to alcohol and suffered from it until the day she died. On a brighter note, I have a set of NAPA jack stands that I got in the late 70's. USA made and top notch quality. Been using them for over 40 years. Be damn sure of the security before you get under any piece of equipment. Thanks for your effort on this one.
My dad owned a salvage yard and he yelled at me for having harbor frieght stands when he came to visit. I moved to another state for work. He also told me that one of his old American made ones had a ratchet failure. No one was hurt. I remember working in the shop as a kid and they were old. That was 40 years ago.
Please include more tool dance moves, that is the type of stuff that makes my day. It also really comes to show which brand can flex the most!
Thanks for the feedback!
Came here to say the same thing! Some levity makes the reviews sizzle! 😂
Thanks for your consistent, concise & thorough testing. You reviews have helped me numerous times in purchase decisions I've made.
You are welcome! Glad to hear!
There are a couple of issues with the three legged stands
1) The maximum height is considerable less than the others. All the other jacks performance would improve at a comparably lower height setting.
2) The tipping performance is more dependent on alignment of the 3 legged jack than the 4 legged versions.
As for the ZSP jacks, they are a lawsuit in waiting
I can't believe that somebody would even make a jackstand like that. And then have the nerve to sell them for 178 dollars!!
@@DJsBackup That's so they can pay the lawyer's.
@@DJsBackup Yeah, looking at the materials and execution, those should cost no more than $30, and even that's $30 more than they're worth. Outrageous.
The price probably saves lives.
@@joedunn1109 Actually, that's a good point.
In 59 I was 3 and remember going to the hospital to see my dad. He had a shop where he primarily worked on manual transmissions. A car fell and crushed his skull and for 11 days he had blood running from his ear. He survived and later I found out the jack stands were made from removable axle housings. You could remove housings from each side of a differential housing. They had a notch curve cut from each small end to make a cradle. My brother opened his own shop and I worked for him about 30 years and always thought about my dad every time I used stands or hydraulic lift. One thing I always watched for is after the weight is on all the stands is the stand stable. Sometimes you don't have pressure straight down on the stand and their will be an almost unnoticeable side pressure. In other words each leg on each stand may not have the same pressure on it. If its not even the car may actually move with slight pressure on the fender. If its a small difference a tap on each of the 3 legs will settle the stand and equalize pressure and make the stand stable under load. When people put stands under a car on a sloped driveway you are basically setting a trap. If jack fails and stand catches the car it will shift and car can easily tilt the stand and car will fall from stand.
Good info.
I'm the same age as you and I remember seeing stands like those. They could have been made from a model A differential.
Thanks for sharing.
Please do this forever ! I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent and continue to spend researching tools before I buy.
I watch every single one of your videos, some several times, and a lot of times make the final call with your testing results.
Thank you. We really enjoy the videos.
Thank you!
Welcome to Heaven ! Where there is never a need to purchase twice.
As an engineer i wanted to note a few things.
1) the 3 legged jack stands will technically have a different tipping force depending on the direction the are tipping. (Highest when tipping in the direction of 1 foot, lowest when tipping in the direction straight between 2 feet)
2) i would be interested to see what the tipping for each stand would be in proportiong to their height (tipping force per inch) since that would give you a better standard of which stand is more stable.
3) for the downward force test, the prefered failure method would be one that slowly lets the bar sink down (which several had) and not crumpling of the feet. In the prefered failure method you would have some more warning, and it might not drop the load completely down.
Thanks for the feedback.
Allow me to sum this up for you in layman's terms. The bigger you are the harder you fall.
Love the dance moves! I'm such a fan of this channel for so many reasons, and the disco scene was hilarious! Thanks for all that you do to provide accurate testing and data for the products you review. I've recommended your channel time and time again to friends, and always find value in your videos. Please keep doing what you do!
Thanks, will do!
Great video! I have been using the Daytona jack stands in my shop for some time and feel very safe under them. On the weight test to failure, I was hoping that you would go back and test the other stands with the pin lock in place as intended with a heavy load. So one test with the pin lock and a second test without. Love your thoroughness in all your tests!
Same. I don't understand why he didn't do that.
Thank you!
He already ruined the other stand testing the handle. But yea its not testing the full capabilities of a pin locked stand.
Thank you for your unbiased reviews! I always look forward to your videos!
You are so welcome!
