In Reply to: Tractor Jack Stands? posted by Charlie (IA) on June 04, 2014 at 15:15:42:
First, let's separate jack stands into three categories:
1) Cheap, flimsy ones sold by discount stores to unsuspecting victims working on Honda civics or Kia econoboxes. Made out of sheet metal and muffler tubing that bends if you give it a mean glare. They adjust by using a pin in a series of holes in the ram tube.
2) Decent jackstands with hefty rams and wide, well-designed bases made of pretty heavy steel. Sold by varied sources from auto parts stores to Harbor Freight/Tractor Supply/Northern Tool. These are sturdy, adjust easily, and can easily handle the rated loads. They adjust with a double pawl that engages teeth in the cast ram.
3) Professional automotive,truck, and industrial jack stands that are meant to be used every day by professional mechanics. These may look nearly identical to the common #2 style (above), but may have forged parts instead of cast and probably weigh more in a given size because of sturdier build. Some use pins and round tubes for ram adjustment, but are so sturdy that they should not be considered to be of "similar design."
I have a pair of OTC #1779B stands that use a round tube and pin adjustment. They are 33-3/4" low and 44-1/4" high for adjustment, and have a 16" round diameter base. I use these when I need to get something up off the ground to work under while sitting upright. They are extremely sturdy, rated at 12 tons per pair, but also cost close to $250.00 each from the cheapest source I can find.
I also have several sets of Harbor Freight stands of the type with ratchet teeth on the solid rams. They are of a variety of sizes, some with formed sheet-steel bases and others with bases fabricated from standard angle iron. All work well within their rated capacity. As a general rule, the higher the weight rating, the taller the stand. This also relates to base size as well.
The relation of base size to height is consistent when dealing with stands. The higher you raise the work above the ground, the larger the base area needs to be. Beyond that, jack stands seem to have less base size than other alternatives.
I find the best bang for your buck is category #2. Pick the height you want and forget about the load capacity, because you won't come near it while working on your N Ford tractor!
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