Torin Big Red Jack Stands Honest Review: Pros and Limits

I have a 2014 Ford F-150 with about 190,000 miles on it, and it spends a fair amount of time up on jack stands. Brakes, oil changes, a wheel bearing, more brake work. My two-car garage has a concrete floor and no lift, so jack stands are the whole system. I am 54, I have been turning wrenches for over 30 years, and I worked a parts counter for a while, so I have seen a lot of jack stands come and go. When I needed a second pair, I picked up the BIG RED T43202 3-ton steel jack stands. After a year of regular use, here is the honest version of what nobody tells you before you buy them.

The short version: they are a solid, safe pair of stands for the money, and the 3-ton rating is not marketing fluff. But the height range is the thing you need to understand before you order. These stands go from 11-1/4 inches to 16-3/4 inches, and that range dictates what jobs they handle comfortably.

How I've Used Them

I have had this pair for about a year. They have held up the front of my F-150 for two brake jobs, they have held up the rear for an axle seal, and they have spent a few weekends under my daughter's 2008 Honda Accord while I did struts and a brake line. That is a lot of up-and-down cycles, and the ratchet bar still locks the same way it did on day one.

The first real job was a front brake job on the truck last October. I lifted the front with a floor jack, set one stand under each side at the frame points, and lowered the truck onto them. The stands did not shift when the weight came down. I did the same thing a month later for the rear axle seal, and again in March for struts on the Accord. Each time I set them at a different height, and each time the sawtooth ratchet bar caught cleanly on the first try.

The pair weighs 13.9 pounds total, which is light enough to carry in one hand. I keep them on a shelf next to my rolling tool chest, and they come down and go back up without a fight. The steel construction and the wide pyramid foot base make them feel planted on concrete, even when the truck is fully loaded on them.

Here is what nobody tells you: the height range matters more than the rated capacity for most home jobs. At 11-1/4 inches minimum, these stands sit higher than some cheaper stands. That is fine for a truck or a car with reasonable ground clearance, but it means you cannot get them under a low sports car without lifting the vehicle higher first.

One thing I did not expect: the stands spend more time at the middle of their range than at the top. For brake work on the truck I usually set them around 14 inches, which clears the tires and gives me room to work. For the Accord I drop them lower, around 12 inches. The 5-1/2 inch adjustment range covers both without me reaching for a different pair. That is the practical value of the ratchet bar. It is not just about locking, it is about getting the height right the first time.

I also loaned them to my neighbor when he did his truck brakes. He brought them back and asked where I got them, which is about as good a review as a tool gets. The stands had been through another full brake job and still locked up clean.

What the Specs Actually Mean

The headline number is 3 tons, which is 6,000 lb of load capacity. That means each stand in the pair is rated to hold 3 tons, and the pair is rated for 6,000 lb total. For context, my F-150 weighs roughly 5,500 lb. Two stands under the front axle are carrying maybe 3,000 lb. You are working at half the rated load, which is exactly where you want to be.

The rating matters more than people think. A stand rated for 2 tons might hold a car, but it leaves no margin for the moment when you are leaning on a breaker bar or when the truck rocks as you pull a stubborn rotor. The 3-ton rating on these stands means I do not think about the load. I think about the job.

The adjustable height runs from 11-1/4 inches to 16-3/4 inches. That is a 5-1/2 inch range, and the multi-position ratchet bar uses a sawtooth design so the locking teeth catch positively at each position. You lift the bar, slide it to the next notch, and it locks. No fiddling, no shimming, no wondering if it is going to settle.

The sawtooth bar is the part that separates these from cheap pin-style stands. On a pin stand you pull the pin, move the column, and hope the hole lines up. Here the bar moves in small increments, so you can set the height exactly. I have used the full range, from 11-1/4 under the Accord to 16-3/4 under the truck when I needed the wheel off and the suspension hanging.

The item dimensions are 11.22 x 7.5 x 6.7 inches, and the wide pyramid foot base is the reason they do not tip. I have set them on concrete, on an asphalt driveway at a friend's house, and once on packed gravel. The base spreads the load well enough that they did not sink or rock in any of those spots.

One number that does not get enough attention is the 13.9 pound weight. That is for the pair, not each stand. It means the stands are light enough to carry together in one hand, which matters when you are moving them from the shelf to the driveway. It also means they are easy to store upright on a shelf, and they do not take up much of the 11.22 x 7.5 x 6.7 inch footprint.

The universal fit designation matters less than it sounds. It simply means the stands work with any car that has a frame or pinch weld to rest on. I have used them on a truck and a sedan, and they work with both without any adapters.

The one surface I would not trust is soft dirt after rain. No jack stand is stable on mud, and I do not blame the stand for that. On a solid surface, the pyramid base does exactly what it is supposed to do.

The Honest Pros

The first thing I noticed was the locking mechanism. The sawtooth ratchet bar is not a gimmick. It lets you adjust height in quick, positive increments, and each one locks firmly. On older stands I have used, the pin-style locks wobble and sometimes need a tap to seat. This one just works.

I have set and reset these stands dozens of times over the year. The bar has never slipped, never skipped a notch, and never dropped a load. That is the kind of thing you only appreciate after a few years of fighting cheaper stands.

