Home Mechanic Repair Stand Comparisons

These days, I do all my research online before making any major purchase. I even researched my wedding suit this way and went from knowing zilch to having pretty good understanding of all the possible suit materials you could buy (you want 100% wool!). In researching a good home mechanic repair stand to use for general maintenance and cleaning of a mountain bike, I read every review I could find on four bicycle work stands that I had heard a bit about. The below is a compilation of all the info I abstracted from their various reviewers. I have not tested all of these repair stands myself. These review notes were pulled from multiple reviewers online and put together for easy reference.

Spin Doctor Quickstand Work Stand

Strengths:
Very inexpensive work stand.
Parts touching the bike are rubberized so it doesn't scratch your bike.
It is small and lightweight and if you unbolt the base, it can be easily transported.

Disadvantages:
If you're going to do anything major, you may not be happy with this stand.
Because of how it holds the bike up, it doesn't work well if you have a curved chain stay, disk breaks or if the seat and chain stay are close together.
It can be easily scratched and is not so great for stability.

Summary: The Spin Doctor Quickstand is a cheap work repair stand. It supports the bike by the seat and chainstays; to get the rear wheel off the ground so minor work or cleaning can be done. If you will be doing very minor maintenance or cleaning, you have a very normal frame, and budget is your #1 concern, then perhaps you may consider this stand. However if you want a good quality stand, this one will not be for you. Every satisfied review I read was satisfied because of the price and they weren't doing anything major. There were a number of unsatisfied reviews, mostly because it worked like a cheap stand.

Spin Doctor Pro G3 Work Stand

Strengths:
Hefty, sturdy and stable.
Quick and easy to set up and can easily fold up and be put away.
Holds your bike at a range of heights.
The clamp is easy to use and versatile.
Has a small parts bin.

Disadvantages
Quality wise it is not comparable to a Park Tool stand, so if you've used a Park, you may be disappointed.
Some reviewers commented it was a bit heavy, but others were good with the weight.
Long term use could be an issue as it has plastic washers and plastic teeeth on the adjuster locks which some reviewers felt had the potential to wear down.
Wobbles a bit if you do really heavy wrenching or have a real heavy bike that is not placed just right.

Summary: The Spin Doctor Pro G3 Work Stand is not the best home mechanic repair stand on the market nor is it the worst. It will hold your bike sturdy and in place at a decent price. Those looking at long term use or more heavy duty repairs may want something of slightly better quality.

Ultimate Pro Work Stand

Strengths:
Very sturdy and stable.
Quick and easy to set up.
It can be folded up and be put away.
Holds your bike at a range of heights.
Use a knob for quick release clamping action.

Disadvantages:
Not the cheapest stand out there (most expensive on my list).
Paint scratches easily.
Not super stable with a big mountain bike.

Summary: The Ultimate Pro Work Stand is a good quality bike work stand for home mechanics. It is not that popular as I had a hard time finding reviews for this one but most of those who owned it were happy with it. It is a little expensive, and if you have a really big mountain bike, you might need a more heavy duty stand.

Park Tool PCS-10 Home Mechanic Repair Stand

Advantages:
Very strong, stable and durable.
Holds the bike at a range of heights.
Easy to use quick release clamp.
Very well designed.
Can be folded up and stored away easily.
Quick release height adjustment.
Easy to assemble.

Disadvantages:
Assembly instructions can be found on Park Tool's website, not with the product.

Summary: The Park Tool PCS-10 is a very popular stand, had the most positive reviews online and the least negative comments out of the above four work stands. I specifically searched to try and find some more negative comments but only came up with only the above. A good quality all around home mechanic work stand.

By: Samuel Walker

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

My personal repair stand choice is the Park Tool Stand. See pictures and my personal detailed review of this quality home mechanic repair stand.