LN #7, or #8?

[Mike Fairleigh]

Let's say you have my money to spend, and you're in the market for a jointer. What advantages (other than mass) does an 8 have over a 7? Is the slight additional length & width worthwhile? A 10lb. plane sounds downright painful to me. Is there any valid reason for a person to strive for both?

Other bench planes in the stable are LN 62 and a 4 1/2 with HAF (also 60 1/2, 102 and others; just working on the bench plane set for now).

[David Weaver]

Let's say you have my money to spend, and you're in the market for a jointer. What advantages (other than mass) does an 8 have over a 7? Is the slight additional length & width worthwhile? A 10lb. plane sounds downright painful to me. Is there any valid reason for a person to strive for both?

Other bench planes in the stable are LN 62 and a 4 1/2 with HAF (also 60 1/2, 102 and others; just working on the bench plane set for now).

Dare I say this? I have both. I like the 7 better for everything other than bulling through edge jointing on a hardwood board. The extra weight is nice for that.

For face jointing a surface that has been started by a fore plane, or doing a lot of it, the extra weight isn't nice at all. On softwoods, even the 7 is a bit heavy when lighter planes will do the job fine.

If I was going to have only one, I'd get a 7. I almost listed my 8 on ebay last week, got it out, took pictures of it and everything, but I just couldn't bear to part with it :o.

I had a jones for a LN jointer for such a long time that even when I get either out now, I just get a warm fuzzy feeling. The 8 is such a beautiful piece of gear, and it goes with authority. It just wears you out with authority, too, if you are doing all of your work with handplanes (as opposed to just using the plane to get out planer marks or clean an edge with tearout from machine tools). I think the 7 is more practical for most people, and will have you taking a break less.

Not to mention, the iron can be changed around with your 4 1/2.

[Mike Fairleigh]

Thank you, David. Like most, I understand that warm fuzzy feeling all too well. ;) I wound up with a set of LN chisels and a set of Barr's with 100% intent to sell one of the sets once I could compare them. I don't have to tell you how well that plan has worked. :o

I've considered being able to swap irons & frogs with the 4-1/2 (a nice thing) but learned a long time ago what ends up happening when I try to get two tools without paying for two tools. :rolleyes: I'll end up not going to the trouble, and buying another tool eventually anyway.

[Joel Goodman]

I would really try to get to a LN event where you can try both. I tried the low angle #7 1/2, the #7 and the #8 and for me they just got better as they get bigger! I have a type 15 Stanley #7 which works fine but those big LNs are wonderful.

[Mike Fairleigh]

Missed opportunity. I was at the KC Event several weeks ago but between getting there late, the crowd, and so many different things to do & see, I didn't get any meaningful time on the jointers.

[Jim Koepke]

For the longest time I thought a #7 was all that I wanted or needed. Then along came a second #7 that is now famous. And then someone made me an offer on a #8 that I knew I just couldn't turn down.

Now, the #8 gets used on flat work and 6/4 - 8/4 edges most of the time.

I am a bit of a stout person with weight to put behind it. There was one person here on an earlier survey that was of much smaller build who also swore by his #8, so it may just be the mass and all.

It is like using a #4-1/2 instead of a #4. It is a bit more effort, so just have a few more sips of the stout to fuel the effort.

jim

[James Taglienti]

They're so similar, it's like comparing a 5 1/2 to a 6.

I sold my #8, but only because my 7 was flatter and had a better cutter. Like these guys said, i suppose if you're jointing wider stock, you'd need one.

[Greg Becker]

And just when I thought I could be content for a while! I'm just getting to know my new BU LV #7 Jointer and am totally impressed with the difference between it and a #6 that I was using like a jointer before the arrival of the LV.

The extra 4 inches make a huge difference in flattening "drive." Even after going over a board with the #6 to the point where it seems flat, the #7 hits many high points and misses many low points on the first couple of passes.

If a # 8 is an equal step up in precision then it must be very impressive. The #6 (Woodriver) seems to weigh a bit more than the BU LV Jointer so weight isn't an advantage with the longer plane. For me, I find a shorter lighter plane to cause more difficulty in tricky wood as the lack of mass makes the "surprise" catches more jarring. Being 6'8" and 325 I find the extra weight easy to handle and the resulting mass a benefit.

The question now seems to be "how much precision is enough?" A 36" jointer would have even more innate flattening ability but does my dining table need to be that flat?

Good luck

[Rick Markham]

I have a smaller build (5'7" and 145) and I love my no. 8. I tried out a no. 7 at the tool show here in Tampa, It's a really nice plane too, I'm glad I originally got the no. 8 though. Maybe one day I will have both.

I really think it all comes down to technique, and which one feels right to you. The real trick with either is making sure you never completely pick the plane up off the board, tilting it slightly on it's edge on the return stroke saves picking up the weight every swing and helps avoid slamming the iron down causing the iron to slip farther out with every stroke. Either one is going to wear you out if you pick those beasts up every stroke ;).

