Reddit reviews TDS Power, Squat & Open Rack Station, with Solid Steel Safety Bars, 1.25" Dia Professionally Knurled Pull Up Bar

• Rack. Best quality, functionality, and price (240$) I've found is the TDS Open rack on amazon: link (That's what I own, it has all the benefits of a full rack but you can also do OHP from it without having to lift your bar out of your rack.)
  
  
• Rogue Ohio Power Bar (265 bucks). Unbeatable.
  
  
• A marcy SB 315 bench is rated up to 600 lbs and is 50$ on amazon. It's cheap but there's really nothing wrong with it, unless you weigh 200 and are benching 400 lbs... which is somewhat rare... The bench also has good traction and is a moderate/wide width - it's not skinny and sucky.
  
  
• Plates are last and where I'd splurge (if you have the money).... Nice plates are nice.. but if not you can grab some stuff on craigslist/play it again sports. Play it again sells their iron at about .50-75 cents a pound.
  
  
• Adjustable standard-sized dumbells for accessory work. Play it again sports or Dicks.
  
  All this can be done for under 1k.

TDS Power, Squat & Open Rack Station https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VKGLWUU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_w7DobW3zUvJkp

I do like it! It was a good price, and I like that it's open and lower on the front part so that I can lift the bar out of it easily when I need to for deadlifts and such.

The cat curtains are from Ikea. I couldn't resist them!

Edit: here is the exact rack I bought. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VKGLWUU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

do you have enough space for this? https://www.amazon.com/TDS-Power-Squat-Open-Station/dp/B00VKGLWUU

This open squat rack may be closer to what you want than a full box:
TDS Power, Squat & Open Rack Station
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VKGLWUU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fEcvybNVZ21HQ
It's open in the front so you can OHP in the rack & pull the bar out from DL.
It doesn't move much with pull ups.
It's cheap.
It is as strong as anything out there.
You can slam 1000lbs on the safety bars and they wont flinch.
Basically, I am in love with it but willing to share.

I wish I had an open-topped rack, so I'd prefer the second one, but that's way more steel than my 375 squat requires.

If I had it to do over again I'd get this one: https://www.amazon.com/Station-Safety-professioanlly-Knurled-Chinning/dp/B00VKGLWUU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495036817&sr=8-1&keywords=tds+open+rack

I have their equivalent full cage, and it's solid.

You could consider an open top power rack (such as: https://www.amazon.com/TDS-Power-Squat-Open-Station/dp/B00VKGLWUU/) or a squat stand with spotter bars (such as https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-s-1-squat-stand-2-0 with https://www.roguefitness.com/set-of-safety-spotter-arms ).

Investing in a home gym was the best thing I ever did for my body. I hate top 40 pop bullshit and love to blast podcasts and audio books while i workout on my own time with my own shit without waiting one second for a rack while some tool quarter squats or curls.

I can't speak highly enough about this rack: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VKGLWUU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Czfuzb8YD85BK . It is open instead of a box, so you can do ohp in it with safety bars as well as squat and bench. It is sturdy as fuck with safety bars that are rated at 1,000 lbs and i believe it.

I personally prefer to use rings for dips because they cost $20, can be hung from the pullup bar on my rack, and work more stabilizer muscles. I use a weight belt for dips and pullups.

Pull the trigger. I spent about $600 on everything I need a year ago, and after a year without gym fees, I'm basically making money.

I'm planning on making a home gym on a budget and was deciding between these two squat racks: first and second

The first is what seems to always be suggested as a budget option but I think the second one seems to be more practical as well as cheaper and I don't really see any drawbacks in its design vs an open cage. Can anyone tell me what the disadvantages would be compared to the first cage option if I went with the second option?