I really do appreciate you making these videos. I just got a Daytona low profile. 1.5 ton floor jack from harbor freight and I love it. Used it for the first time today. It's a bit tipsy on slanted driveway but just had to reposition smarter and it works great and cost me less than 100.00. next purchase is going to be the Daytona 3 ton jack stands for 50.00. I went with the best for the price and performance.Thank you again for the content.
You are welcome!
Thanks for highlighting the dangerous stands Todd. You have probably saved someone's life who will now use a safe set. Good man
Thanks and you are welcome!
Unless the contact point is unsuitable, rotate the stands 45 degrees (opposite on each side). Effectively enlarges the base in the direction of the most likely shift and changes the direction of the sloppy movement.
Great tip 👍
That's a great idea!
Makes sense!
Agreed, makers should rotate top adjustment from legs to be diagonal not square with it 14:36
That's a great idea except 1 little point: the rod top support area is oriented strictly in the plane with the legs and shouldn't be rotated.
Thank you once again for a very subjective and entertaining test of the products we all use every day. It blows my mind to think the ZSP brand costs $170. These are the same as the $10 ones from ebay and amazon being sold for a higher price to make people think, "They cost more, they have to be better." Out of curiosity, I looked on ebay and most of these are sold under different names and prices. The Daytona comes to mind when in the UK it can be found on ebay for £18.
You are welcome!
Daytona is a Harbor Freight brand.
That's exactly what was the most mind blowing in this test. You can get those for about $30 a pair from a local market here in more expensive countries of Northern Europe. I'd use them, but I know what I'm doing (and that they are cheap and not trustworthy). At least until now. ;)
I would love to see a comparison of rubbermaid type storage bins/tubs. I find that certain brands that claim they are weather tough or cold resistant still crack and shatter relatively easily. Maybe a cold resistance test since we’re getting into winter, a test of the lids for water resistance, or a test for shock when throwing heavy items inside. Thanks for all you do!
Yes! Especially the cold resistance, I hate brittle tubs.
this one sounds like it could be fun one
Great idea!
It is shocking how little side force is needed to knock a jack stand over.
I found that out the hard way changing flat on my old pickup truck. Though it was only on the cheapo jack that came with the truck. I couldn't get the wheel off (probably been on for 5 years) so I started beating on it with whatever I had in the truck bed. Eventually it fell off the jack taking a brake line out on the way down. She got the shortest tow ever back to my shop, about a block and a half.
I was thinking the same thing.
it's important to remember he had them all at max height, and there aren't a ton of scenarios where you would need *that* much clearance (although it depends on your vehicle of course).
And he does all his tests in very controlled environment with patience and good lighting.
170lbs is just over half my body weight, so if I lean on that just a little it'll cause it to fall. That's scary.
The thing I found most helpful in this video was the demonstration of a car falling off jack stands. I always wonder how sturdy they are when I am working on a car, but now I see that there are obvious visual indicators when it falls. Thanks!
Great video as always! I'm personally a fan of leaving the jack in place along with using the jackstands if I don't have access to a lift. Feels a touch safer especially if you need to reef on something
Thanks! Thanks for the feedback.
If I were a company, I would flex the project farm approval. Most unbiased guy out there good on ya been watching for years
Thanks for watching!
Hope you have a Pro
I wish you have a Project Farm trademarked logo.
Thank you. I depend on jack stands and it is nice to know the failure scenarios. Mine are decently made in China of the common designs shown here, but brand names are different here in Australia. I keep them as low as possible to minimise the side tipping over danger.
You are welcome! Thanks for the feedback.
I've personally bought some overkill 10 ton Jack stands that you buy individually (10 ton each capacity) to work on my cars maintenance, they're industrial solid chunk of steel with a solid steel pin that are going to last at least 100 years.
And now I don't have to worry about getting under my cars because of that, I've used them many times, they've paid for themselves many times over.
Not a damn thing wrong with that. Semi truck jack stands for auto, and heavy equipment stands for semi.
Same here, bought 2 sets of 22-ton jackstands (11-ton per) to work on my F-150 and other three family cars. Put the tires under the frame as well, and back the whole deal up with some 6x6 lumber. Total overkill, I know. But gives me peace of mind and although expensive, the money I save doing all my own work more than makes up for initial outlay. I’m an airline pilot, but have a good friend who is an A&P and told me of a few horror stories of people he had known with jack failures working on aircraft as well as cars.
The best part is the jack stands have a huge solid square metal plate as a base no wiggly legs here 👌and use chocks for your wheels.
