I've used both types of jack stands. My first were from Sears which had the 'pin through' construction. These worked OK until I drove over one with my pickup and flattened it. The metal was a bit thin for my comfort.
Next I got a pair of ratchet type stands from Harbor Freight. These are much heavier than my old Sears stands and have given good service. The main thing I'd suggest you remember is to raise the car high enough so that you can place the stand under the car at the height you want and get the lever completely set in the notch in the part that goes up and down. If you get the lever partially set it will likely not hold securely. This is really pretty easy to set right. I have more confidence in my new stands than in the older ones.
As for the jack, I bought a floor jack (the one with a long handle to pump the jack). I wish I had bought this years ago, it is really great. I bought a 3 ton model which rises up to about 19-20 inches. Here are my pointers for selecting one:
1. Get at least a 3 ton model.
2. Be sure it can raise the car high enough to get your jack stands underneath. I bought my son a jack from Sears which is OK for tire changing but it can't get the car up high enough to place a jack stand underneath and have it high enough to get under and work. A really usable jack will be pretty big and very heavy. Anything small and light enough to easily lift into your trunk is likely to be too small for car repair use. A light weight aluminum 'racing mechanic's jack might be an exception to this. $$$$
3. If you ever think you will pull a transmission, get a jack with a removeable saddle to allow you to place a transmission adapter in the jack.
4. If you can find a jack which has a small auxiliary lever (about 6 inches long) next to the long lever, buy it! If you want to roll the jack far under the car to lift at a point like to front cross member, you'll really appreciate this auxiliary lever. Without this lever, you are forced to use the long, main, lever. Because the jack is far under the front bumper, this lever can only move over a small arc. It then takes very large number of strokes to get the jack to start lifting and it is easy to move the jack out of position while you are doing this. Using the auxiliary handle, you can lay right under the bumper, position the jack, and quickly pump up the jack until it touches where you want it to. Then you just stand up in front of the car and pump the long handle to raise the car.
I think it is a good safety measure to keep the jack in place after setting the jack stands and lowering the car onto the stands, unless the jack is too much in the way. Some place tires and wheels under the car sides. Don't use cinder blocks!
Also don't overlook the use of ramps. I've used metal ramps and the new composite material ramps sold under the name 'Rhino Ramps'. I really like the composite ramps. They raise the car high enough for things like inspection, oil changes, etc. These are much more convenient than using the jack and jack stands. Also, you can run your car up on the ramps, then use the jack and jack stands more easily, then remove the ramps if you need to remove the front wheels.
