Mega Jack Stand Review 1 – ESCO, Harbor Freight, and Torin

Sharka surrounded by an army of jack stands.

Sharka surrounded by an army of jack stands.

Welcome to the official revlimiter.net Jack Stand Review. In the following few thousand words, I’ll attempt to give a detailed and impartial review of several types of jack stands on the market as of 2010. The review will be skewed to how the stands work with a Mazda Miata, but this should be helpful to just about anyone with a smaller car that has a desire to work on it.

Before I begin, I’d like to state that I’ve not been paid for this. I’ve not received any of these stands from manufacturers for the purpose of reviewing them. I bought all of them with my own money. I didn’t even ever intend to do this. I basically found myself with a whole flock of jack stands in my garage one day and decided to write a review.

Always be safe!

revlimiter.net. is not responsible for bodily injury or property damage that results from misuse of automotive tools including jack stands. This review is meant for informational purposes only. It is to help you evaluate differences between these five models of jack stands. Follow all directions and safety procedures outlined in each stand’s manual. (Yes, these stands actually come with manuals.) Always remember that your car can kill you especially when you are working under it!

The 5 stands at their minimum height.

The 5 stands at their minimum height.

The 5 stands at their maximum height.

The 5 stands at their maximum height.

The Jack Stands:

(click to zoom to each stand’s review)

Poor Prime. No Autobot buddies to put him at ease.

Poor Prime. No Autobot buddies to put him at ease.

The Helpers: Optimus Prime, Megatron, Soundwave, Starscream, and Shockwave (super-deformed Mighty Mugg versions).

Robots are much more fun than boring old coke cans for scale comparison. And they can do useful things like holding a 12″ tape measure. Still, I’ve included a coke can (Mt. Dew actually) for those who might not be familiar with the exact size of a Mighty Mugg Transformer.

Harbor Freight 3 Ton Heavy Duty Jack Stands

Harbor Freight 3 Ton Heavy Duty Jack Stands

Harbor Freight 3 Ton Heavy Duty Jack Stands

Price: $32. $20 on sale. I’ve never seen these not on sale.
Buy from: your local Harbor Freight store or harborfreight.com

May 2020 Update: HF Jack Stands Recalled!

HF Stand Recall

HF Stand Recall

In May of 2020, Harbor Freight recalled a BUNCH of their stands made between 2012 and 2020. These jack stands were sold under the Pittsburg brand name, and can be identified by item numbers 56371 or 61196 on 3-ton models, and 61197 on 6-ton models.

If you own these stands, please check your part numbers. They may need to be returned to HF. You’ll receive a gift card or exchange for a new set.
————-

HF 3 ton jack stand

HF 3 ton jack stand

HF 3 ton jack stand

HF 3 ton jack stand

Lift height: 11.75″ minimum, 16.75″ maximum.

Base dimensions: 7.5″ x 7″

Construction: Welded cast iron. Very good construction in my opinion. The welds are straight and even. There are small gussets in each of the base feet to (I assume) prevent sinkage in mud or sand. For $20, these feel extremely well made and are the bargain buy of the bunch.

HF 3 ton jack stands at the minimum height

HF 3 ton jack stands at the minimum height

Ease of use: Very good. This set of stands is easy to carry around your shop. The minimum height isn’t too extreme, so you don’t have to jack your car into the sky to use them. For random projects like oil changes or bleeding brakes, I prefer a smaller/lower stand. For large projects like an engine swap or transmission drop, I’ll reach for a larger stand every time. These are a really great set of small stands.

HF 3 ton jack stand post detail

HF 3 ton jack stand post detail

Post design: The post features a deep groove. This totally prevents any contact with the Miata’s bottom seam weld. The reinforced metal pad on the inside of the frame rail (where the stock scissor jack actually contacts) takes all of the load. I’ve never used a stand with this style post. For the past 10 years, I’ve had stands that have used the pinch weld as the load point. I’ve never crushed that pinch weld. I’m on the fence about this style of post.

Stability: Good. The extra heft of these stands over a similar 2 ton version really gives these the edge in stability. The base is not very wide, but it does the job considering the lifting height of these stands.