What I love about your reviews is that it gives you a good sense of quality for the tool type, so even if I see a brand not reviewed by you, I can tell most of the time if it's going to be good or not. Thank you for doing this!
You are welcome!
Thank you for including Larin units in this test as I'd suggested in the previous jack stand review. I like them because there is no quick-drop feature.
I'm very happy to see you still reading the comments and taking our suggestions into account! Thank you for all of your time and effort. Your videos are invaluable.
Thanks and you are welcome!
He’s the shit
Thanks for this test because I don't know jack about jacks.
You are welcome!
One of your best videos, the safety demonstration is a sobering reminder of how risky home use tools can be.
Thanks!
I'm glad to see that the big reds were able to place at #3 on the list, especially at their lower price point. Based on other good reviews at the time, I bought two pairs of them a few years back.
One very important thing about the big reds, or any other brand of jack stand, is to inspect the weld quality when unboxing a new pair. I had to exchange one of the pairs because of bad welds that were full of holes.
Thanks for the feedback.
I also have 2 sets of pre c0vid produced Big Red jack stands and have used them many times, one is the previous model without the additional locking pin... The safety pin chains/split rings definitely need replaced with cable or even Para cord as they will eventually break... I also broke one of the roll pins by hand while attempting to be lazy while working on a project. The jack didn't have tons of pressure as it could rotate by hand, but trying to force drop it proved the safety feature actually worked atleast on that batch... But lesson learned, spend 5 minutes resetting instead of an hour to replace the roll pin with one that may be way stronger and no longer provide that safety feature 🤷♂️ luckily it was on the additional safety lock pin jack, so not a big safety issue since I ALWAYS use the safety pins! Although now with the price increase and possibly some quality control issues I may try a set of Harbor Freights next time, as I do work on asphalt/gravel occasionally and carrying my baseplates around gets old, even though they definitely increase safety... I have had great luck with Big Red hydraulic bottle and floor jacks aswell, but once again most were purchased pre late 2019... Nowadays many classic go to quality brands are guaranteed to throw you lemons... Moog, Every brand of car battery, many tire brands, AC Delco, Wix, many good parts store brands... The automotive replacement parts market has been an absolute disaster the last few years 😒 Even factory/dealership parts from new to old... It may never be the same since we keep buying the junk, not just from China, but low quality or poor quality control parts from Taiwan to Mexico to Korea to Japan to the USA... Glad I'm not a full time mechanic, or running a repair shop! 🫣
Saving peoples lives and money one video at a time. Thanks again for all the work you put into these tests, this is the best channel on youtube.
I'd like to make a suggestion on reviewing the best tarp. From the "heavy duty" harbor freight stuff, the silver/brown ones you get at Walmart, and a few high end (aka more expensive) ones. It'd have to be like a year long test to see how they hold up to UV, puncture and abrasion resistance, general durability, obviously water proofing from both rain and standing water, sagging over time, as well and whatever else you can come up with.
Thanks again for everything you do.
Thanks and you are welcome! Thanks for the suggestion.
As a career tire guy that has worked on everything from wheel barrow tires all the way up to the biggest tires in the world, I really appreciate this video. Jack stands are absolute life savers no matter the size of vehicle
Thanks!
Im not sure how difficult they would be to get in the states but I would really like to see some Mastercraft brand products tested in the future if possible, Its a very popular brand for low cost tools here in Canada, sold at the store Canadian Tire which is sort of like a tool store, Automotive store and sporting goods store rolled into one. Great videos as always
I love your work and your character! Your tests are always well conceived, thoroughly investigated and concisely explained. Thank you for all your time and sacrifices, you are an icon and guru.
Thanks and you are welcome!
NO ... they're NOT! I'll admit that MANY of his tests are fair and accurate, but some, like this one, allow him the SKEW the results toward what he wants them to be. He has biasing built into some of his tests, even if he won't acknowledge it or repeat the tests without the bias. Eg in BOTH tipping tests, at 6:18 and 12:19, he had BOTH the three legged ESCO stands with the base of the triangle in the direction he was tipping the vehicle, so of COURSE it's going to be EASIER to tip (the center of the BASE of a triangle is HALF the distance to the triangle's center-point as any corner), as if he was DELIBERATELY trying to SKEW THE RESULTS for the triangular stands AWAY from a higher tip value.
I think the key take away from this video is that the danger with jack stands is not putting too much weight on them, it's every other way they can fail!
