Knox wood Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 So I've been piecing together my basic foundation of some hand and power tools for woodworking. But as I am researching some hand planes, I realize that it seems only 2 options. Go big, or go home. I was curious if anyone has had a good quality plane, that was for a "value" price. For example, I've looked at a 9" bench plane at HD for about $30 made by 'Buck Bros'. Looks nice enough, but a lot of bad reviews. I just wonder if it is the user, or the tool itself? I know you can peek n tweak it before use but.... I also don't want to drop $80 at woodcraft for something I might not like using in future. Thoughts...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Gilgaron Posted February 15, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 If you'd rather put sweat equity into something, go find a deal on a vintage plane. Most of my planes are tuned up antiques. From what I've seen lately on eBay it is getting harder to find good deals but is still possible if you're patient. Certainly you'll be able to get a smoother for $30 that will be better than the Buck Bros. Otherwise buy a Lee Valley Veritas or Lie Nielsen and if you don't like it you'll be able to sell it for very near what you paid for it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Eric. Posted February 15, 2017 Popular Post Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 You get what you pay for. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleedinblue Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 The cheapest planes available that are worthwhile are Woodrivers from Woodcraft. If you can take the plunge for a veritas or lie nielsen it's worth it. You can go vintage but there is a learning curve to a good restoration and tune up. I've got a good old block plane that I was able to tune, but I have a #4 that I can't get tuned well to save my life. I'd suggest getting a good new plane to use while you attempt to restore a vintage plane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 16 minutes ago, bleedinblue said: but I have a #4 that I can't get tuned well to save my life A smoothing plane should be your first expensive plane. There really isn't much need in paying $350 for a jack plane since a Jack is a roughing tool. However, if you have the rest of them... might as well get the set 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pwk5017 Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 Maybe i suck at finding hand plane deals, but i looked and looked and looked on CL and Ebay. Everybody wants top dollar for their planes, and they usually get their asking price. I think woodriver makes decent stuff, certainly worthwhile users. Moving forward, i am only buying used LN or LV tools. Actually, just purchased a LV router plane and 6-8 blades for $150 off CL yesterday. Guy is shipping it to me. Definitely not a hot deal, but that is an example of the kind of "deals" that are available on quality used hand tools. I picked up a LN no8 over the summer for $250, which was a great deal. Im at the point now where i need spokeshaves, a shoulder plane, and rasps and i sorta dont care about the "deals" aspect of acquiring them. As previously mentioned, buying quality hand tools doesnt expose you to much depreciation. A no71 router plane that is 80 years old still has quite a bit of value to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 When I bought my first Lee Valley plane I realized how much time I was wasting using and adjusting my old vintage planes. And the vintage planes are better than the Buck and Wood River tools. If you don't have much experience learning on a cheap tool will be frustrating. Get a few really good tools instead of a wide range of cheap ones. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 12 minutes ago, wdwerker said: . And the vintage planes are better than the Buck and Wood River tools. If you don't have much experience learning on a cheap tool will be frustrating. Ever use s Wood River Steve? I think we need to get back to Eric's comment and diminishing returns. I consider my great vintage Stanley and Record to be on par with the Wood River, but to get a value they required more work. I think local markets may come into play based on your comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleedinblue Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 There are enough YouTube video reviews by credible sources...Shannon Rodgers, Rob Cosman, etc...to prove to me that Woodrivers are worth a shot. I intend on picking up a 4 1/2 Friday. If it proves it's self to me, I'm going to replace my vintage planes and maybe even my Lie Nielsen LAJ with WR equivalents. Regardless, comparing WR to Buck Brothers...come on Steve, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 2 hours ago, Knox wood said: I was curious if anyone has had a good quality plane, that was for a "value" price. New? No. That being said I have a few older Millers Falls, I think the most expensive one was about $45 and it came in the original box and looked like this: My No 4's and No 5 are Millers Falls and they tune up great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pridmore Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 Jay Bates (jay's custom creations) recently did a video on semi-premium vs premium planes that may or may not be interesting to you. He pretty much says what Eric did: you get what you pay for. Wood River planes do the job, but LNs are Money right out of the box. https://jayscustomcreations.com/2017/01/premium-vs-semi-premium-hand-planes-not-an-in-depth-comparison/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 1 hour ago, C Shaffer said: Ever use s Wood River Steve? I think we need to get back to Eric's comment and diminishing returns. I consider my great vintage Stanley and Record to be on par with the Wood River, but to get a value they required more work. I think local markets may come into play based on your comment. I have tried the Wood Rivers at my local Woodcraft. The store was almost empty and I had time to give it a go. They are better than a Buck but still require a learning curve that's far more than a LV plane. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleedinblue Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 This is what has convinced me to give it a shot. For half price the LN, I don't mind fifteen minutes of work. And if it sucks? They still sell like crazy on Ebay if the store won't take it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 Keep in mind, they pay Cosman to sell those things... The difference in price between a WR and a Veritas or even a LN...over the course of a lifetime...peanuts. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleedinblue Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 I can't argue with that and I don't envision myself getting the results he does. If I can come close though, and unless he's being deceptive in his videos I think I can, it'll be worth it. Shannon gave a similar review too, as did Jay Bates....not that I value Jay's opinion on hand tools as much as Shannon's. If it's still in the store I'll get the 4 1/2 on Friday and see what I can do with it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Knox wood Posted February 15, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 Wow! A lot of good info thanks. All I'm trying to do now is get something with minimal tweaking, that can sure up some miters with a shooting board... outside of that, I'm such a beginner that I don't even want to take on a demanding project. I'll check out some of the jay customs videos and see. I do have a woodcraft store close by so maybe I'll drop in there and see what they have also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 14 minutes ago, Eric. said: Keep in mind, they pay Cosman to sell those things... And for years he was a LN rep, and sang their praises like a bird. Then all of a sudden, he jumped ship and had to release his own DT saw because nothing else was good enough. It's like trusting Joe Walsh on which guitar to buy. Walsh will put his face on anything if you pay him enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 If you love quality tools, follow the LN or LV route. I was in the "who needs a $350 smoother" side until I got my LN #4 bronze plane. Once you laid your hands on one of those things, there's no going back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prov163 Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 My personal experience, whether it's woodworking, mechanics, or any other endeavor that requires tools, is that a substandard or mediocre tool gives a less than stellar result. What I mean is while the HD socket set might get the job done, they don't hold a candle to my SnapOn or even the older Craftsman sets I have. They round off bolt heads, the ratchets are sloppy, etc. What I'm trying to say is that investing in a better tool from the start gives you a better experience and outcome, especially in woodworking, IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 35 minutes ago, Knox wood said: Wow! A lot of good info thanks. All I'm trying to do now is get something with minimal tweaking, that can sure up some miters with a shooting board... outside of that, I'm such a beginner that I don't even want to take on a demanding project. I'll check out some of the jay customs videos and see. I do have a woodcraft store close by so maybe I'll drop in there and see what they have also. Where are you located. If you're near me you can stop by and try a few things out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleedinblue Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 You guys are a pain in my...foot. I just double checked the price of the Veritas 4 1/2 and it's cheaper than I thought. With the free shipping sale right now, and factoring in sales tax from Woodcraft, it's only going to be $50-60 more expensive than the Woodriver. Crap. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CandorLush Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 24 minutes ago, bleedinblue said: I can't argue with that and I don't envision myself getting the results he does. If I can come close though, and unless he's being deceptive in his videos I think I can, it'll be worth it. Shannon gave a similar review too, as did Jay Bates....not that I value Jay's opinion on hand tools as much as Shannon's. If it's still in the store I'll get the 4 1/2 on Friday and see what I can do with it. I liked Jay's video a lot because he was taking his own personal WR plane that he had spent the time tuning and compared it to a fresh out of the box LN. That said, I will still probably end up going with a LN 4 or 4.5 over the WR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheperd80 Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 I personally love the woodriver planes. I dont desire anything more that warrants spending more. "Prep" of the planes takes like 2 minutes. Though there are a few Veritas on my list as well. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bleedinblue Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 2 minutes ago, sheperd80 said: I personally love the woodriver planes. I dont desire anything more that warrants spending more. "Prep" of the planes takes like 2 minutes. Though there are a few Veritas on my list as well. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk Finally, backup comes...right as I've got the Vertias in my shopping cart, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 Frank, is there a particular reason you're stuck on the 4.5 rather than the 4? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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