Overall: As I mentioned above, this really is the bargain of the bunch. For $20 it’s hard to beat a pair of these Harbor Freight stands. Spend a bit more per pair and get the rubber post covers to ensure no harm comes to your paint. If you have an HF store in your town, what are you waiting for? Heck, there’s a very good chance that you own 4 of these already.

Torin Aluminum 3 Ton Race Jack Stands

Torin 3 ton aluminum jack stand

Torin 3 ton aluminum jack stand

Price: $70 per pair.
Buy from: NorthernTool.com, but I’ve heard some Pepboys locations keep these in stock.

Torin 3 ton aluminum jack stand

Torin 3 ton aluminum jack stand

Torin 3 ton aluminum jack stand

Torin 3 ton aluminum jack stand

Lift height: 10.75″ minimum to 15.6″ maximum

Base dimensions: 6.75″ by 7.5″ Small. Hexagonal. Which is better than small and round. The base actually fits INSIDE my MVP 2 ton stands with the exact same base dimensions.

Speaking of round, I need to take a moment out of this review for a warning. There’s a blue version of these stands with a round base available. Amazon sells one. I think Snap On also sells this same round aluminum stand. I believe this stand to be incredibly dangerous. What happens if a round stand tips a little bit while supporting a car? The round base becomes a wheel. At least with the hexagonal base that the Torin stands use, there’s no possibility of it transforming into a wheel. So, props to Torin for the base design. I just wish it was a bit bigger.

Construction: Machined aluminum. These stands consist of main pieces: the base, the tube, and the post. All are machined out of solid aluminum. They fit together very well. The small silver base is connected to the red tube via a single screw.

Torin aluminum jack stands in action

Torin aluminum jack stands in action

Ease of use: Extremely good. These aluminum stands weigh nothing and are easy to toss around your shop/garage/pit. They are also nice and small. A pair fits easily in the Miata’s trunk along with with the small Harbor Freight aluminum race jack. For changing tires at the track, it’s hard to beat this stand. But for doing any work in your garage at all? There are many better stands.

Torin jack stand post detail

Torin jack stand post detail

Post design: The post is rather wide for such a small jack stand. It’s also flat. I prefer a flat post to a grooved one. The post is extremely strong. There’s not really any point of failure. The whole “tube” inspires a lot of confidence. Alas, the small base takes that confidence right away.

Stability: Poor. These stands are manufactured to very tight tolerance. All 4 of mine are exactly the same height. Exactly. And the aluminum construction means no give whatsoever. And my garage floor is not perfectly flat. See where this is going? It’s teeter-totter city. I have a hell of a time getting a car stable if supported by 4 of these stands. Add that to the extremely small base and you have a very nervous Miata mechanic.

Overall: These stands have their use. I believe that is at a track changing tires. I personally do that with the car only supported by the jack. But now that I have these little aluminum stands? I’ll be throwing one in the trunk every time I go out to kill some cones. However, that’s pretty much where the usefulness of these stands stops. They are not very good in a garage. I would not lay under a car if supported by these tiny stands. Brake work with 90% of my body not under the car is where I draw the line. And for the price? There are a lot of better jack stands in the world. Harbor Freight sells some.

ESCO 3 Ton Flat Top Jack Stands

ESCO 3 ton jack stand

ESCO 3 ton jack stand

Price: $78. EACH!!!! And that’s a sale price. I’ve seen these for $90 each. In other words, a set of four will run you around $400.
Buy from: The internet. I got mine from ASEdeals. Great customer service and free shipping!

ESCO 3 ton jack stand

ESCO 3 ton jack stand

ESCO 3 ton jack stand

ESCO 3 ton jack stand

Lift height: 13″ minimum, 21″ maximum.

Base dimensions: Triangular with the legs 12.5″ apart

Construction: Welded steel tripod. The welds are nice and clean. Nice painted silver finish on the stands. Very well made. And they seem to be hand made, not something done by a robot in a factory. I was a little hesitant to spend this kind of money on jack stands, but the high quality of these ESCOs put my mind at ease the moment I opened the box.

ESCO jack stands in action

ESCO jack stands in action

Ease of use: Could be better. These stands are huge and heavy. That means they require a bit more work to lug around your shop. You have to raise your car a bit higher to get these under it. And they take up more space when not in use. But…. well…. they’re worth it. These stands are totally worth the hassle.

