Thought on the Stanley "Sweet Heart"

[Jeff Monson]

I've been drooling over a Lie neilson #4 smoother for quite some time but havent been able to justify the 300 dollars for one, today I got a woodcraft ad with the new stanley sweet heart planes. They make a #4 smoother for 180 dollars and on the 24th and 25th of July I can get another 15%off.

So is this plane worth the money or should I keep saving for the nielson?

[Barry Beech]

Why not get an older Stanley #4?

I do have both a LN #4 and an old type 16 or so #4.

I enjoy using both. They old one has been well tuned and
has a hock blade and chip breaker.

[Mike Henderson]

I agree. Try an older plane with a new blade and you'll be surprised at how well it works. I'm not going to say it's as good as a new LN but the difference is small. And you'll save a lot of money.

And if you aren't satisfied, you can sell it and usually get your money back, especially if you cleaned it up nicely.

Mike

[Richard Magbanua]

I got a Hock blade and chip breaker for my old #4 and I'm happy enough with it that I'm no longer craving the LN low angle smoother.
-wait, did you say 15% off the 24th and 25th of this month? I must have missed the ad. Is this for Stanleys only or for everything. Sorry, I'm in the market for a shoulder plane.

[jerry nazard]

I really like planes! Most of my planes are vintage Stanley's, Sargent's, and Millers Falls that I have fettled and fussed over until they do what I want. If I were in the market for a brand new #4, and did not want to spring for a LN, I would seriously consider a Wood River from Woodcraft. I have one and it is a very nice plane. Not perfect, but for $109 it is a hard deal to beat.

[dan sherman]

+1 for buying an old plane and fixing it up. #4's are pretty common, I'd estimate 30 get auctioned of a week on the bay. The slightly more sought after type 6-15's also come up for auction regularly. I picked up my type 13 #3 for $21, and I put about another $25 (new blade and paint) into her. so I have a really good smother for under $50.

[Michael Faurot]

I got a woodcraft ad with the new stanley sweet heart planes. They make a #4 smoother for 180 dollars and on the 24th and 25th of July I can get another 15%off.

So is this plane worth the money or should I keep saving for the nielson?

I've had my hands on both the Stanley SW No. 60-1/2 low angle block and the No. 62 low angle jack. While I didn't have the opportunity to make shavings with either of them--I'm very impressed with the fit and finish. The new 60-1/2 low angle block has some heft to it and feels like a well built tool. Likewise with the No. 62 being a solid built tool. On the No. 62 a few things I noted were that the blade is nice and thick and made of A2 steel.

Christopher Schwarz has reviewed these planes here. Check out the pictures. These are not the beloved vintage planes of old, nor are they the junk that has been made in recent years--but a new animal.

I have two suggestions for you:

1. Go to your local Woodcraft store. If the plane you're interested in is not out where you can examine it, ask to take it out of the box. This shouldn't be a problem, and will give you the chance to examine the plane for yourself. If you don't like what you see--don't buy it.
2. Woodcraft has a good return policy, just return it within 90 days and get your money back if it doesn't perform for you.

[Mark Ottenheimer]

There seems to almost always be some fine print.

*Excludes all Lie-Nielsen, Festool, Leigh Jigs, SawStop, SteelCity & Gift Cards. Offer good on all other merchandise purchases. Not Valid with Any Other Offer. At participating retail stores, the Woodcraft Catalog and Woodcraft.com

[Jeff Monson]

I got a Hock blade and chip breaker for my old #4 and I'm happy enough with it that I'm no longer craving the LN low angle smoother.
-wait, did you say 15% off the 24th and 25th of this month? I must have missed the ad. Is this for Stanleys only or for everything. Sorry, I'm in the market for a shoulder plane.

Richard,

I got a postcard from woodcraft the sale is the 24th and 25th and yes it has the usual exclusions, sawstop, lie nielson, etc. etc., but the stanley would qualify

[Tony Zaffuto]

If it were me, I'd save a couple more bucks and opt for the Lee Valley Bevel Up smoother or the LV bevel up jack.

[Richard Magbanua]

DAG, I was thinking about the LN shoulder plane for 15% off. Not bad at $165 or so.

[John Keeton]

You might ask the particular Woodcraft store owner if he/she will extend the sale to the LN. At the last 15% off sale, I was looking at the LNs and the offer was made to me without asking. The individual franchisees can make that call, and they may be willing to do it. Doesn't hurt to ask.

[george wilson]

The Wood River planes I tried to examine were inside sealed plastic pouches,and liberally coated with that extra sticky and disgusting Chinese cosmolene.

[James Owen]

There seems to almost always be some fine print.

*Excludes all Lie-Nielsen, Festool, Leigh Jigs, SawStop, SteelCity & Gift Cards.

Part of that fine print is because Festool, SawStop, Leigh, Fein, and several other vendors prohibit retailers from discounting their products, upon pain of losing their distributorships.....

[Jim Koepke]

My two Stanley/Bailey #4s (type 6 & 9) work fine with old Stanley blades. The are almost as common as dirt and priced similarly.

There some of them for under $20, including shipping in the completed auctions on eBay that didn't even get bids. One is a type 11. Other than the ugly paint and broken handle it looks to be a good deal.

For a lot less money than even the Wood River planes you could likely get a few nice old planes. Putting them in to working order is not usually a difficult project.

Is the economy so bad that the prices realized for old planes dropping?

jim