FastCap 3rd Hand Support System 57-to-144-Inches, 2-pack #3HAND5
by Laserjamb
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Our Price: $71.99 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Tools See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of FastCap 3rd Hand Support System 57-to-144-Inches, 2-pack #3HAND5
Customer Review: Great tool, poor materials
Summary: 3 Stars
Problem 1: There is a small plastic bracket that attaches the bottom foot to the steel pole. This bracket was damaged during shipping on both poles. On the one it had shattered in 10 pieces.
Solution: I just used epoxy to glue the brackets into the pole.
Problem 2: The little spring-loaded nubs that lock the pole open are way too stiff. It actually makes it difficult to adjust the length of the pole, especially when it is in the shortest position and there isn't a good handhold on one end.
Solution: I removed the nubs. They were easy to pop out the bottom of the pole (due to the conveniently damaged bottom foot brackets). There is a tension-screw that can also be used to lock the pole open and it works just fine. If you were planning on putting a heavy load on the pole, it would probably be a good idea to put a small bolt through the nub holes, just to make sure the pole doesn't slide closed.
Once I got past these problems, the poles actually work really well. They are long, sturdy and easy to adjust. The pole body is steel, so my magnetic laser level will clip right to it. The top foot has a pump mechanism that makes it easy to lock the pole into place between floor and ceiling. The bottom foot has a threaded rod that you can use to easily micro-adjust the height, for hanging cabinets or such.
If the pole feet were made out of better materials, this product would easily be a 5-star. The plastic brackets and fittings are very brittle, though, and I doubt that they would survive any serious abuse.
Customer Review: Great extra pair of hands, just improve the quality
Summary: 4 Stars
First package I rec'd was a disaster: 2 broken units with multiple missing/shattered parts. Fastcap needs to look into their quality control/packaging/shipping departments and fire some people. However thru Amazon, return/exchange (although an inconvenience) was simple. Once I rec'd a pair of complete, undamaged units, I assembled & put them to work.
I used them to install crown and they peformed well holding one end and the middle of long sections while I shot brads into the other end. Next, I used them to create a dust barrier for a kitchen demo job by holding plastic sheeting from ceiling to floor (wish I had 4 of them for that job). Next, I used them to hold up & position garage cabinets while I screwed them into the studs.
Overall, they work as advertised. I wouldn't trust them to hold anything too heavy, particularly if you have them extended out as the spring tabs that hold them in the extended positions are not the best quality and should have been designed differently (if they eventually fail I'll replace them with a cotter-type pin). The rubber feet snap into place well and articulate for various angles. the sqeeze handle for micro-height adjustment is a great feature especially when leveling cabinets or holding crown to the ceiling, but the (plastic) handle should have been better quality as it flexes under load.
All in all for the price you can't beat them and like another reviewer said, they don't talk back or offer opinions. Oh yeah, they don't take breaks or call in sick either.
Customer Review: Some different uses for a great tool!
Summary: 5 Stars
Well, I have had a set of these for almost a year now and I don't know how I got along without them! Like most reviewers, I think they are a great product for the money, especially if you buy them in the two-pack. I have come up with a couple of new uses other than what most people are using them for and they work great. I have used them countless times as a horizontal load stabilizer in my box van and in the garage. You just place them sideways, push them against the box or supplies you are trying to stabilize from sliding around and give a couple of pumps on the handle, and Viola, instant stabilizer. This trick doesn't work on a standard size truck or mini-van as the bars are a little too long, but for those of you with a cargo/box van they work great. Having realized there might be other horizontal applications for these babies I started to think about tasks I have done around the house/job sites and realized they are great for unreeling electrical cable such as low voltage wiring or structured wiring where you have multiple cables and need a convienient way to unspool the cable all at once. I just pop the footpad off one end, slide on the spools of wire and then after placing the footpad back on, place them between two adjacent walls. You can't load them up with multiple spools of Romex, but for speaker, cat 5, and other low voltage stuff it works great.Customer Review: Support for the NEEDY
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are, say . . .74 or so - or have diabetis (which means having less than normal feeling in your feet) and no help available - and several "sagging" ceiling pieces of drywall in the garage, that need to be brought back into position, then these Fastcap 3rd-hand supports will become your best friend.
Understand that I only need to be elevated a bit over a foot to reach the ceiling - and this need is handled perfectly by the use of a short 2-step ladder. An old man, losing his balance at 18 inches elevation can do incredible damage if he falls off the ladder, while holding a screw and electric drill over his head.
So, obviously the Fastcap 3-rd hand will push up (and hold up) the sagging drywall into original position - easy! But before that, I take a second Fastcap 3rd-hand and place it right next to the step-stool and secure it to the ceiling. I now have a very reliable and sturdy "banister", close to my body that I can easily grab, if the need arises (my "safety net")
That's my story and I'm sticking with it!
Hooray for Fastcap 3rd-Hand Support System (2-pack) drywall kit!!!
J. Pickens
Customer Review: Saved my back!
Summary: 5 Stars
Got 4 of these units. Have used them for installing kitchen cabinets on two jobs so far. WOW! once you get the hang of adjusting it and getting it in place, they are better than having a work partner. They don't give opinions. They just do their job. The loads I have put on them have been fairly heavy and they still held it using multiple jacks. Found them very useful too for acting as pushers when installing a deck to push some deck boards into line when they are a bit warped.
Used these jacks as floor to ceiling push clamps during a wood floor installation. After gluing in place the wood flooring, placed a scab 2x6 plank on leading edge of new floor and used these jacks to apply some downward pressure keeping all the installed floor snug and down tight until the adhesive set up. The floor is beautiful.
Expect to also use them soon to hold up a plastic barrier around an area I will be working in order to control dust and dirt migration. Could work very well if you are spray painting indoors.
Always carry at least two of these with me at all times now.