ESCO jack stand post detail

ESCO jack stand post detail

Post design: The post is HUGE. It dwarfs any other stand I’ve ever seen. The post is basically the same size as the pad on your floor jack. The rubber pad comes on it from the factory. ESCO says this style is designed for cars with flat frame rails. It works fine on the Miata’s pinch weld and even better under my FM frame rail armor. Really, these posts are like nothing I’ve ever seen before on a jack stand. Amazing.

Stability: Perfect. Could not be more stable. There is not one millimeter of shake in the car when held up by four of these stands. I can always feel at least a little bit of movement when I shake the car after lowering it onto a set of jack stands. Just a little bit. But not with these ESCO stands. It’s like the car is supported by solid metal beams.

Overall: These are the perfect jack stands. As of July of 2010, there’s nothing else on the market of higher quality than these stands. Yes, they cost a lot. But the feeling of stability is worth it to me. I’d sleep under a car supported by these stands. I’d trust my life to them. Can you say that about your current set of jack stands?

Part 2 is right around the corner!

Additional photos

ESCO stand vs Torin stand.

ESCO stand vs Torin stand.

The ESCO pad is wider than the jack point.

The ESCO pad is wider than the jack point.

The far-side helper stands for the entire review.

The far-side helper stands for the entire review.

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  • Brad says:

    Thank You!!!! Terrific review and comparison with detailed photos. This is one of the best reviews of any kind I’ve seen. I now know what I need to buy.

  • Chris says:

    Thanks, I’m buying a set of the Esco stands after a cheap set of v-shaped autozone stands slipped and bent the shit out of the pinch weld on my stealth and cracked my sideskirt.

    • revlimiter says:

      I think you’ll be extremely pleased with the Esco stands. I’ve not had a single moment of buyer’s remorse.

      Sorry to hear about the skirt and pinch weld. But better those get hurt than you get trapped/crushed under your car.

  • Rick says:

    I have looked for something just like this that won’t hurt that pinch weld, but I’m always unsure about the exact point to place my jack for correct lifting of the vehicle.

    This is seriously a great site.

    • revlimiter says:

      Take a look at this. It’s for a Miata and on a Miata aftermarket site, but it has worked on every car I’ve tried it on. That includes a Mazda3 and a Honda S2000.

      http://flyinmiata.com/index.php?deptid=5681&parentid=0&stocknumber=35-70000

      Great little tool. No more pinch weld damage.

      • mihai says:

        I have the torin 2ton and a 6ton stands and have no idea where to place them on my g37s coupe. If i put them under the unibody it rips off the coating exposing the metal and dents it a bit, and at the pinch welds it bends them as well. Any advice… forums dont have clear answers and havent found anything else online. The miata is light and the pinch welds can support its weight but for a g37s i feel theyre too weak to support its weight. Where can I place them? Thanks in advance and great article btw

  • Steve says:

    Absolutely a top notch review. This gem of a page is going into the archive and forwarded to all my mates. Exactly the info I needed!

    Top Job!

    Cheers’

    Steve

  • Rob says:

    Thanks a lot for doing this review. It was really helpful and after I read it, I finally decided on the ESCOs like you recommended. Your thoughtfulness in helping others is truly appreciated.

  • michael says:

    Thanks for taking the time and effort to write this all up. This is a huge help to us inquisitive do-it-yourselfers. Again, I could not be more grateful. Thank you.

  • DOUG says:

    Thanks for the great write-up. Love the robots! Picked up a set of escos. Have 4 HF ones already but the grooves were tearing up my underside a bit.

    • Adam says:

      You’ll love the Esco stands. Sharka just spent a week on them with me crawling under at random times. Totally secure. Love those stands.

  • […] Re: Anyone Else Have a Fear About Getting Under Your 3/S? I'm also planning on buying some ESCO jack stands…Might wanna check out this site on jack stands. Mega Jack Stand Review 1 – ESCO, Harbor Freight, and Torin — revlimiter.net […]

  • […] Freight, Esco Jack Stands Per this: https://revlimiter.net/blog/2010/07/m…stand-review-1 clearly the Esco stands are the best, but at $68 a stand […]

  • John says:

    Thanks, I just ordered two ESCO jack stands for my corvette!

    Great Review,

    John

  • Jason says:

    Great review to this day. Thanks for the effort you put into it. Very helpful.

