Sears Smooth Plane

[Howard Miller]

Is this a good plane?

For sale for $40.00

[Zach Dillinger]

If I were you, I'd pass. You can find a pre-war Stanley for about that price. It probably won't come with the box, but you probably won't care unless you are a collector. Someone here will have something better for the same money or less. In fact, I could probably come up with something for you if you are interested.

Zach

[Richard Niemiec]

What Zach said. If it were priced at $10, I'd still pass.

[Michael Faurot]

From what I can see in the picture, it doesn't look too bad. It appears to have a wood knob and tote, as opposed to plastic and a metal depth adjustment knob instead of plastic one. When you see plastic on a plane that's almost always an indication that you should pass. If the asking price was $20 or less, I'd say go for it. But at $40--pass.

[James Scheffler]

Is this a good plane?

For sale for $40.00

I've heard some brand names were rebadged versions of good planes made by Stanley or other quality manufacturers. I have no idea if that was the case with this one. If it was the case, that would be a good deal on a near-mint plane.

Personally, I would only consider buying it if I could pick it up, take it apart, and look at the quality of the machining and whether the parts fit together well. For example, some lesser planes were made with no machining between the base and frog (just rough castings where they fit together). It would be really hard to make a plane like that work well.

If you can't nail down these issues, you should pass on it. Although...it might look nice displayed on a shelf. My mother loves old tools she can hang on the wall or put on a shelf as a decoration piece. :)

Jim

[Matt Stiegler]

If it were priced at $10, I'd still pass.

+1. (I wish this site were more tolerant of brevity).

[Jim Koepke]

When I consider what I have found for much less, there would have to be a good reason for me to spend $40 on a hand plane.

I am curious as to why it has the Sears name and not the Craftsman name.

I am also curious as to who made this plane. I do not know all the various makers real well. One thing that does stand out if the platform for the tote. I am not sure if that was Millers Falls or some other maker.

jim

[Matt Stiegler]

the same plane is for sale on ebay, item #220499840927, with slightly more info, also asking 40 obo.

[Bob Barkto]

Probably a good plane, under all that red paint!

It's a Millers Falls underneath. But for $40 I'd pass. You could get a genuine one for that price. The machining will probably be better and you could get the two-piece lever cap too, which is lacking on the custom labeled planes.


Is this a good plane?

For sale for $40.00

[lowell holmes]

I have one (Craftsman) that I don't use. It is an old plane, probably from the 60's. The one I have is about the same quality as a Bailey from the same time. It looks a lot like a Bailey, but I don't know who made it.

With the Baileys being priced as they are on Ebay, I would buy a Bailey. Parts are available for the Baileys, and we know their quality. I have a #3 Bailey that IIRC cost about $30. I use it freqently. It will make translucent shavings for the length of the board being worked on.

[Robert Rozaieski]

The old made in USA Craftsman planes were made by Sargent I believe. If you get one of the older vintage ones (made in USA), they're good planes, every bit as good as Stanley and MF, and can be had for a fraction of the cost of similar sized and vintage Stanleys and Millers Falls. However, $40 isn't a good price for a #4 sized plane in my opinion even for a Stanley or Millers Falls. It's on the higher end of what a Stanley Bailey #4 should go for. I'd say $15 to $20 tops for a #4 sized plane. They're as common as dirt.

[Jim Koepke]

the same plane is for sale on ebay, item #220499840927, with slightly more info, also asking 40 obo.


Those pictures do help to identify the maker as Millers Falls.

Unless you really like red, my opinion is an old Stanley Bailey plane is a better buy.

Often seen at yard sales in the $5-$10 range.

jim

[Richard Niemiec]

Pics on ebay suggest to me its a MF, albeit the lower quality version. "Sears" and not "C-man" designation also suggests this. Still overpriced at $10 and even then its a crapshoot if it will ever perform half as well as a $40 T17 to T19 Stanley. Amazing the interest it drew here, guess its the box...... heck, if someone wants a T12 (I think) #4 that needs some sole lapping for $40, I've got one for ya. It'll run rings around this one.

[scott spencer]

I've got one exactly like it in my shop that I'm cleaning up for my FIL. It's not worth $40 IMO when compared to used Bailey that are often less $....even @ $20 I don't think it'd be a wise expenditure. It can probably be made to work ok, but just isn't made to the standards of some of the better Craftsman, Records, Baileys, or Millers Falls planes, and doesn't have as many adjustments....it's also not really worth the bother in comparison.

[James Scheffler]

Unless you really like red, my opinion is an old Stanley Bailey plane is a better buy.

Often seen at yard sales in the $5-$10 range.

jim

I believe all you guys when you say you find these, but I fear I'll never have my own "You Suck!" moment. :rolleyes: A few years ago I was watching the classifieds and looking for promising estate sales and yard sales to check out. I went to a number of them, but never found anything but total junk for woodworking tools.