Great point!
Thanks for the feedback.
Yup, and all the issues shown here are WAY worse with the little scissor jacks that come with cars for installing a spare. Watched my buddy wrench the whole car off one, folding it in half in the process, trying to snug the lug nuts up once, before putting it down.
@michaelscarport Sure, there is a right way to do it which is at least relatively safe. That doesn't change my point.
I think most people have never considered that just wrenching the nut they could exert enough force to pull the whole car down.
@@Nevir202 You definitely have to be careful depending on the type of jack or stands you are using and the surface you're on.
Very good testing! I also have seen the effects of a car falling on an acquaintance. Drove up to his place and found him pinned. His floor jack had failed without jackstands in use. I was able to use my Buick factory tire change jack to get enough pressure off him so he could breathe. He stayed pinned for another 15 minutes until we located another jack capable of getting the car up enough to get him out. Horrible and still hard to recall.
By the way, I really had a great laugh at the dance moves there at the end of your testing! Needed that today!
Thanks! Thanks for sharing.
Considering each PAIR was rated for 6 tons, I was very impressed to see that most of the brands were able to hold almost 18 tons per stand.
when it comes to a life or death device, it's not uncommon for it to be engineered for 3 or more times the rated capacity so there is a massive margin of safety against improper use, defects, etc.
They understate the SWL because there are idiot who will use them past their rated SWL
Just dig a hole in your back yard wide and deep enough and then just jump down in and have someone drive the car over it :) Just don't ask the wife to do it because if she is mad at you she may not come back out and move the car to let you get out when you are done :)
Those numbers are where they experienced catastrophic failure when tested until failure all in one go though. They really tell you nothing about what kind of weight the stands can safely handle over and over again and still remain just as mechanically sound as they were when they came out of the box.
The folding stands will degrade over time (rust west n tear etc). Those with a ratchet centre support should last a lifetime if not abused.
I would love to see a test on dead blow hammers. The Snap On prices are out of this world compared to the Trusty Cooks or Tektons. Durability of the handle and hammer face as well as recoil would be ideal, plus any other metrics you can measure. Keep up the great work!
Thanks, will do! Thanks for the suggestion.
One of the reasons snap on tools are so expensive is because they are almost all made in the USA at a union factory. Everybody claims they want to support union made in america stuff instead of offshore imports, but then when given the opportunity they balk at putting their money where their mouths are
@@SuperAWaC Saying union built products can't be competitively priced doesn't reflect well on unions. I'm not a route customer so I have to chase down trucks or pay 10-20% shipping on online orders that take a week to get a tracking number. If that's what a union results in then I'll start explicitly buying non-union built items.
Snap On sells tools that get used hard by professionals and warranties them for life. That and the fact that they are the premier brand allows them to sell at a large markup.
Most urethane dead blow hammers are fine. My previous one never let me down. Stanley, Estwing, Gearwrench, are all fine. Just pick the right size for your work. 1 1/2 to 2 pound are good for me.
@@SuperAWaC I mean, I knew a guy who did heat treat for snap on, and other brands like harbor freight(nickname hazard fraught). US shop, sure. Union, no. Snap On used worse quality of steel, and worse heat treat regimes than harbor freight, because they knew no one would care if it broke if they would just replace it no questions asked.
That said, I support made in America, or any country with actual quality and labor standards, like Germany, Japan, the UK, or even Taiwan. But given my experiences with unions first hand, I can't say I'd support them if I had a choice between two equally good and equally priced items.
Amazing video as usual, but if you would be willing to take suggestions, I would suggest also doing a standardized height lateral force test as to eliminate the jacks’ different maximal heights in the future.
For example, if all jacks can reach 23in, then have a test where you see how much lateral force needs to be applied to make them fall over at that height, and then also run the maximal height test.
This would be very helpful as to be able to compare apples to apples and focus more on the jack’s design
Wasn't there at least one that couldn't go high enough to support the truck without lowering the truck wheels first? It's kind of hard to standardize that to a single force, though perhaps setting the overly-low jack stand on a stack of planks to get it to standard height might do.
Thanks for the suggestion.
While valid these tests are testing each jack in its worst position. I think that’s valid as it shows how different dimensions affect the safety of the jack.
NO --Because you will be tempted to set it at the HIGHEST SETTING !
NO --Because you will be tempted to set it at the HIGHEST SETTING
GREAT TESTS !!! Thank you & Love Your Channel ,,,It is the Best !!!