  • Dennis says:

    The good review could have been an ‘excellent’ review if “specifications” were included such as ‘tons per jack stand’, any official standards ratings, and any manufacturers ‘limitations’ as listed in the directions etc. For example, in my experience/opinion, as follows: HF listed jacks that I purchased (and returned) as being “3 Ton Jacks” … and only several pages into the “Directions” do you learn that they mean: “3 tons evenly distributed across 2-jacks”. So each jack will only support the equivalent of 1/2 of 3-tons; also listed in the ‘Directions’ is the waring that the rating is only for “static loads” and -any- dynamic loads, even below the weight rating of the jack, -WILL CAUSE- the jack to fail. Whew … my HF jacks went back … and I sprung for the 6000 lb rated ESCO!! That “specification” and “warning” detail is essential when judging whether the jack is up to one’s needs !!!

  • Impulse2010 says:

    Nice write up..

  • Raül says:

    For me this review is just cool! Really helped me to decide which jack stands acquire (ESCO, without any doubt) and get a better comprehension of best uses!

    Thanks a lot. They work like a charm!

  • Sean says:

    Thanks so much for taking the time to do this detailed review. Definitely the best jack stand review out there.

  • Art says:

    OTL. Have you ever encountered Jack Point jack Stands? http://www.jackpointjackstands.com I would value your opinion on the product.
    Thanks.

    • Adam says:

      Wow.

      Wow.

      I just watched the Jay Leno video and am checking out the stands for myself. They look GREAT.

      1: Wide stand base.
      2: Large pad. With specialized pads for each type of chassis.
      3: Looks to be a single piece and not welded together at all. Very strong looking just from the photos.

      My only concern is how universal it is or isn’t. It seems like it would be possible to get a jack that won’t fit under that stand. But I honestly don’t know if that’s a worry. That’s just my initial fear. I’d hate to drop $800 on a full set and discover I needed to upgrade my jack as well. Though I do have four different large jacks in my own garage…

      Anyways, it looks incredible. If someone at JackPoint would like to send me a tester set, I’d love to review them.

  • Dan says:

    Wonderful review, thanks for taking the time to do it.

  • […] a reasonably good review on Jack Stands: Mega Jack Stand Review 1 ? ESCO, Harbor Freight, and Torin ? revlimiter.net I have 4 of these on got in on a group buy: Mega Jack Stand Review 1 ? ESCO, Harbor Freight, and […]

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  • Matt says:

    This is a nice guide. The Torin Aluminums get great reviews seemingly everywhere. Here’s another review that echoes your sentiments with a few more stands that were reviewed: http://floorjacked.com/buyers-guide-choosing-the-best-jack-stands/

    Torin makes awesome stuff…I have used them for years.

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  • Ray says:

    I’ve seen a lot of product reviews but not many can compare to your clarity, organization and presentation. The photos you use are crystal clear and very informative. Thanks and, well… I think the review and your website are very well done.

    I was wondering how you got your 3 onto those great looking Esco stands (Your Mazda3 manual trans link)…The shop manual shows the forward jacking point as being pretty deep under the vehicle. Did you drive the vehicle onto some boards to increase clearance for the floor jack first?

    You’ve really made a good case for the Esco stands, but I’m also looking into the Jackpoint stands and the ezcarlift. Have you seen this?

    http://www.ezcarlift.com/index.html
    Check out the Mazda pics in the Gallery link.

    Oh, and here’s a Quick Jack lifting a Miata:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0JwVAnjUZw

    Yes, I also own a 3 and would really appreciate your comments on all the above.

    Thanks again for the posts on your site,
    Ray

    • revlimiter says:

      Thanks for the kind words Ray!!

      Jacking up a Mazda 3 is extremely simple. I use the factory jack points on the pinch weld below the door. They’re reinforced and near each of the wheels. If you stick your head under, you can see where they are. They’re designed for the factory scissor jack to both lift and stay there, but a regular shop jack can lift from that point quite easily.

      To protect the pinch weld, I use the Flyin Miata jack adapter. I’ve not encountered a car that it didn’t work on yet. It fits my 3 nicely.

      Once the car is jacked up at a corner, I put the stands under the axles where the A-arm and frame connect. You have to get it pretty high for the Esco ones to fit, but it’s worth the effort. It’s a very solid jack stand point. I’ve never had any wobbling with the car supported there.

      hope that helps!