One Saturday morning I arrived at an estate sale a few minutes after it opened and came upon a team of two guys who had brought their own high intensity work lights on stands into the basement. They were efficiently sifting through every piece of metal in the basement to find anything of value. They were professionals scrounging for old tools to sell. And that's how I learned that I wasn't likely to ever find anything useful at an estate sale in my neck of the woods. :mad: This was a rare sale that started on Saturday; usually these guys struck on Friday morning when I was at work.

Yard sales are less likely to draw these sorts of characters, but they're pretty hit or miss too (mostly miss). I decided that, considering I work full time and have 2 small children at home, that paying a reputable dealer $40 for an old Stanley was the best thing for me to do. The hunt for better deals is fun, but I just don't have the time....

For those of you who are finding great tools, keep posting them! It's still fun to read about them!

Jim

[Casey Gooding]

Howard, I see we shop on the same Craigslist. I saw that one. I have seen several people lately posting old tools at ridiculous prices.

[Richard Niemiec]

........And that's how I learned that I wasn't likely to ever find anything useful at an estate sale in my neck of the woods......
Jim

Hmmm, Springfield MA is a great area for rust hunting, I wish I had several weekends up there. Its not easy finding tools, many times you come up with nothing but sometimes you hit it just right. Sort of like hunting deer with a bow and arrow.....

[Bruce Branson]

Those handles are brown plastic not wood.I had one.Bought it at a yard sale for $2.Let the younger grandchildren play with in the shop.Would not pay $40 for one.Get a decent plane off of e-Bay.

[Jim Koepke]

I went to a number of them, but never found anything but total junk for woodworking tools.

Yard sales are less likely to draw these sorts of characters, but they're pretty hit or miss too (mostly miss). I decided that, considering I work full time and have 2 small children at home, that paying a reputable dealer $40 for an old Stanley was the best thing for me to do. The hunt for better deals is fun, but I just don't have the time....

For those of you who are finding great tools, keep posting them! It's still fun to read about them!

Jim

It is a lot of work. I have only found a few at estate sales and yard sales. One has to get there too early for my tastes.

The best one can do at estate sales sometimes is to find out if the people who set up the estate sales are looking for people to call when they have tools to sale. Often this does not pan out, but some of them like to have people they can call. When ever I am in a second hand shop or antique store I ask about tools if they are not evident at first glance. I bought a nice Bedrock 604 in a pawn shop for $15. It was a bit rusty and needed a new blade, but I am glad we decided to go look in on them that day. Found a #4-1/2 in an antique store for $30. Found a #4 that was missing the front knob for $7.50 in another antique store. So they are out there.

If enough people know you are looking for tools, they will start to come to you. If you can meet someone who does home clean outs for a realtor or does hauling they may come up with things for you.

There is a collector in my area who used to run ads in the papers for old Stanley tools. I never called him, but I did put a WTB ad for a lathe in a local super market and got a call and a lathe in just a week.

There are many ways to increase your chances.

It is difficult when one is working a regular job and has limited time on the weekend.

That is where eBay comes in. I am amazed at the wide variations in price there. I was just now looking at a type 9 #4 that went for $9.99. Then some go for more than $50.

Of course, when I had more money than time, I was willing to spend a bit more for a plane than I am now.

I guess it is all relative.

jim

[Howard Miller]

Thanks for the feedback.

I will pass on this plane.


Casey, did you go to the recent (~month ago) estate sale in Cario, GA?
There were many tools for sale.

[James Scheffler]

There are many ways to increase your chances.


jim

Jim

Thanks for the suggestions. I've now rounded out my collection of Stanley bench planes, but there is always the chance of finding a better one (like your Bedrock). My kids are at the age now where they will tolerate a few stops at flea markets, antique stores, etc. when we're on trips. (When they were really little, we hesitated to even stop the car because they would wake up!). I'll look when I can, as it is fun. And there are always a few specialty planes that I could use....

However, I have no regrets about buying a few planes from dealers and paying more (the most expensive was $50). That was really the best value when I factored in my time/priorities.

Thanks,
Jim

[Jim Koepke]

However, I have no regrets about buying a few planes from dealers and paying more (the most expensive was $50). That was really the best value when I factored in my time/priorities.

Look at it this way, you can always earn more money, there is no way to replace the time.

Of course, for many of my planes $50 would be a good price for a buyer or for a seller. There are not many I would want to part with for that price. I would rather have the plane than the money.

Happy hunting, learn, love, locate the scent of rust,

jim

[David Gendron]

I have to say that I'm with James S., In my neck of the wood, there is vertualy no used old hand tools kiking around at yard sale, and not much for antique shop... So Ebay and places like Jim Bode tools are the place to go to for me and as James said, I usualy end up paying a little more for my tools! It just seems that now a day on the Bay, you rarely find great deals on old tools?! It seems that most plane rarly sale for less than $40 to $100 for planes... By the way there is a few 4 1/2 stanley(older) at Jim Bode Tools( No afiliation what so ever).

[Casey Gooding]

Howard, I'm afraid I missed that one. I did find a yard sale about two years ago that had probably hundreds of planes. The guy used to be a collector. Lots of parts and pieces, but some nice stuff also. Oh, and it was cheap, too!!!