Apexstone 20N/4-1/2 lbs 220 mm/8-2/3 inch Gas Spring/Prop/Strut/Shock/Lift Support,Set of 2

Did the job nicely. I wanted a self-opening and stay-open lid on the nest box on my chicken coop so my 3 year old could open it and not worry about it slamming down on her head or fingers as she reached in. Success! The lid on my nest box is 14" x 30", framed in 2x2 lumber, with sheathing, tar paper, drip edge, and shingles on it, so it's relatively heavy. Just one strut was able to hold it open, but self-opening was non-existent and it still slammed shut quite hard. When I put on the second strut, with careful adjustment I got it so that once lifted to just beyond horizontal, it self-opens.My only gripe is that once you insert the ball joints into the ends of the strut, it's a bear to get them back out if you need to move the mounting point, as I did. I had to pry quite hard with a flat blade screwdriver. So, pro tip: do everything humanly possible to avoid mounting the thing until you're absolutely sure you've got pivot points in the correct place.I hope they hold up to outdoor environment. They're not exposed to precipitation, but they are exposed to the temperature extremes of NE Kansas. I will update after extended service.***Update 06/24/2016***These are doing wonderfully. They survived our winter and worked great even on days the temp was in single digits for days at a time. They were a little bit stiffer but generally nothing works as easily when it's 3°F outside. Now that we've reached the heat of summer and temps are 98°F+, I find that they still work great. For reference I'm generally opening the nest box 2-3 times per day, so that's easily 500+ cycles in an outdoor environment. I'd buy these things again and again.

These gas shocks work perfectly. Make sure you follow the directions provided, and measure exactly as explained. First time they wouldn't close because I had one end in the wrong place. Second time they worked perfectly. Never installed these before, so an amateur can do this easily. Holds the door open when extended, and keeps it closed when compressed. I used them on a cedar chest, though the instructions showed a vertical application. Used a hasp to lock down the lid when closed.Addendum: I bought another set for another chest with a lid that was about 3" deep. The thing to remember is to position the gas shocks where you want them, but do not exceed the overall length of the gas shocks that arrive in the package. The shocks come fully extended, so they will NOT extend past that length. Put your lid where you want it (90 degrees from the base or main cabinet works well) and make your marks to position the ball cleats there. The exposed stainless steel shaft will be taken in by the black plastic housing when fully closed, so make sure the lid will close in that amount of travel. This may sound confusing, but once you get the shocks, it should become clear. You can push the shock ends together to close the shock using your hands, showing you exactly how much travel there will be. It's a bit of a push, but not difficult. The amount of travel is exactly the length of the exposed steel rod, of course. The lid ball cleat should be about 70 mm from the hinge side, and about 240 mm from the hinge side for the cabinet. The hypotenuse, assuming a 90 degree lid position, will measure 250 mm or 25 centimeters, the length of the rod plus the housing. It's all pretty straightforward once you dry fit the shock. I recommend the plastic housing be on top, but they work either way. Hope this helps...it's easier than this description sounds.

I purchased a set of these 6 months ago and they were great! Easy to install, clear directions, and very functional for the job I was using them for (softening the close on a toy chest for my kids). We bought another toy chest, so I purchased the exact same item from Amazon and received an ENTIRELY different set of hinges. The new set came with no installation instructions, and the pins that allow for the securing components to be removed from the hinge (this is how you actually attach the product to the cabinet/trunk you're working with) were not at all easily removable.Merge this with the fact that there were now big Chinese characters scrawled out on the hinge instead of "Apexstone" and I lost faith in the product entirely. Very frustrating - the first hinges were of really nice quality, but these new ones are complete garbage. I sent them back.

Nice Product, Works great, easy to install. The directions could be better. The drawings that show the dimensions are a bit confusing (if you get any). Use the dimension that gives you the distance from the center of the hinge to the top of the spring end first. Lift your lid or door to 90-100 degrees, and attach the other end of the spring at this point and it will work just fine.

I have been using Apexstone branded struts before and they are good value for money. This pair however were not branded and had some Chinese sticker on the side. Also the strut itself makes a metal scratching noise when compressing as it seems the strut is not lubricated or positioned correctly. Very disappointed, was expecting better quality from Apexstone

These were perfect for what I needed. They hold the lid , and close softly. The only thing that i dont like is that i cant get more. They seem to be sold out. I had to buy bigger ones that take up too much room.

I wanted something that would open a cabinet door that would perform as a Gas strut should, open the door and slow down for a gentile finish. Not these. Both slop around in the main ball hinge and slam open. If you have to hold the shelf as it drops down with your hands, adding these offers no value. I have some 80N units and they slam open as these. Not impressed!!!

They do exactly what they say they do, are super easy to install, and surprisingly strong. I purchased them to support the top of the box below, that covers our pool equipment and while I need to purchase the next size up, that is all on me and my lack of researching which ones I needed. They do hold the cover up but you need to help push it up to it's final position, again, my fault.Highly recommend them though!