Read reviews and watched youtube videos full of warning and do's and do nots for a couple of weeks. Despite grave warnings, still couldn't give the island mechanics the 7 and change they were 'guessing' it take for the job. (Why is it 200 more this week?)
crickets
Anyways, figured to get a sturdy spring compressor and move with caution.

On a 98 pathfinder se 4x4 with the stock struts the 6494 locked on in 4 positions and with a ratchet I was able to compress the spring no problem. 5 minutes tops, being very, very, careful. Using a cheap vice,( I read on here someone having done this without a vice not sure how you'd go about that) and my brother in-law lent me his steady hands we did the second strut done and dusted in about 35 minutes, done and dusted - maybe less

- and just like that I wondered why I'd been so afraid to do this job? Good tools used wisely can make for a cakewalk of a job.

I've done two cars with this spring compressor. This is a far better tool than the pair of independent claims that auto parts stores will loan out. The independent claims often get your spring compressed crooked because you can't keep them 180 degs appart, then it is a pia to get them back into the new struts. This tool keep the compressed spring straight.

In doing an older Nissan Altima, the rear springs were too narrow for this tool and I had to get the loaner pair from advanced auto to finish. No big deal as the rears are pretty light springs and the above issues are manageable.

In doing an Audi A4, the front springs were too heavy for the OTC 6494 alone. So I added the loaner pair of claims with this. That worked fine. I would tighten the 6494 with an impact wrench to about 150 ft-lbs. Then follow with each independent clamp opposite the 6494 using the impact wrench. I then repeated between the two (acutally three) with the impact wrench untill the spring was compressed. It was not an issue keeping the spring straight with the 6494's claim shell design.

In all cases, I have the end of the strut in a vice or clamp as I'm compressing the spring.

The tool is well made, but I always clean and grease the threads.

I actually read and followed the instructions for once, and did not lose any appendages or my face. The spring compressors that operate independently of one another are too sketchy in my opinion and this is a safer alternative. I went one step farther and used a 3/8" chain to snugly bind the spring to the compressor and then also to an extremely heavy immobilized object so that if things went sideways it wouldn't travel far.

My only gripe is that there is a much less expensive version available from harbor freight that includes a safety ring, which this did not include. I bought this before I found the HFT version, but if your life depends on it, maybe you shouldn't buy it from Harbor Freight anyway.

sturdy

I'm never one to go running to a service garage every time my vehicle needs work. So now my shocks are shot on my 4x4 SUV and they need replacing. The front shocks, however, have the coil springs wound around them. I have had experience using the widow-maker style of spring compressors before and I didn't want to relive that experience. I was originally drawn to this clamshell style because it seems like a much safer design. I thought that they were a bit pricey, but with tools, you get what you pay for (usually). I replaced my shocks just last weekend and I was quite satisfied with the performance of this spring compressor. My son helped me with the job and as soon as he saw the compressor he had some misgivings because he had a similar product (from H***** Freight) and dumped it after one use. Once he had this one in hand he was amazed at how stout it is. It did a great job and we had no problems completing the replacement of my shocks. Now on to my next project (while replacing the shocks I found a split boot on one of the CV joints).