Of course, I am only in my mid thirties, so I am just a lil younger than some members here :p Or maybe I am just really strong :D

[Paul Ryan]

I own both but are older stanleys both are type 13. I prefer the #8 but both get used. For smaller edges I use the #7 and for anything over 1" I use the 8. I like the mass of the 8 better once you get it moving and cutting it just seems to glide across the wood. The 7 is nice but you can tell it is smaller and lighter after using the 8. I don't think you can go wrong with either. If I was going to buy just one LN I think it would be the 8. I think the extra weight is a real benefit when face jointing. But I am by far no expert.

[Rick Rutten]

If I had the money I would get an LN #8. I have a #8 that works just fine though. I added some extra weight just for and aft of the opening to increse the mass. Very nice an "fun" once you get it moving.

Rick thanks for the suggestion about not picking it up on the return stroke. Wish I would have known that 12 faces and 200 LF ago. I later picked up my #3 and about sent it through the wall. I have not used a #7 so no direct comparison is possible from me. However, its kind of like that old car slogan from Pontiac (?) about the Wide Glide. Plus I am a typical American: "bigger is better." The old #8 makes me warm and fuzzy just sitting there. Like a battleship. Besides, who ever heard of a V7?

Rick

[Rick Erickson]

Another vote for the 8. I'm not all that large either but I enjoy my planes on the bigger side (4 1/2 instead of 5, 5 1/2 instead of 5, 8 instead of 7). As a norm I don't completely dimension my lumber by hand so I'm not lugging the 8 around all day. I guess there could be argument that it is too much for someone doing that all day long. Personally, I like the added weight (good exercise :))

[Mike Fairleigh]

I appreciate all these replies. You guys nearly have me convinced. I was expecting a better showing from the #7 folks. :p

[Andrew Pitonyak]

I love my #7. I also loved my #8, but I use my #7 far more than I did the number 8. I gave my #8, which worked very well, to a friend and I found that I miss it sometimes.... So I obtained another #8 that i do not like as well.

If it is a LN, you will like either. Only you know what you will work with more. I loved my previous #8, but, I was flattening a very long large board and the #8 just ripped through things. My #7, I must be a bit more intentional for that type of work. On the other hand, lately, I have been working on shorter boards and the #7 works great, but, I simply ignore the #8.

If you lived close by I would say stop in and try them both. For me, I would take the #7.

[Mike Fairleigh]

Once again, thank you all for taking the time to reply. If I knew for sure which way I'm going to go, I'd tell you, but this one's going to require a bit more "sleep on it" time.

[Michael Peet]

I am almost done 4-squaring all the ash for my bench, which I did a bandsaw and a #7. After many, many days I am glad I did not have a heavier plane.

Mike

[James Taglienti]

The #8 is $50 more than the #7... a drop in the bucket if you're already giving close to half a grand for a jointer plane. Might as well go for it.

I use a 7 because it's all I need. Also I use a jointer fence so it's less overhang on the opposite side of the board and better balanced. I don't think the 8 is that much heavier, at least not enough to make a big difference. If i was going to buy a LN jointer, I'd just go ahead and get the 8. It'd be a little tougher to keep that wide cutter dead square.

Do you guys think the extra 2" in length makes a big difference? It's what, 11% longer than a 7... does that mean it's 11% more accurate? I dunno. Interesting to find out.

[David Weaver]

I don't think the extra length makes any practical difference. Anyone who can competently joint with a 7 could do it with a 6, too.

Extra length may have meant more when the planes weren't flat to a thousandth of an inch. When they are, any reasonably sized plane with a fine cut is not going leave much variation in surface height.

[Rick Rutten]

The other difference may come from the 22% increase in weight: 8.25 lbs vs. 10 lbs.

Rick

[Rick Markham]

For me the difference is purely personal preference, yes the no. 8 blade is 1/4" wider, and it does weigh 1.25 lbs more, has two inches of extra length. Part of my preference is the balance, the no. 8 feels a little more balanced to me, the no. 7 was well balanced too the no 8 just seemed more so (to me.) I think really this is all pretty much a semantic argument, and purely personal preference.

If you don't pick the durn things up every swing the argument of weight only really affects momentum vs. inertia. Yes a heavier plane plows through stuff easier, Once it is going it wants to keep going, but it also requires a little more push to get it started (blade is wider too, increasing resistance) all this is relative to the thickness of material removed per swipe too ;). If you think either is going to be any "fun" to remove a ton of material, your surely mistaken. If your methodolgy includes roughing with planes better designed for removing large quantities of material, (scrub, then jack or toothed jack) then the jointer will be fun, since you will be removing much less material. Either is going to do exceptionally well and will be a pleasurable experience.

Edge jointing for me the extra width actually helps me on the no. 8 for me it is easier for my brain to realize when the plane is being canted, though in reality it is probably more difficult to "balance" on thinner stock. If you are using a shooting board, then there are better planes for that task.

