BendPak MLS-18 Mobile High Jack Stand

The MLS-18 is a tripod jack stand rated at 18,000 lbs, built for the job a two-post lift cannot do on its own: holding a support point steady while a vehicle is already in the air. What makes it usable rather than merely strong is how it adjusts — nine pin positions for the coarse setting and a 1" diameter self-locking ACME screw for the fine one. Coarse plus fine is the difference between meeting a support point and nearly meeting it.

Why the ACME screw is the specification that matters

A pinned stand can only stop where a hole is. That is fine when you are supporting a flat frame rail and unhelpful the rest of the time, because the point you actually need to reach is rarely at a pin interval — and a stand that stops a little short is doing nothing at all, while one that has to be forced up is a stand you are jacking a loaded vehicle against.

The self-locking ACME thread solves it. Set the pin to the nearest position, then wind the screw to close the last stretch precisely, under control, until the stand takes load exactly where you want it. Self-locking means the thread form holds its position under load rather than relying on friction alone, which is what you want in a component that is holding several tons over a technician.

Reach and range

Adjustment runs from 48.75" to 74.5", so support points more than 6 feet off the floor are within range. That figure is what "high" means in the name: this is a stand designed to reach up to a vehicle that is already on a two-post lift, not one to slide under a car raised on a trolley jack. Overall width is 32", which is the number to check against the space between a lift's arms and the vehicle you will be working around.

The tripod, and what it does to your floor

Three legs sit flat on an uneven floor in a way four never do — with four contact points, one is always the odd one out, and a stand that rocks under load is the problem you are trying to eliminate. The tripod spreads the load evenly under load by design.

Each leg then ends in a floor pad of 11 square inches. That is the specification worth thinking about if your slab is thin, old or cracked: load concentrated at a small point is what damages concrete, and spreading it across a broad pad per leg is what keeps an 18,000 lb rating from becoming a floor problem. If you are unsure about your slab, get it assessed before you load it — that check is the buyer's responsibility, and it is much cheaper than the alternative.

Built to be moved, because a stand you cannot move does not get used

A high-capacity stand is a heavy object, and heavy objects in a shop end up living wherever they were last put down. The MLS-18 addresses that directly: two 3" diameter wheels let you roll it under a vehicle and into position, a foldaway transport handle gives you something to push and then gets out of the way, and the centre tube is spring-assisted so raising it is not a fight against the weight of the column. The result is a stand that goes where it is needed rather than one that is fetched reluctantly.

Working in sets

These stands are designed to work in tandem — several placed under the designated support points of one vehicle, sharing the load between them. Plan the purchase that way. The rating of 18,000 lbs is per stand and is a maximum, not a target, and the correct number of stands under a vehicle is decided by the vehicle manufacturer's designated support points, not by arithmetic on the total.

Perfect for

• Two-post lift bays, where extra support under a vehicle already in the air is routine.
• Heavy and commercial vehicle work, where a passenger-car stand is simply out of its depth.
• Long jobs — driveline, transmission and suspension work where the vehicle stays up for days.
• Serious home garages with a two-post lift and full-size vehicles on it.

What is in the box

• The MLS-18 mobile high jack stand, tripod design
• Two 3" diameter transport wheels and a foldaway transport handle
• Spring-assisted centre tube with 9 pin positions
• 1" diameter self-locking ACME screw for fine height adjustment

Specifications

Certification and compliance, stated honestly

The product data we hold for the MLS-18 claims no third-party safety listing, and we do not claim one on its behalf. Some insurers, fleet policies and local jurisdictions require equipment carrying a North American third-party safety listing — an independent test-house listing, which is not the same document as a manufacturer's own declaration. If that applies to your shop, confirm what your paperwork requires before you buy, and ask us if you want help matching the requirement to a product.

Shipping and delivery

The MLS-18 ships as freight within the lower 48 states. The receiving end supplies the means to unload — a forklift, a dock and pallet jack, or a terminal collection you arrange — and delivery to a residential address is a different service from a commercial dock, carrying a residential fee that the checkout quotes live. Inspect the shipment before you sign, and write any damage on the bill of lading in the driver's presence.

Warranty

Coverage is per the manufacturer's published warranty document for this product; ask us for the current version before ordering. Do not modify, weld or dismantle a jack stand — not only does it void the coverage, it changes a load-bearing structure whose behaviour under load nobody has then tested.