spring compressors

Which spring compressors have ya'll used successfully? I originally tried installing some 882s with a u-bolt style, but when I got the strut assembled and released the compressor, the coils were too close to get the u-bolts out from the spring. Tonight I rented a compressor from autozone. It looked like this:



It was too thick to get out from the coils also. So what compressor did ya'll use and where did you get it from?