Now, you have to remember, the Pearl rack was invented by Jeff Porcaro and Paul Jameson, around 1980. I had just designed a rack, for my kit, by cutting up $1000 worth of Tama boom stands and welding them to 1x3 hollow metal bar. Went to see Toto play, at Universal Ampitheater, and BAM, there was a pro built rack, the first I'd ever see.
So no, it's not the "sturdiest" rack out there. It's a 30 year old design. I had the DR-100, big brother to the DR-80. The DR-100 grew up to be the Icon rack.
Both racks "wobble" a bit. Due to vertical legs with no horizontal feet, and the hinges in the horizontal bars. Since I ran 1 up, 2 down, I never had any drums on my rack. All I ran, was cymbals. And since the cymbals moved, the rack wobble was a moot point. Running 7/8 cymbals, off the rack, was much easier, than individual stands. Set up/tear down was quick. I never took any of my cymbal arms off the rack. Just folded the rack and put it in the van. And placement consistence was great. Align the rack with the kick drum, and everything else fell into place.
Square tube meant no slippage, ever. And no need for memory clamps. I played hundreds of gigs, with that rack. Never one problem. Never.
I was gonna get the DR-80, and the salesman pulled me aside, said he had a DR-100 for sale (his own) .... so I bought "used" not new.
The DR-80 is still an excellent rack, if you can live with it's limitations. It won't give you "unlimited" cymbal arm angles (but neither will a tripod stand). Vertical and horizontal positions is what you get. So you rely on the boom ratchet and tilter for your angles. And, if you're playing in Marilyn Manson's band, you might want a heavier rack. But if your playing force is more akin to Jeff Porcaro, the DR-80 will do you just fine. And for $50, I'd pull the trigger.