Second, the wide pyramid foot base. A jack stand that tips is worse than no jack stand at all. I have never once felt these shift under load, even when I was leaning on a breaker bar doing lug nuts with the truck up on stands.

The base covers a good part of the 11.22 x 7.5 inch footprint, and it puts the load down over a wide area. I have leaned on a breaker bar doing lug nuts with the truck up on these stands, and the stands did not move. That is the test that matters.

Third, the weight. At 13.9 pounds for the pair, they are easy to move around the garage and easy to toss in the bed of the truck if you need to do a roadside brake job for a friend. They are not the lightest stands out there, but they are light enough that you will actually use them.

The steel construction is also solid. I have seen cheaper stands twist when the vehicle rocks, and these stay square. After a year of use, the only marks are scuffs on the feet from sliding on concrete.

Another thing worth mentioning is how easy they are to clean. Brake dust and grime wipe off the steel with a rag. There are no crevices that trap dirt, and the sawtooth bar is open enough to brush clean. That keeps the locking mechanism working smoothly.

A jack stand that tips is worse than no jack stand at all, and the wide pyramid foot base on the BIG RED T43202 has never once let me down.

The Honest Cons and Limits

The biggest limit is the minimum height. At 11-1/4 inches, these stands sit higher than a lot of budget stands that collapse down to 9 or 10 inches. If you drive a lowered car or a low-profile sports car, you will need to lift the vehicle higher with your floor jack before you can slide these under. That is an extra step, and on a low car it can be a real annoyance.

I ran into this once with a low-slung coupe a friend brought over. The car sat low enough that I had to jack it up, slide the stand under, then jack it a little more to get the stand to the right notch. It worked, but it took twice as long as it should have. If that is your daily driver, look for a stand with a lower minimum height.

Second, the maximum height of 16-3/4 inches is fine for most cars and light trucks, but it is not a tall stand. If you are doing transmission work or anything that needs the vehicle high enough to walk under, these are not the stands for that job. They are for wheel, brake, and suspension work, and they are very good at that.

For oil changes I do not even need the top of the range. I set them around 13 inches, which is enough to slide the drain pan under and get my arm in. The extra height would be nice for a full exhaust job, but I would not trust any stand at walk-under height. That is lift territory.

Third, the steel top of the stand sits directly against the frame or pinch weld. That is normal for steel stands, and it is not a defect, but you should use a small piece of rubber or a jack pad if you are worried about marring a clean frame. I do not bother on my truck, but I would on a newer car.

It is also worth checking the pinch weld location before you set the stand. On the Accord the factory jack points are marked, and the stands line up fine. On the truck I use the frame rails. A minute of looking beats an hour of wondering why the vehicle sits crooked.

Fourth, the 1-year limited manufacturer warranty is short. For a tool that sits in a garage and gets used a few weekends a year, that is probably fine. But it tells you something about how the company views the expected lifespan. I have had no issues in a year of use, so I am not worried, but it is worth knowing.

The included components are just the jack stands. There is no carry bag and no extra hardware. That keeps the cost down, and for garage use I do not miss the extras. If you plan to haul them to the track, you will want a bag of your own.

One more limit: the stands are not adjustable in fine increments. The sawtooth bar moves in set notches, so you cannot dial in a half-inch here or there. In practice that has never been a problem, because the notches are close together. But if you need a very specific height for a weird job, you may find yourself choosing between two notches and shimming with a piece of wood.

The 13.9 pound weight is a positive until you are carrying them across a wet driveway in the dark. Then you wish they had a handle. It is a small gripe, and I solved it by carrying them under my arm like a loaf of bread. But a handle or a carry slot would be a nice touch on the next version.

Who This Is For

These stands are for the home mechanic who works on a car or light truck and wants a pair of stands that will not fold, tip, or slip. If you do your own brakes, oil changes, suspension work, or wheel bearings, the BIG RED T43202 is a pair you can trust for years. The 6,000 lb combined capacity gives you real headroom on anything up to a half-ton truck.

They are also a great second pair. I keep one pair under the truck and grab these for the other axle, or for the Accord when it is in the garage. Having two pairs of stands that match in height makes the work faster and safer.

If you are just starting out and this is your first pair of stands, these are a good place to start. The 3-ton rating means you will not outgrow them as you move from oil changes to brakes to suspension work. I would rather buy one pair of stands that covers everything I own than two cheaper pairs that each have a weak point.

I have also used these stands under the rear of the truck while doing the axle seal, with the front still on the floor. The truck sat level and stable, which is exactly what you want when you are under the wheel well with a pry bar.

Who Should Skip It

Skip these if you work on a lowered car or anything with less than about 11 inches of clearance. The minimum height will fight you on every job. You would be better served by a stand that goes lower, even if it means giving up some of the top-end height.

Also skip them if you need to get a vehicle high enough to work underneath it. At 16-3/4 inches maximum, these are not a substitute for a lift or tall stands. They will hold the vehicle safely at wheel-and-brake height, and that is where they shine.

And if you are buying stands for a friend as a gift, think about what they actually work on. These are a great gift for someone with a truck or a sedan. They are a frustrating gift for someone with a lowered weekend car.