ESCO 10498 Jack Stand, 3 Ton Capacity, Silver, 21.5"

These are very nice, heavy duty single locking jack stands, one of the very, very few that offer a thick steel FLAT top with rubber pad to avoid damaging unibody vehicles. They are locked by a beefy pin that engages the post in one of many drilled-thru holes. The post pin is secured with a locking ring that, while not the best I've seen, does the job to prevent any rare, inadvertent dislodging of the post pin. While not low cost, these jack stands are rated at 6000 lbs. EACH (that's 12,000 lbs. PER PAIR) which is typically TWICE the load capacity of other jack stands that claim 6000 lbs. PER PAIR. When placed properly (especially on unibody vehicles), these jack stands with its robust build and wide tripod stance provides an extremely safe and stable platform for your raised vehicle (IF and ONLY IF you know what you are doing when hoisting a vehicle and place the stands properly). They are without a doubt one of the safest I have experienced to date.I bought these primarily for use under a 2004 Dodge Grand Caravan (unibody), a 2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser and a 2019 Toyota Tundra (both body on frame). For these vehicles, the #10498 with its minimum height of 13.2 inches is an appropriate choice. Those reviewers that downgraded the 10498 because it is too tall to fit under their sedans should have paid more attention prior to purchase and selected the 10499 model with its 11" minimum height instead of the 10498.If you want to use these on pinch welds instead of underbody jacking points, take a look at some of the large jack pads from TMB with slots pre-cut for exactly that purpose (I prefer the grey polyurethane which is harder than the black rubber and can take heavier weight and/or longer use). These will save your Esco-supplied pads from being cut up by the pinch welds when the vehicle's weight is bearing down on the pads.

After I returned my recalled HF jack stands due to their failure risk, I started doubting the ratchet mechanism used on the majority of the jack stands. It seems like most brands are using the ratchet style. These jack stands are almost 4x the cost, but then I got to thinking that my life is worth more than that, not to mention the cost of a visit to the ER or an ambulance ride, or the cost of a funeral and mental anguish when my wife comes outside to find me squashed under my car.These jack stands are very well made. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I did not notice any manufacturing defects or burrs or any other signs of poor finishing. The pins slide in well and the welds were well done. I wasn't sure about the tripod structure, but when you see it in person you see that it is very sturdy, and covers about a square foot of real estate. I put up my 4000 lb car on these jacks while changing out my brakes and they worked well. No wobbling. No worries. And looking at the half inch thick pin, I don't have any worries about failure of that either.It hurt the wallet to buy a set of these, but as the saying goes: buy once, cry once.

Quality: These floor jacks are well designed with solid welds and a wide weight distribution. The adjustable column is 1-1/8" solid steel with holes drilled every 2 inches. The locking rod is solid 1/2" steel. The resting surface is a thick rubber pad that can be removed.Functionality: As stated by the vendor, the height can be adjusted from 13 to 21 inches with one-inch increments. The locking mechanism is almost fool-proof since the locking rod is inserted through the jack body, out the other side, and then secured with a supplied lock ring.I ordered these two years ago and have used them on cars, trucks, and a loaded boat trailer. Besides the typical scratches, the stands show no substantial wear or rust. The extra cost, compared to ratcheted jacks, is well worth the peace of mind knowing that my lifts are secure.

In 2021, the average cost of car insurance is over $100 per month and the average cost of health insurance is nearly $500 per month, and we all know those costs will continue to rise. These jack stands can be purchased for a little over $50 per stand...a one time fixed cost that will never need to be repeated in your lifetime if you store the stands properly. When viewed as not only a tool but also as insurance, these are incredibly good value for the protection they provide. Having used other cheap jack stands, including some that were recalled and could have killed me, these ESCO jack stands immediately impressed me with their heft, their stability, and the safety features. I also appreciate the height these can safely achieve and make doing work under a vehicle much easier. I do work on BMW and MINI, and these work great with the jacking points on those vehicles. I always push on the vehicles from multiple angles after getting them on jack stands to make certain they are stable, and with these ESCO stands, they are rock solid. I've read some reviews that knock the welds. The welds are certainly not artistic, but the welds are functionally solid. My experience with their customer service was also top tier. They were prompt, polite, and went above and beyond. I am very pleased with the ESCO 10498 jack stands.