  • Christian says:

    A very nice review but you never mentioned if the jack stands engineering meet or exceeded ANSI, ASME, or PALD safety engineering standards. Do you know if any of the jack stands met or exceeded those safety engineering standards?

    • revlimiter says:

      Sorry man. I’m just an enthusiast trying to help other enthusiasts to safely work under their cars. I have no idea about the safety standards or how the stands comply.

      If you’re very concerned, you should contact each company and speak to their engineers.

  • Aaron says:

    I have to agree great description of products. I need a stand to support my toy hauler ramp door to convert it into a deck platform. The Esco stands with rubber donut seem to be a perfect idea. What can I use if I need a height more than 21.5 inch extension? Thanks

  • Andy says:

    This is what Imlove about the Internet. People taking the time to put together thoughtful reviews like this. Then at some point – and it can be years later – somebody stumbles across it and it’s exactly what they need. I’ve been looking at most of these stands over the last two weeks trying to work out what to buy. Then I stumble upon this. It has been invaluable. Thank you.

  • John says:

    Thank you for the review. They are now $60 on asedeals.com and i ordered 4 units. 2 of them are with curved saddle (http://www.asedeals.com/store/esco-flat-jack-stand-10497/). actually i just needs central bar with curved saddle only, but they costs $40. they are expensive, but they worth $$ since my life depends on them. hope they are coming with nice welding.

  • James says:

    Great review, thanks for putting in the time and effort. I just received a set of ESCO’s and was not very impressed by the sloppy welding. The real kicker was the bad placement and welding of the base pads. The one stands pads are just crooked and do not rest flat on the floor. In fact one pad has close to 1/4 inch of gap between it and the floor. They look great in pics, but in person the welds are disgusting. I’ll be keeping the set of ESCO can get me a suitable base. Looking forward to lifting a four of my Cayman S for a brake fluid flush.

    • Tom says:

      When I received the ESCO 10498 stand, I also noticed the weld quality was sloppy on the round base pads compared to the rest of the welds. The welds here are not structurally important and are still very strong. Considering how nice all the other welds are, it is only a cosmetic issue and not structurally important. My set of stands are perfectly flat and level with the ground. All the other important structural welds were done cleanly and with care on the four stands I purchased.

  • Nlamvi says:

    jack stands are handy ,effective and easily useable.

  • Marc says:

    I saw an amazon review where the rubber pads on both sides of someone’s SUV cracked in half. Maybe this doesn’t happen on most cars because they are lighter. I don’t know. I have an SUV and this is the only concern I have. But the Escos are the closest thing in my mind where I’d drop my pinch welds. Anyone see this problem?

  • Carl says:

    Thanks for this review. I had the Torin aluminum stands and used them…and I also found them scary! As you mention, they are so stiff that often the the car just sat on 3 stands. And the base was narrow, so it seemed like the car could easily wobble and knock the stands over. When we moved I got rid of them. I am now considering the ESCO stands so I was happy to see them compared! ESCO now makes some shorter “low profile” stands… I may try those as I don’t need all the extra height. But the base is a bit smaller, so I haven’t decided yet.

  • John F says:

    I have had many years experience with both the HF and the ESCO. Other than the nice construction, I upgraded to the ESCO for two other reasons:
    1. I have a plastic tile garage floor (racedeck) and the wide round pads on the ESCO won’t cut into the floor like normal jack stands.
    2. In addition to the miata I also have a lotus elise. These ESCO jack stands are basically a requirement for that car as the large round rubber pads protect the delicate, smooth and thin aluminum tub/floor.

  • Jason says:

    THanks for this review. I’m using Torin T83006 Big Red Hydraulic Trolley Floor Jack. It’s performing better to me.

  • PaulW says:

    Great review, but I think you missed one huge advantage of the Escos. That is, they don’t need to be used on the pinch welds. If you look under a typical unit body car, there are a lot of other reinforced points (like near the suspension mounts) that you can use these stands on. This is because the huge rubber pad supports the unit body so well.

  • Jack says:

    Thanks for reviewing these and comparing sizes of them. I use something similar to the Craftsman Jack you have in your pic of 5 stands. It’s a MotoMaster that I have but very similar. Always good to ensure the public stays safe before getting under there car!

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