In all honesty... Either one, you are going to LOVE! One of my deciding factors when I bought mine was (having never held either) was if I bought the no. 7 was I going to spend the whole time wishing I had spent the extra $50 and got the "big boy" no. 8. I know me:rolleyes: If I really really want something, buying something else that is almost it, will surely make me spend more money later to get what I should have just bought the first time.

[Mike Fairleigh]

All excellent points. I know all too well the 2nd guessing after buying a so-called "lesser" item. At age 48 I've also wisened up enough to know that the right tool isn't always the biggest tool. If the question were "LN or Anant," then I'd be all in on that argument (OK, bad example :p ). But this is more of a decision between two things that are "equal but different."

As said, the $50 difference is a drop in the bucket in the scheme of things; the additional money is definitely not an issue in this particular decision. Either choice represents a serious enough investment that I just want to make the right decision. People have thrown out many great thoughts in this thread that I hadn't considered - hence my ongoing re-consideration.

Maybe the best logic is to go #8 for now, knowing that it'll be slightly less painful to come up with #7 money later. :rolleyes: :o Or, that if I end up really disliking the #8 (yeah right) I can sell it and be out nothing on a #7.

[Rick Markham]

All excellent points. I know all too well the 2nd guessing after buying a so-called "lesser" item. At age 48 I've also wisened up enough to know that the right tool isn't always the biggest tool. If the question were "LN or Anant," then I'd be all in on that argument (OK, bad example :p ). But this is more of a decision between two things that are "equal but different."

As said, the $50 difference is a drop in the bucket in the scheme of things; the additional money is definitely not an issue in this particular decision. Either choice represents a serious enough investment that I just want to make the right decision. People have thrown out many great thoughts in this thread that I hadn't considered - hence my ongoing re-consideration.

Maybe the best logic is to go #8 for now, knowing that it'll be slightly less painful to come up with #7 money later. :rolleyes: :o Or, that if I end up really disliking the #8 (yeah right) I can sell it and be out nothing on a #7.

That was essentially my reasoning, no. 8 now, no. 7 later... I won't lie... I want at least one of each LOL

[Randy Bonella]

I've got an LN #8 and a Type 11 #7 and yes there is a massive difference in weight/mass pun intended. I use both extensively but find the #8 powers through difficult cuts once you get it started. I have found that in some instances getting the #8 moving is a chore and I'll back down to the #7 or even smaller. I'm still learning but so far so good and plan on having both older stanley's and LN's in my till.

Randy...

[Mike Fairleigh]

Oh and Rick, I meant to respond to your comment about methodology, which I should have mentioned clear back at the top. My plan is to use a scrub & jack for heavy removal. (Heck, I'm not too good to fire up the planer once in awhile either.) I wouldn't even consider going from rough to smooth with a jointer alone. :eek:

[Mike Fairleigh]

I use both extensively...

Great, another vote for both. :mad: You guys are killin' me.:(

But I do appreciate your input!

[Rick Markham]

I honestly think you will be completely happy with which ever one you choose. I chose the no. 8 for my own reasons, honestly I would have been just as content with the no 7. I would love to have both, but honestly have no justification at this point for that, The no. 8 does everything the no. 7 does, it might be a little heftier in some situations than is needed but, it's what I've got, and worse case scenario is it gives me just a little bit more of a workout. Honestly they are nearly the same beast. We all think we know what is best, some of us (like me) can always justify another plane :D. I say go with what your gut tells you and don't look back! Trust the fact that either one is going to serve you for your lifetime, and probably a few others as well!

[Mike Fairleigh]

Rick and everyone else, I think I'm going to spring for the #8. Unfortunately I've got a business trip to take care of so I'll wait until I return, but wanted to thank you all again for your help and thoughtful comments.

[Rick Rutten]

Mike you may want to see if they are back ordered. If so, you can specify a shipping date which may cut down your wait upon your return.

Rick

[Mike Fairleigh]

Mike you may want to see if they are back ordered. If so, you can specify a shipping date which may cut down your wait upon your return.

Rick

Good tip, thanks!

[Mike Fairleigh]

Sorry to dredge this up up again, but was wondering if any of you LN #8 owners ever regret not having a higher angle frog available?

[Dan Sink]

I have a LN #7 and absolutely love it, but I've never tried out the #8 so I can't really compare. Not knowing what I'm missing, I'm perfectly content with what I have.

I engaged in the exact debate you did when I bought my #7. I'm a bit ashamed to admit this, but the tipping factor in my decision was dollars. When you're talking about the price of a #7 v. #8, its easy to lose sight of the fact that $50 is real money (at least for most of us). I had saved enough money for the #8, but when it came time I opted for the #7 and used the $50 to get a pristine Disston D-8 crosscut saw off of eBay which I absolutely love. So I love my #7 and I love my D-8, and if someone offered to trade me both for a #8 I'd tell them to take a hike. Of course I would love to have both, or maybe to have had the #8 and still got the D-8. But for me that's just not realistic. Maybe one day when my kids are through college, but that's a long way off.