theery

I'm in the market for a new repair stand. I currently have the Feedback Recreational Work Stand, but I have a few issues with it. It isn't super sturdy, and often tips over when the bike is in certain positions. I'd also like it to go higher, as I'm 6'3" and don't wanna be bent over while I'm working on bikes.

I've been looking at things like the Park PCS-4-1/2 (Deluxe Home Mechanic Repair Stand), and their PRS-3.2-1/ PRS-3.2-2 (Single Arm Professional Work Stand). And of course gawking at the EVT arm and stand. I've also seen a lot of shops put the EVT arm on a different stand.

So, I'm looking for some opinions to help me make my decision on what to do.

A little background: I bike every day of the year, don't own a car, and do all my own bike work. I don't do repairs as a career. So, while I'm a hobbyist, I'm pretty serious about it, and have been for years, and expect to be for many years to come. So I don't mind spending a little to get the 'right' thing. I'd probably say $300-500 is my budget but I could be flexible if it made sense.

I like the idea of the portable ones, as I like to do my work outside when it's nice out. I've also thought of getting a nice arm and putting it on a fence post outside. Or ideally, finding a way to relatively easily move it between the basement and outside. But that means it's not height adjustable, etc.

So again, as I think it through I thought I'd get outside ideas/suggestions.

Thanks.

Jarrett2

Nevermind, looks like you are after an expensive one.

theery

@Jarrett2 Nope, just one that works well and will stand the test of time, and not leaving me feel like I'll want to upgrade before long.

Jarrett2

The one I recommended was cheaper than the one you had.

GravelMN

I've been very happy with my Park PCS10. They retail for $175-$200. It is the home version of the "team issue" PRS25 which sells for $300+. The PRS25 is heavier duty but really works about the same as the PCS 10. I find my stand quite stable even with heavy bikes in unusual positions at standing work height (I'm 5' 11" and the PCS has plenty of vertical adjustment left above my comfort height). I do have a couple of 20# sandbags that I throw over the legs as added insurance but even without them the stand is pretty sturdy.

avidone1

Recent thread http://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-me...endations.html

gsa103

The another consideration is the style of stand. The "team issue" (fork+BB clamp) stands will be more stable and better for drivetrain work, but you need to remove either the front or rear wheel.

Bandrada

I have a PCS-10.

For added stability I lock it in the vice. The PCS 10 serves it's purpose for the money. I had to call this week and get a replacement clamp arm/rotating head due to faulty weld. Customer service was very helpful in that regard.

I also like that it's portable and adjustable. I cut the main tube on mine down some as I'm height impaired at 5'8".

squirtdad

another vote for park PCS-10. Getting a good repair stand is the single best tool investment I have made. As an inveterate DIY/build it guy I spent a lot of time and money trying other solutions and in 20/20 hind sight, the time and money was wasted

DOS

I have a Feedback Elite pro, with more stable tripod base than the recreational model you have. There are others with similar design. I have had no trouble working on bikes well off the floor. It goes for under 250.

lopek77

I just got PCS 9... It works, but quality and craftsmanship is not that good. I would be perfectly fine with it IF it was a Chinese company, not "Proudly made in the USA" business/factory.
I assume that welds are hit or miss on these (probably both pcs 9 and 10, and possibly the rest), powder coating of rusted metal is never a good idea, tubes were not round, and I was forced to use a hammer to fit 2 parts. I also used my drill to enlarge threaded opening and remove excess plastic from another part, to be able to finish putting everything together. I wasted almost an hour to figure out what to do to make it work... Now it makes perfect sense why it's called "HOME MECHANIC REPAIR STAND" all over the internet, but when you get it, instruction manual says "ECONOMY REPAIR STAND"... I guess I wouldn't complain much if I knew I'm buying an economy stand, which is "LETS CUT SOME CORNERS REPAIR STAND"

usability: 8 out of 10 craftsmanship: 5 out of 10...

weld, rust


rust again


and the fully loaded champ after Macgyver work. I will call it Rusty from now on lol

Bandrada

I recently had some issues with the weld where the clamp arm meets the rotating clamp on my PCS 1. It too was a "consumer"/economy stand in it's day. I called them up and they offered to repair it. It's about a 7 year old stand, so I just went with the new micro-adjust clamp. Seeing your pics does not give me confidence that I made the right decision. Carl had also offered to send me a replacement arm, but it was a little too flexy for my taste, even after I had a buddy reweld it. Will see how the new micro-adjust stands up to a little abuse. My bikes aren't exactly "light." Plus, the new clamp will clamp up the 3" diameter. That was also a deciding factor.

Bandrada

I would agree that the tolerances aren't really up to "American" standards. I probably should have pointed that out in my post. I guess, for the money, there may be better import versions, but this is the only one I am that familiar with. I know their shop versions are fairly robust.

desconhecido

It appears that the PCS-4 has the 100-5C clamp head which, if I understand correctly, is the same head as on their professional stands. I have an older Parks stand with that head and it works perfectly even with old heavy Raleighs at odd angles. I don't know how the heads on the other "home" repair stands compare, but I think if it's within your budget that the PCS-4 will work extremely well. Looks to be about $270 delivered.

I also have an old (maybe from the late 80s) performance "Spin Doctor" stand. It's ok, but the head never has held perfectly and it sometimes just plain frustrating to use.

KLiNCK

^ +1 on the Elite Pro.
The quick-ratchet clamp is awesome. Get the optional tool tray and you're good to go!

Bandrada

Luckily, the 100-5C will retrofit onto my my PCS-1 or I'd be buying another stand.

I will follow up with my impressions tomorrow.

Bandrada

I got the Micro-Adjust 100-5c, today. It mounted up perfectly to my PCS-1. I did a few installations and my impressions are that it still has a little flex, but less so than the original clamp that came with my stand. It has a bit more meat on the armatures, but the flex comes from the single fix pin. It seems like over time it might wallow out the penetration. Anyway, the pluses outweigh the negatives for me. I really needed something that would clamp on to the top tube, due to having switched a couple of bikes over to adjustable height seat posts. That, and it puts the bike in a better position for wrenching without having to extend the tubes on the stand, which as you can imagine creates a whole lot of other issues. The quality seems good. the paint is thick, so it's hard to see how well the welds penetrated. I guess these things retail for $170, give or take. I probably would not spend that much. Xtreme bikes sells them for about $113.

I also made a small modification to the stand. It was slipping a bit from side to side, so I installed a lynch pin. I made two positions 6 o'clock, and ~4 o'clock (shown) due to the offset angle of the stand with reference to the bench.