Real world Bike stand opinions.....

[junknutz1975]

OK, I am thinking after Christmas I might want to get myself a Park bike stand.
It is a pain in the butt balancing a bike on your head or shoulder as you are trying to change forks , or rims ( whatever it may be, it's a Pita).
What are the differences ( Real world ) between the Pcs-9 and Pcs-10 ?
I know , I know.... I could check the Park website. No! I am not working on 12oz. , $3800 Lance Armstrong type bikes....
I am working on my own Coo-coo collection of Gillion pounder bikes. I just need a Real opinion from fellow Ratters.

( especially in this " Made in China" world we live in , I want to buy something that will last longer than the Chain breakers you buy at Wally World)

i.e.
What Park stand did you buy?
How has it worked out for you?
Has it held up ?
Ever tipped over? , etc.

Thanks Guys!

 

[RustySprockets]

I compared those models and the most significant difference between the two is that the PCS-10 sports a cam locking feature...the PCS-9 doesn't. If you don't mind cranking the clamp closed every time you mount a bike, then the PCS-9 might be a good choice.

The bike co-op I frequent has double-headed PRS-2 stands that spoil me. I tend to avoid these folders, if I can, because they see a lot of abuse by others and become rickety. For you own home shop, though, I'm sure they'd be fine.

BTW both of your candidates are rated to support up to 100 lbs, so your bikes need not be svelte.

 

[restodave]

I just received a Park Pcs-10 stand in the mail a few weeks ago. I chose it over the Pcs-9 because it has a cam activated closure on the clamp rather than an all screw down closure. There are a few other minor differences that a reviewer has conveniently listed here . I thought the cam would simplify getting the bike into the stand but in retrospect, having tried it, I don't think there's a whole lot of difference between the two closures, you end up spinning the cam lever an awful lot to fit things into the jaws of the clamp and then doing final clamping with the cam. I guess you don't have to torque the knob as hard but there's still a whole lot of spinning going on. It might be slightly easier to spin the cam lever with a finger, rather than having to grip the knob and turn. This is conjecture however, because I have not tried a Pcs-9.

Overall the quality is excellent. The materials and finish are good out of the box. It folds up easily and fairly compactly for storage. Someone who has owned one for a few years can tell you how they hold up. It seems to be pretty stable, but that stability comes at the cost of a substantial foot print on the ground. I never kicked or tripped over the legs but I would have to use it a little more to see if it is really an issue.

Dave

 

[DJ Bill]

106.96 here for PCS-9 http://www.modernbike.com/itemgroup.asp?IGPK=2126175959

142.74 here for the PCS -10 http://www.modernbike.com/itemgroup.asp?igpk=2126177149&TID=367&gclid=CLvZsbb0irsCFeHm7AodoCIAog

Best price I have found in over a month of looking except one Ebay seller who was selling damaged box stands but ran out quickly. This seller has been changing the price on this stand pretty often, going back to the sale price this weekend thru Sunday. Height adjustment requires no tools on the model 10, and a hex wrench on the 9. If you use it over and over for the same bike I would think no cranking on the clamp, just cam it down?? Is it worth the $35 difference? I dunno but I am placing my order today for a PCS 10.

If you are buying after Christmas, be sure to use google shopping to search out the best pricing including shipping. The different sources are all over the map on pricing, retail seems to be $174.95 for it plus oversize shipping and I have seen much higher pricing out there.

 

[pick]

I use the PCS-9. I don't work on bikes full time, so for my needs it's the perfect stand & at an affordable price. No complaints here.

 

[X-RAY]

probably not what youre looking for,but theres a bunch of home brewed stands you can build. mine is made from pipe, and hangs from a rafter. i dont have a clamp system yet, i put a small seatpost on the end, welded a wedge to it for size adjustability, and hang bikes using their own seatclamp. not portable, but i can swing it up out of the way when not in use. hope this helps somebody.

 

[DJ Bill]

I was thinking of building my own and adding a Park clamp but they get so much for the clamp it isn't worth it. So far I haven't seen a homebuilt clamp that does what the real ones do or as well as a Park. I also had a thread on the cheaper stands here but folks pretty much convinced me to buy the Park one.
http://www.ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/want-repair-stand-advice.79214/#post-765215

 

[dougfisk]

I have the PCS-4. It cost more, but the clamp is worth every penny to me. I like to use things that are well designed and work. This is a joy to use.

 

[highship]

there is a pcs1 on the new haven cl for 100$ not sure if its great or not though...

 

[junknutz1975]

Thanks guys for all your input. I really do appreciate it

 

[The Renaissance Man]

I was lucky enough to find a PCS-4-1 on CL at a ridiculously low price, otherwise I would not have been able to justify buying a new one.
I can't speak for the PCS-9 or PCS-10, but I can tell you that the quality of their products are very good and you will not be disappointed.

 

[mikeeebikey]

I have the Park dolly style stand with the spring style clamp. It is awesome! I do not use it on aluminium frames which is a problem, I have 2.

 

[KZ1000]

Check with me as I am close by in Templeton MA and have a PCS-9, PCS-10, 2 Park heavy duty non fold-up ones, along with an old ELDI 2 dual bike stand. and truth be told I have no more than 2 bikes being worked on at a time. So I may get rid of 1.

 

[CCR]

i.e.
What Park stand did you buy?
How has it worked out for you?
Has it held up ?
Ever tipped over? , etc.

Thanks Guys!

Got a PCS-4 as a gift a few years back and I have a PRS-5

Love them both but rarely use the 5 (it folds up smaller and is usually packed away)

The PCS-4 has a nylon/plastic pivot housing on it, which is why its one of the more affordable stands. The legs fold up so you can store it behind a door or in a closet pretty easy but its still pretty bulky mainly due to the legs on the stand, if a guy leaves it out all the time its not a problem.

The stand has never tipped on its own on level ground, I have knocked it over myself though being clumsy. Had a big heavy cruiser bike upside down in the stand buy the seat post ... it was fine on its own though. another time it was on unlevel ground and i swung the bike basically to the back of the stand. Both were operator errors.

For 50 bucks more it looks like I would go with the 10, i like that the 9 has metal at the pivot point but the cam locking clamp on the 10 would be a really nice extra in my opinion. The biggest complaint I've got about the stands I have now would be solved with that cranking cam clamp they have now. Never used that style before though.

 

[NicksGarage]

How much weight can one of these handle? My Basman weighs in at a portly 60 pounds plus it's really long and I'm getting ready to build another one.

 

[gcrank1]

You might want to use a wall or beam mounted car type carrier to hold the heavies. I started doing this with my receiver trailer hitch mounted one on the car right in the carport a couple of years ago and its my go to in good weather. The same thing well mounted in the garage/shop would do as well, just not 'spin it' like the fancy ones.
Be a shame to drop the Bas'

 

[NicksGarage]

I bought a PCS-10 off CL Friday and had the Basman and one of my other bikes on it. It's super stout and seems like I won't have any problems.