Awesome jack stand dancing! I updated my Torin stands to the new Daytona's (2 pairs) and also picked up some wheel chucks. Definitely feel safer under the vehicle, and I also use my jack as a backup...always have some kind of backup in case something fails. Also, push on vehicle from several directions to make sure it is stable before going under. I drove by someone the other day who had their front left corner lifted with a jack only and the long jack handle stuck way out it the street, just dying for someone to hit it...not good.
Thanks! Thanks for sharing.
Saw that and stopped and put jackstand undercar,was worth losing a jackstand than wondering what happened or seeing the news report
Great video as always!
The tipping comparisons would have been better if you had adjusted the stands so they were at the same height. That would have removed the disadvantage from the taller stands.
Also, the lack of pads on the jack legs may have actually helped rather than hurt in your test - if the legs compressed the rubber all the way so the force was being borne by the concrete then no further compression would occur when you tipped them, making them more rather than less stable.
And to your second point.... The rubber is a terrible replication of asphalt. While depicting visually how the feet will dig in for those who've never seen it, it's a good showing. However in execution of this test, there is the subsurface (concrete) that acts as the backer, like you explain. In reality, asphalt has dirt, or cloth coverd dirt.
Moral of the story. Get padded feet. I used to have 3/4 oak plywood plates that I would place under my older jack stands when deployed atop asphalt.
Not sure if already mentioned, but the lateral force test to have the stand tip seems like it should either be done at the same extension height. Or, have a way to take the height into effect. I'd think higher jacks (all else being equal) would be more apt to tip over than one with a shorter extension.
But otherwise a well thought out (and entertaining to watch!) test.
Yep - the advantage of a higher working lift costs the jack in the tip over.
He did mention that fact but did not make a strong point of it.
I never use jack stands anywhere near maximum height just to be safe.
Great video. Love the dancing!! I have 2 sets of the Larin. They are actually rated at 6 tons for each stand. I like them alot. The only downside is not having as many height selections as ratcheting ones. Great video, like always!!
Thanks and you are welcome!
Would live to see you test car ramps next! I remember watching my older brother in horror as he drove his 74 cougar up onto them when i was 9! I alway thought they were so scarey and dangerous. Would love to see them tested to see if they are safe/worth your time!
I was just about to leave the same comment. I was looking for ramps about a year ago and found a lot of competing advice. Some people loved the plastic rhino ramps and some hated them. The steel ones can be difficult to climb without slipping. Ultimately, I found a used pair of steel ramps with an odd pivoting pre-ramp section. One of the biggest problems was finding a ramp that wasn't too steep for my son's car to avoid killing the bumper.
I made my ramps from wood scaffold planks. They are the good planks stamped osha approved. Just cut to different lengths then stack them on top of eachother, plenty of the good exterior grade wood glue and plenty of screws. They can never collapse.
i drove my c1500 up car ramps once, they certainly were not rated for what i was doing, had to back off again and just have less working space
I agree a vehicle maintenance ramp test would be great!
@@JimLambier, my wife's Subaru Impreza wagon has the same problem. The fix is simple. Get an 8 foot 2X8. Cut 4 16" pieces. Take 2 of the pieces and put them on the ground so they just barely touch each ramp. Then take the other 2 pieces and place them on the first 2 pieces. Now slide them until they also just barely touch the ramp. Then nail them together. Now when you drive up on the 2X8s, the front of your car will go up and the bumper should clear the ramps.
@Project Farm. Thanks Todd for the informative testing of these jack stands and the entertainment at the end.
I want to suggest testing fire extinguishing blankets that are used to put out kitchen fires.
Hope you and your family stay safe and well.
The victory dance was HILARIOUS!!! Thanks for another GREAT video!
You are welcome!
As always excellent video, Todd. Safety is paramount it's crazy how bad some quality control is on something that's protecting your life. Thoughts about doing a set of tests on automotive windshield washer fluid/cleaner?
Todd, has anyone ever tested if all levels are actually level? I don’t mean the bubble, but checking if the level housing is actually correctly indexed to the bubble housing. That might be interesting to see.
They are not. You can spend an hour checking levels at the box store and not find one that reads consistently.
@@snowdog90210 Well, so lets see which ones are the best.
