This large, heavy duty lab jack is well made with cast parts on the elevator. Less well made lab jacks have stamped metal parts that can bend under a heavy load. I used this to support 6 gallons of wine so it could be siphoned into a lower container. It is sturdy enough to support that weight, about 48 pounds, even nearly fully extended. One should be aware that the method of raising and lowering the jack is the standard screw-based method; while this method is fine for raising the platform with a modest load, it is nearly impossible with the 48 lb load. Lowering the 48 lb load is of course no issue. Perhaps a long lever attached to the knob might work, or it might just strip the threads,- who knows.