I bought a pair of axle stands that came as a set and it stated "2 ton" capacity on the box. Each axle stand has a sticker stating "2 ton" capacity.
Since they came as a pair, does that mean one axle stand supports 1 ton, or does each support the full 2 tons?
To be specific, these are the axle stands in question: https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/certified-axle-stands-pair-0090010p.html#srp
It depends. It is not safe to assume that jack stands/axle stands are rated one way or another in all cases. There are cases where the weight rating is for the pair, such as these Craftsman jack stands or these Pittsburgh jack stands.
Alternatively, some jack stand sets are rated per-stand, like these Duralast ones.
There are a few ways to check. As a general rule, cheaper stands tend to advertise the capacity of the pair. For the Craftsman stands, the only place the rating is mentioned is in the sticker on the stands, which you can see in the product image. For the Duralast stands, there are a couple of indicators: the warranted capacity is "1 to 2.99 ton," indicating the pair has a higher capacity than 2 tons, and there's a line where the description explicitly says "Jack Stand Weight Capacity Per Stand (tons): 2."
For yours, there's no clear indication, other than "CanadianTireTeam" answered a question on the product page asking essentially what you're asking here with, "...the support capacity of each stand is 2-ton (for a total of 4 tons). I apologize for the potential confusion; however, the rated capacity (per stand) is detailed on the packaging and stands, as well as in the manual."
Each axle stand will be rated for 2 tons - but I would not use them at full capacity, (half or 3/4 only) just a habit of mine especially if they are "cheaper" ones.
The manufacturing quality of jack stands sometimes leaves things to be desired. I have a pair of "4-ton" jackstands. Still have the box. They were expensive and sold by a large retailer. One of the stands is not usable. A small shift in the weight of a vehicle caused the stand to buckle, and it is unusable. The vehicle was a 2800 lb compact.
This answer is a general caution to use your best judgment. As far as I could find out, there are no recognized standards for consumer grade jackstands. In my case, I consider myself fortunate that there were no critical body parts under the stand as it folded down into a wedge that I now use to block a wheel from rolling.