One word: Stabila. Or a machinist's level. Neither are cheap, but cheap can also be good. My cheap light aluminum 4" level from 20 years ago is still perfectly true but a fancy wood and brass one bought at the same time was slightly off and grew worse with time.
That is a video I would really enjoy! I’ve used an electronic level, but it has a self calibration feature… but how am I supposed to know what surface is level enough to run the self calibration on?
@@P_RO_ I remember a while back I suggested this very same thing to see which are the most accurate.
I have 3 ton jack stands from the early 90s. Similar to a few in this video. They been great but honestly, they are built stronger my opinion. I better not see them trying to show me any moves either! Lol Great video! Me and others really appreciate your hard work putting these demostrations out there for us!
*"They don't build them like they used to" is a cliche for a reason*
Thanks for the feedback.
Excellent tests. One additional comment. The jack stands are really only for vertical loads. When I put a vehicle on 2 jack stands, I chock the other 2 wheels fromt and rear. That reduces the side loads on the jack stands as the tires then resist a lot of the side load. I had a car fall off a scissor jack. Bruised some ribs. Car had tires on, so I wasn't crushed, but ribs were painful for a month. That was over 40 years ago and I never took that risk again.
Thanks! Thanks for sharing.
Love the dancing part for sure!
A recommendation would be testing whether using more than recommended amounts of product like (fuel system cleaner, stop leak, stabilizer, octane boost, oil additive, etc) is harmful or gives better results.
Keep the videos up! Love em’!
Me too
Thanks, will do! Thanks for the suggestion.
That's some scary stuff they are selling these days. Good video on safety risks... Thanks!
Thank you very much!
Really love your reviews Todd. I was hoping to account for the extra height so it wouldn't be a disadvantage to overachieve. Maybe you could do something like an ft/degrees equivalent or put all of the jacks on the heighest of the lowest Jack's settings for one of the tests? Seems like some of those super tall ones would take the lead if lowered a little doesn't it?
Thanks! Thanks for the suggestion.
It almost looks like some of these jack stands were made in the same factory and painted different colors and given a different name - some of the welds look amazingly similar - like they are all equally crappy welds - i am amazed at how much side to side movement they have when fully extended - project farm provides alot of great info so i know just what to look for when im shopping for jack stands - keep up the great work ! It is greatly appreciated
Thanks, will do!
Great video as usual. Personally I'd never go under a car with the jack stands full extended. I wonder what the results would look like with everything set at say 20" or 22".
Thanks! Thanks for the feedback.
Thanks for the video, I have a 20 year old set of Husky jack stands, they look better than the new ones. I also, always chock the wheels.
I use a square 16" X 16" X 1/4" thick steel plate under them on gravel, since I don't have a concrete or asphalt driveway!
You are welcome! Thanks for the feedback.
Great lineup, and great way of testing!
I agree with side load being the most dangerous with jack stands.
Great work! Cheers from Wisconsin.
Thanks and you are welcome!
The world is a better place because of videos like this one. Imagine trying to commission such a video and what it would cost to produce!
Thanks!
The first stands we ever bought were actually pretty much exactly those folding things😅 But the first time I actually wanted to work underneath the car I spontaneously went to the market and bought some beefy ridgid 4-legged ones, because I was scared as heck by the thought of trusting the flippy flappys with my life😂😂 And now after seeing this I am so glad I did that😅
You made a very good descision as you likely wouldn't have been here with us to post this comment if you had crawled under your car with just those flimsy folding jacks holding it up. Man, those things should be illegal with how dangerously unsafe they are.
You wouldn’t be writing these words if you didn’t do that simple common sense thing.
Honestly the ZSP's folding design isn't the issue. The compressive force is pretty well accounted for, they just used inadequate material for shearing and tensile loading.
Obviously I'm not saying they're safe, they clearly aren't. Just that the folding design itself isn't the problem.
@@ACME_Kinetics the folding design isn’t exactly the problem, but because the rest of the design sucks, it should be taken off the market. It’s insanely overpriced and it’s completely inadequate for the purpose. I’d never trust a flimsy POS that is made of clearly inferior materials
The hinge pins, if I’m not mistaken, since I refuse to watch the entire video again, were rivets or something similar. They themselves would be shear-able. A solid compressive material, not a grade 8 bolt, (though it would be a good idea) should be used simply to reinforce that part of the design. Thin gauge steel? For a price even approaching $100, that would be a reasonable expectation, but these things were another $75 beyond.
Yeah, I know I have wasted too much time and energy. Im pretty bored tonight.
