Which smoothing plane to buy

[Pat Barry]

You can buy the LN 4 1/2 in Bronze and solve that problem of having extra money in one fell swoop. See recent thread on that topic.

[Hasin Haroon]

If you can fettle a plane, go for the woodriver #4, and save even more money for chisels!
You asked for woodriver, so I suggest a #4 (which I have, and with very little fettling it is an excellent plane), but if you are willing to try a different maker, the Veritas Bevel Up Smoother or a Custom 4 at a higher angle (50 or 55) would be my first choices. Since you are having issues with tearout, maybe a Custom 4 would be your best bet so you can use a chipbreaker. The quality is the same as a Lie Nielsen (but costs a bit less) and better than a Woodriver.

Also, the interchangeability of blades only makes sense on bevel up planes, so I don't see how getting a new iron for your 5 1/2 would help at all.

[Patrick Chase]

You can buy the LN 4 1/2 in Bronze and solve that problem of having extra money in one fell swoop. See recent thread on that topic.

I'm still holding out for depleted Uranium.

[Pete Taran]

Patrick,

U238 is dense, but if you want the really dense stuff, hold out for Iridium. Nothing denser!

[Mike Kreinhop]

U238 is dense, but if you want the really dense stuff, hold out for Iridium. Nothing denser!

...except for Osmium.