Quality of new Stanley No. 7 plane

[Chuck Hart]

I am looking to buy a No. 7 plane. And like a lot of you I am on a budget. I was looking at Amazon and they offer a new Stanley no. 7 for $178.00. Does anyone know if this is a good plane. I wouldn't mind buying one second hand but I have been burnt on a couple of plane purchases and I am cautious. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Chuck

[Sean Hughto]

I don't know about the new Stanley, but for $178 I guarantee you could get a GREAT vintage 7.

[bridger berdel]

I am looking to buy a No. 7 plane. And like a lot of you I am on a budget. I was looking at Amazon and they offer a new Stanley no. 7 for $178.00. Does anyone know if this is a good plane. I wouldn't mind buying one second hand but I have been burnt on a couple of plane purchases and I am cautious. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

Chuck

this item?
<http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-Jointe...tanley+7+plane>

if so my answer is don't do it. for that money you can pick up a pretty nice vintage #7, which will be a far better tool.

a quick check on ebay saw several at well below that price active now, and completed listings from some $30 to some $120. I would recommend familiarizing yourself somewhat with the vintage plane world before you start buying. go here and read:
http://<http://www.hyperkitten.com/t..._bench_plane/>

[bridger berdel]

oh, and I didn't mean to imply that ebay is the best place to buy planes. I got my #7 from a guy on craigslist. it cost me $20, needed minimal cleanup and sharpening. I just had to keep looking for a while. they will sometimes show up at antique stores and pawnshops. while the #7 isn't as common as the #4 or #5, it's by no means a rare size.

[David Weaver]

Stay away from new Stanley bailey pattern planes.

[lowell holmes]

Contact Patrick Leach. He will have a new list out in a day or two. He is sure to have a #7 for sale.

leach@supertool.com

You might post in the classified section of Sawmill Creek. I'm sure someone might have a #7 for sale.

[Chuck Hart]

I don't know about the new Stanley, but for $178 I guarantee you could get a GREAT vintage 7.

And where would you go to find this great vintage?

[Jim Matthews]

I purchased, and promptly returned the smaller Stanley #4 due to the imprecision
of the adjusting mechanism. There's no sense in paying premium prices
for something like this - they're "all hat, and no cattle".

[Chuck Hart]

this item?
<http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-Jointe...tanley+7+plane>

if so my answer is don't do it. for that money you can pick up a pretty nice vintage #7, which will be a far better tool.



a quick check on ebay saw several at well below that price active now, and completed listings from some $30 to some $120. I would recommend familiarizing yourself somewhat with the vintage plane world before you start buying. go here and read:
http://<http://www.hyperkitten.com/t..._bench_plane/>

I have checked Josh's list every time it comes out but he rarely deals in planes that size. I have done research on ebay but as I've said I have been burned a couple of times on planes from ebay so I am really cautious of goingv there. I don't want to do a gvround up restoe. I just don'tg have the time orf energy to do that. I would just like to get a quality jointer that I can use in my little shop

[Chuck Hart]

And as you can see by the previous post I can't type either!

[Stew Denton]

Hi Chuck, my Son in law bought a new Stanley plane a while ago, and it wasn't a very good quality....didn't approach the quality of the vintage Stanley planes I have. Over the past couple of months or so, the median price of a Stanley #7 on Ebay, in usable condition, is about or a little over $100. (I have spent a lot of time looking.) For that $100, you will not get one that is pretty, and the one you will get will usually need cleaning up. If that type of plane stays at a very low price when you get ready to bid on it, look the pictures over very carefully. Virtually always when such is the case, if you look closely, you will find that there is a good reason that the price has stayed low.

The way I get the $100 is to look at what they sell for, add in the shipping, and the cost of any needed parts. For example, I just looked at one that sold for about $60, with shipping of $15. It had a severely pitted iron. By the time you get a Stanley original equipment iron in nearly new condition and pay shipping on it, you come up with right about that $100.

That said, you never know, a while back I bought a nice #6, type 14, that had a virtually new LV iron and LV chip breaker. Further, the guy included the original Stanley iron (nearly new condition) and chip breaker. The plane is extremely nice, needing no restoration what so ever, had been beautifully restored, and was $77 plus shipping. That was a bargain in my view, so you never know what kind of deal you can get, but you have to be very patient.

I would buy one from type 10 to 14 or so, those are good planes I think. Look the pictures over pretty good and be picky if you go that route. You can also spend a lot more than that on Ebay for one that has been made pretty.

If I was going to try to spend $200 to get the best #7 plane I could get for the money, I would buy one of the #7 Stanley planes mentioned above, or sometimes I have even seen a #607 Bedrock go for about $100, and then clean it up, and restore it. I would then send it to Tablesaw Tom, from this site to have him check over and if need be mill the bottom flat. I think that would be my best bet to get a great plane for that money. I am thinking about doing just that for a gift I have in mind.

Regards,

Stew

[lowell holmes]

I have a 607 with LV iron and breaker installed. It is flat, it came to me flat.

I'm really pleased with it.

[Reinis Kanders]

I just got from eBay Miller's Falls 22 inch plane that is equivalent to Stanley no.7. It was nice and shiny in the box, no rust, for $120 with shipping. Sole actually was a bit convex, but it still joints ok. There were bunch of others being auctioned as well.

[Jim Koepke]

My #7 came from an antique store. It was more work than you want, but it is now one of my favorite planes.

Here is the story:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ker-to-Jointer

Not every seller on ebay is knowledgeable or trying to rip off buyers. Sure some bad deals have come my way. With a bit of care and a lot of patience you should find something good. Otherwise purchase from someone like Patrick Leach.

jtk

[Tom Vanzant]

Lowell, we both came out OK with our 607s. Mine was tuned, the Japanning was 80% or better, the tote was a very nicely done replacement, the iron was an almost new Hock O1 with cap iron, and the original Stanley iron and cap set came with the package...all for $80.