Inspecting homemade squat rack/power cage?

[IfNotNow]

Hey Everyone -

(I hope this is the right place for this... it looked like other equipment threads were posted in the Training section.)

I've been lifting for about 3 years now, and am looking at buying a squat rack so I can workout at home. I recently found this one for sale, and would appreciate any tips on how to assess how well it's built. It looks sturdy, is well priced, and it's general structure matches what I'm looking for ... but it's "homemade" so I want to make sure I'm not buying a death trap.

Here's what I know about the rack, based on the original ad and my texts with the seller. I haven't seen it in person yet.

• Built of 3" x 1.5" C channel steel
• Dimensions: 89" tall x 32.5" deep x 46" wide
• The sides are welded into a single piece, but the cross beams are bolted together
• Seller has referred to it as "custom made" and "homemade" so I don't know if he built it or had it built for him
• Seller called it "rugged" but also "never went heavy" on it, so he couldn't tell me the max weights that it's held (though he was also selling 256lbs of plates, so I believe he wasn't really testing its durability)

The uprights look sturdy, but what should I look for when inspecting the welds or bolts?
Are the safeties too thin?
Any other thoughts?

For what it's worth, my 5RMs in lbs are 420 DL, 355 squat, 225 bench, to give you a sense of the weight I'd be using in it for the foreseeable future.

Thanks in advance for your feedback, folks.





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[Suwannee Dave]

The holes look too far apart for good adjustments of the pins, but it looks sturdy. Just check for cracked welds.

[ddbig]

Picked this up during the summer, yes it's a rogue knock off but for $400 shipped it's awesome, plus it has the west side hole pattern

http://www.titandistributorsinc.com/...l#.VH47BSY76JI

[krazyduck]

Picked this up during the summer, yes it's a rogue knock off but for $400 shipped it's awesome, plus it has the west side hole pattern

http://www.titandistributorsinc.com/...l#.VH47BSY76JI

I assume that this needs to be bolted down?

[IfNotNow]

@suwannee, I agree about the hole spacing, but it looks comparable to what I'm using at the gym now. If I need better hole spacing, I figure I can find a buddy with a drill press, or try raising the floor inside the rack by layering plywood. For the most part I'd be the only lifter using the cage.

@ddbig, thanks for that link. I have a few of those bookmarked as backups if the classifieds don't pan out after some time. The seller is asking $250 for this and is about an hour away, so it's currently edging out anything new I've found online.

@krazyduck, not sure, but I figured I'd have to consider that. It seems likely. When is bolting most necessary? The racks at my gym aren't bolted down (they're significantly more substantial), so this is relatively new to me. I assume it's most useful for re-racking heavy benches and squats. With my basement clearance, I won't be doing any pull ups in this rack.

[hollismb]

I assume that this needs to be bolted down?

Yes. It would need to be bolted down, unless it comes with a crossbar at the bottom that's not pictured. You could always lag it to a piece of plywood or some other surface instead of going into the floor.

[krazyduck]

Yes. It would need to be bolted down, unless it comes with a crossbar at the bottom that's not pictured. You could always lag it to a piece of plywood or some other surface instead of going into the floor.

Thanks for the answer

[Cody]

No way in hell I'd pay $250 for that. $100, tops. I've seen old York-knockoffs like this sell for $50 out of an old high school weight room this last year.

[Smyth]

Check out the Power Racks on Amazon. There is a good selection, at some of the best prices from what I've seen.

[IfNotNow]

No way in hell I'd pay $250 for that. $100, tops. I've seen old York-knockoffs like this sell for $50 out of an old high school weight room this last year.

How come? Because it's homemade? The design? The materials? I figured $250 roughly covered the cost of materials, but I don't know much about this stuff and haven't gone through pricing one out yet (like making Rip's rack) mainly because I saw Rip write that the materials, build & installation for his were roughly $600.

Of course if a high school football was unloading squat racks for $50 a pop, I'd jump on that, but I don't expect that to see that happen any time soon.

Check out the Power Racks on Amazon. There is a good selection, at some of the best prices from what I've seen.

Thanks. I do have a few backup options scouted out for buying new in roughly the same price range (Titan, NY Barbells, etc.), but was curious if this one would be sturdier, plus I wouldn't have to pay to ship this one.


Ultimately, I'm going to have to pass on this rack. I measured my the distance from the ground to the bottom of the floor joists in my basement, and I'm short 2" clearance for this rack. So buying a new one is likely what I'll do. Thanks everyone for the responses.