@@STV-H4H That design of stand is often sold around £10 - £20 at Lidl or Aldi in the U.K. I want to say at the lower end, so maybe £15 for a pair? So around $20 U.S. If you were charged $178 for them, you might have a very unreasonable expectation for them! At a more normal price you might realise that you are getting what you paid for, which is not a lot. If you use them, keep the jack in place and if wheels are off, put them under the car where they can help catch it if it falls. Same with the "proper" axle stands.
Great review! I bought the TCE 3 ton jack stands off Amazon recently and have used them a few times. They seem to do a great job, but I don’t think I’d ever crawl underneath a car that’s only supported by jack stands. I like to use Rhino Ramps, wood blocks or my rims as a safety backup.
Thanks! Thanks for the feedback.
You can never be too safe.
@@o_smoke_a The purpose of jack stands is to carry the vehicle's weight while you're under the vehicle. If you would never get under a vehicle on jack stands, then clearly you should not buy jack stands.
@@o_smoke_a It's much safer to never lift a car at all. So don't ever lift your car.
Thanks for another great video- mostly curious about the Esco stands (and the recent Harbor Freight versions). I noticed in the stability tests you faced two legs parallel with the direction being pushed toward - both when you did side-to-side and forward pushing two legs were in that direction. Wonder how they would do if they were faced opposites of each other as it seems the single leg would provide additional stability...? They are the only style of stand that allows for positioning like that, I think it would be worth testing.
I own the Esco's, both shorty and tall versions. When aligned they are just as good as traditional 4 legged stands. I like the additional working room they offer and the flat top which doesn't damage unibody vehicles - use a hockey puck with slot cut for pinch welds. In my opinion no one should rely on only jack stands. I always either have something under the vehicle that will allow me to wiggle out should they fail (vehicle damage be dammed at that point), or leave the jack in place if possible.
Thanks for the suggestion.
i love the victory dance lol the humor in the video is a very nice touch! hope to see more of that in future videos!
Thanks!
It's really amazing that even cheap jack stands can support upwards of 15 tons each. Nice to know that practically every jack stand (except the ZSP!) far exceeds it's rated capacity. In your opinion, what can manufacturers do to improve side-load protection? Maybe a future episode where you could build and test various side-load protection devices?
The side-load protection device is to properly raise your vehicle so it rests on 3 points. In the case of this video, he should have left the jack _juuuuust_ touching under the differential housing or even the rear bumper. On something like a front-wheel drive, even resting under the oil pan is enough to keep you from dying. I understand the point he was trying to show in the video, but to be in that situation at all is a bad practice.
wider bases for one, maybe pentagon or hexagon bases instead of square
Thanks for the suggestion.
They could make a wider base but they seem to want to make them compact. I suppose a person could jury rig an attachment to make them safer but I think it's better to just have a backup safety like some blocks wood or something.
@@dtester Just as a note, the US Jack foot print is about 2-3" larger than most others and it didn't really seem to help them much. In practice, they can be mildly cumbersome to use because of it.
Your videos are always entertaining and always informative. I loved the extra humor you added on this video (I know it was more work, but a dancing jack stand made me laugh and was awesome to see). Thank you for all your hard work sir! I was wondering if you could test different gas stations gases and see if there is a difference? I recently went on a trip and got some cheaper gas and I lost 10 mpg with that gas (it was windy too so there is that). I was wondering how much different is each “brands” gasoline. Maybe future video?
Thank you for the video idea!
I bought some Husky jack stands a while back, think I got the right ones. Thanks for the video!
As I get older, I'm starting to appreciate a good flashlight. Would be nice to see a video about the newer rechargeable ones out in the market.
You are welcome! Thanks for the feedback.
Oh man you're going to be blown away by the last 10 years of flashlight development if you aren't familiar with them. LEDs and high drain 18650 batteries have made them small and powerful with flawless beams. There are whole online communities around them.
@@loungelizard3922 oh yeah, even 21700 cell based flashlights can be really small now, with the added capacity of a beefier cell
Wow. I've always admired his efforts in testing for us but this was over the top for work put in.
Thank you so much. Google of jack stands showed a lot that looked indistinguishable. This gives me what I need, thanks again.
Thanks and you are welcome!
I purchased a pair of Hein-Werner 6 ton stands a couple years ago, very satisfied. Looks like some of the imports are reliable/safe as well. Good show Todd, always enjoy them.
