If you buy one thing on this site, buy stands. A floor jack is a convenience; stands are the thing that decides whether going under the car is a routine job or a gamble. They also cost less than the jack, which is why leaving them out of the budget is such a common and such an expensive mistake.
How to choose
1. Locking mechanism
A ratchet bar is fast and perfectly adequate. A pin through a drilled post is more positive but slower and only adjustable at fixed holes. Double locking gives you both — two independent mechanisms, either of which can carry the load. For a first purchase, double locking removes a worry for very little money, which is why the Torin leads this list. Pin vs ratchet stands goes deeper.
2. Height range, matched to your jack
The stand's minimum height must be lower than the height your jack can lift the car to, with margin. This sounds obvious and it is the most common mismatch: a 14 in jack and a 13.2 in stand leaves almost nothing. Check both figures together, not separately.
| Stand | Minimum | Maximum | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Torin T43002A (3 ton) | 11-1/4 in | 16-3/4 in | Ratchet + safety pin |
| Hein-Werner HW93503 (3 ton) | 11-1/2 in | 17 in | Ratchet, 11/16 in steps |
| ESCO 10498 (3 ton per stand) | 13.2 in | 21.5 in | Pin, 10 positions |
| Torin T46002A (6 ton) | 15-3/8 in | 23-13/16 in | Ratchet + safety pin |
3. Saddle shape, matched to your car
Most stands have a curved cradle designed to sit under a round solid axle. Modern unibody cars do not have one. Under a flat sill or subframe the curved cradle contacts on two edges, which concentrates load exactly where you do not want it. A flat pad — ESCO's removable rubber saddle, for example — is the better match for a car, and it is the reason that stand is ranked second despite being the most expensive here.
4. Read the rating, and whether it is per pair
This is the number people get wrong. Torin quotes 3 ton per pair. ESCO quotes 3 ton per stand. Those are a factor of two apart, and no listing makes it obvious. Under one corner of a car either is generous; on a heavy vehicle the difference matters. Jack stand weight ratings covers how to read it properly.
What the ASME claims are worth
Automotive stands are covered by ASME PASE, currently the 2024 edition. Three levels of claim appear on the products above, and they are genuinely different:
- Third-party tested, named lab. ESCO states testing to ASME standards by an A2LA-certified facility. This is checkable.
- Manufacturer statement of compliance. Torin states its stands meet or are tested to meet ASME standards. A real claim, made by the party with the liability.
- No published statement. Hein-Werner publishes specifications but no PASE claim for the HW93503. That does not make it non-compliant, and it is not a reason to avoid an otherwise well-engineered stand — it is simply an absence, and we report it as one.
How many to buy
Two for one end of the car, which covers a wheel change, a brake job or an oil change on most vehicles. Four if you need all four wheels off the ground at once — which is a more advanced job than it sounds and needs four matched stands, not two pairs of different models.
If you are buying the jack at the same time, the combo page compares buying both together, and best floor jacks covers the lifting half.