Thank you!
This man is saving people's lives and he doesn't even realize it.
Back in the 80s I used those folding ones because it was all I could afford and my friends were just relying on the jack. Luckily my early British sports cars didn't weigh a whole lot and my stands had simpler and stronger leg locks. But 40 years of crawling under vehicles later, I'm using stands rated at 6 tons each in all four corners of my 5" lifted 3 ton LR4. Better safer than flatter.
Thanks for sharing.
I love all the testing you do - most times its products I don't think I'll ever need but I try to watch every video anyway! Why? Well, obviously the testing is kind of the main point, but the witty monologue is a definite factor. And then often there are awesome moments like at 17:09. Dancing jackstands? That is the mark of a creative genius!
It's astounding how bad those ZSP stands were, especially with how expensive they are! I hope nobody out there is stuck using those deathtraps.
Very interesting. Somethings were not what I expected. Man I'm leery of chinese jack stands because of the mystery metal they will often use, but was pleasantly surprised they weren't too bad. I have to buy a 10 ton jack stand kit soon and will try to use this knowledge for it. Thanks for another great vid!
When only the best Chinesium will do!
You are welcome! Thanks or the feedback.
Totally agree about leaving the jack in place or better, blocking appropriately with wood in case something does go south. Thank you for this great vid! I'm curious about those black-colored jack stands Harbor Freight is pushing with high capacity?
@suspicionofdeceit I've gotten cars almost completely on ramps just to see them slide off. In every case, it was because I didn't chalk the wheels in the front or the back. And with jack stands it's even more critical to block each portion near the wheel.
The dancing skit was hilarious. 🤣😂 Thanks for always providing awesome reviews! Big Reds is what I got for Christmas, nice to see they did pretty well.
Thanks and you are welcome!
This is one of my worst fears. I was working on a car under jackstands and got massively claustrophobic out of nowhere. Before that I've never been claustrophobic in my life and this was only a few years ago.
I feel your pain…didn’t know I was scared of heights til I walked out of elevator in the Stratosphere in Vegas…..Damn near barfed and seriously dry heaved.
It happens as we get older same thing with temperatures our bodies won’t or can’t tolerate as much.
Build yourself some DIY wheel cribs/jackstands out of 2x4 & 2x6. They can get REAL tall, are hella strong, and very stable. So glad I built mine.
I cut down some Osha approved wooden scaffold planks to stack and screw together that I use as backups under the car while it's on jack stands. I'll even put a few under each wheel. Even if the stands do tip for some odd reason the car will still be supported on all the wood. People would say it's overboard, I just think it's being 100% safe.
@@jfruserDitto. Every time I'm working in my garage I'll have a neighbor ask about them.
They're easy to build with simple, accessible materials and they're by far the safest way to lift a vehicle for underside work.
This was a good test subject, I've always kind of wondered how jackstands would do with a side to side motion. The little light cheap ones were scary as hell.
Yes they were! BUT they weren't cheap!
Glad I've always had Husky jack stands. Arguably the best value per money of the group tested.
Thanks for the feedback.
Really like these videos, very useful, and appreciated.
Looks as though it would be worth it to use pieces of plywood (3/4 by the distance between the feet2 to distribute the weight better on asphalt (or gravel!)
Looking at the last chart, I opted for Big Red. Your mileage may vary.
You know companies make some phone calls when Todd says "We're gonna test that!" 😂
Lol
I love the humor of the dancing jack stands on such a serious subject! The side loading can be a big issue if you live in earthquake country like some of us do.
A very complete overall test, but that is usually the rule here on the Project Farm channel !
Thanks!
Looks like the ZSP jack stands were designed to be collapsible, which might make them more easily stored - in a trunk - for instance. Unfortunately, they made them collapsible in more than one sense, though 😄
Collapsable and jack stand just don't go together in any positive way.
The zsp are a scam, a worse made version of some of the same design I bought new from an economy grocery store for equivalent of 15 dollars a few years ago. My better made version is only rated at either 1.5 or perhaps 2 tons for the pair, convenient and compact for some occasional tasks around the shop but not really fit for any automotive tasks beyond backing up the jack to quickly change a wheel on a 90's econo euro hatchback weighing less than a ton, even then only because you're not getting under it to change a wheel.
those zsps are just a lawsuit waiting to happen
you have a super duper useful channel.. i watch you often.. and use you for reference often on tools and very much on oil.. thanks for your time