Recommended Stanley plane types...

[Harold Burrell]

What Stanley plane type(s) do you all recommend...and why?

[Jack Curtis]

For Stanley plane types I recommend Lie-Nielsen, assuming one wants to actually use them for woodworking.

[Matt Radtke]

Pretty much anything pre type 20 is just fine. I usually avoid the really old ones, they are either collectably priced and/or have backwards adjuster nuts. My ideal range is about type 7-14. I like the pre-ogee style frog--bigger machined bedding surface, but really I don't care. My favorite Stanley is a mildly Franken Number 8, that's about a type 17.

Again, types don't really matter. They are only really useful as a shopping shortcut.

[Harold Burrell]

For Stanley plane types I recommend Lie-Nielsen, assuming one wants to actually use them for woodworking.

oops...sorry...what I meant by my question was "What Stanley plane type # would you recommend?" You know, like type 10 or 11 or "whatever".

I do wish I could afford LN stuff, though...

[Jim Koepke]

What Stanley plane type(s) do you all recommend...and why?

There are many things that different people like about a particular type that may not be what others like.

My preference is for a low knob. Someone else may like a high knob. If it is later than type 13 (1925-1928) it will have a ring in the casting that doesn't work well with a short knob.

Some folks like type 11 to the exclusion of all others. They do have all of the bells and whistles found on a Stanley/Bailey bench plane. Some consider this the beginning of the golden age of the Bailey style bench plane. Some folks like the Sweet Hart era. I like the bigger adjuster wheel that came with the SW era. Most of my planes that will accept them have been changed over.

Two of my #4s are type 6 and are great workers. One of my #6s is a type 4 and is just as likely to be used as its newer type 9 cousin.

With the type 16 (1933-1941) came the ogee frog. I have seen many problems with these. There is less contact area with the blade. I think this is also where the engineering changed from improving the product to cost cutting.

Some people like the planes made during WWII. They are usually distinguished by plastic adjusters. They are said to be a heavier casting. I haven't really noticed in use. One of my #5 is a type 17 (1942-1945). It has problems with the lateral adjustment. It seems to move very little, then a whole lot. I may give it a bit more work on the frog seating to see if that helps.

So, others may not agree with me, but I like anything from the early SW back to about type 4. Type 5 is more for collectors since it has a different lateral adjuster than all the others. I also like cheap, so before type 10 usually sell for less.

If you do buy the older planes, it is a good idea to know a little about metal working at least to the extent of being able to remove the rust, repaint if you want and a few other fairly simple tasks to restore them. Just today one of my tasks was repairing the threads for the tote bolt on a type 13 #5. Not bad for something approaching its century mark only needing a little shot of JB Weld. I think this one came from a pawn shop and was missing a lot of parts. Set me back a whole $4 and knowing the parts were waiting at home it was a deal that just couldn't be left on the shelf.

jtk

[Jim R Edwards]

Type 13/14

[Bob Jones]

I have most of a set of type 11's and love them. I have owned many type 18's thru 14's and they all worked great if they were properly tuned. My advice may surprise you - type is hype. Buy one that is ready to go regardless of type. By one from Walt at brass city or buy one from the classifieds here from Someone who tuned it up. Tuning can be a lot of work.
Buying 3 LN' s is a sure thing. :) get these 3to start #3, 5, 7.

[Jack Curtis]

oops...sorry...what I meant by my question was "What Stanley plane type # would you recommend?" You know, like type 10 or 11 or "whatever".

I do wish I could afford LN stuff, though...

Sorry, but what I meant was I couldn't recommend any Stanleys at this point. I still think you're better off buying a LN/LV LA jack, and this would save a lot of money and time for a beginner vs the Stanley route.

[James Taglienti]

Sorry, but what I meant was I couldn't recommend any Stanleys at this point. I still think you're better off buying a LN/LV LA jack, and this would save a lot of money and time for a beginner vs the Stanley route.
So basically if you are new to woodworking and cannot afford the shiny stuff, you ought to find a different hobby.

[Brian Kerley]

Sorry, but what I meant was I couldn't recommend any Stanleys at this point. I still think you're better off buying a LN/LV LA jack, and this would save a lot of money and time for a beginner vs the Stanley route.

Actually, a jack is where a stanley plane really shines. A jack plane can be a little rough around the edges and work quite well. Now on a smoother where you want something with a bit more precision, a tight mouth, good adjustment capabilities, etc., a new plane will certianly shine quite brightly, but I still wouldn't discourage a newbie from picking up a stanley 3 or 4. Hell, you can get user quality 3's, 4's, and 5's from WaltQ for a third the price (or even better) than LV/LN and have something that is ready to go.

[Garrett Ellis]

What Stanley plane type(s) do you all recommend...and why?

The ones that work!

[Jack Curtis]

So basically if you are new to woodworking and cannot afford the shiny stuff, you ought to find a different hobby.

No, I said that it was more economical to buy one LN/LV LA jack.

[Jack Curtis]

Actually, a jack is where a stanley plane really shines. A jack plane can be a little rough around the edges and work quite well. Now on a smoother where you want something with a bit more precision, a tight mouth, good adjustment capabilities, etc., a new plane will certianly shine quite brightly, but I still wouldn't discourage a newbie from picking up a stanley 3 or 4. Hell, you can get user quality 3's, 4's, and 5's from WaltQ for a third the price (or even better) than LV/LN and have something that is ready to go.

I tried several Stanley planes when I first started getting into hand tools, and not a one was satisfactory, whether because of my lack of skills or the Stanley/Record planes themselves. I bought a LN LA jack that worked perfectly first time I picked it up. That's what I call economy.

[Martin Cash]

I agree with Jim on the larger depth adjuster wheel, and I like the frog adjuster as well. Type 11's have the frog adjuster but still have the smaller brass depth adjuster wheel. I think that the reason the type 12-15's are favoured by many is that they still have the solid frog plus all the other features that make Stanley planes great. They won't appeal to users who like a low front knob however.
Having said that, I have a bit of a mix of types, and all of them with fettling produce excellent work.

[Brian Kerley]

I agree with Jim on the larger depth adjuster wheel, and I like the frog adjuster as well. Type 11's have the frog adjuster but still have the smaller brass depth adjuster wheel. I think that the reason the type 12-15's are favoured by many is that they still have the solid frog plus all the other features that make Stanley planes great. They won't appeal to users who like a low front knob however.
Having said that, I have a bit of a mix of types, and all of them with fettling produce excellent work.

I prefer franken planes :)

I like my low knobs with a larger adjusting wheel and a solid frog. Yeah, it's not correct, but dang if it doesn't make for a good user.

[Joe Bailey]

My advice may surprise you - type is hype. Buy one that is ready to go regardless of type.
+1 on this.
I have at least (2) planes of each size in types 9 - 19. Some of the very best performers are type 16s and 19s.

[Mark Wyatt]

I've used many different Stanley's over the last few years as I've been working on my hand tool kit and found all types through 19 to be acceptable. I like short knobs and small adjustment wheels on smaller planes and tall knobs and big adjustment wheels on bigger planes. I prefer the kidney shaped hole on the lever cap, but either style will work. If constructing a kit I would also consider Sargent, Miller's Falls, or Union planes.

[David Weaver]

I agree with the type ideas given earlier. Millers falls planes with a red frog and the segmented chipbreaker are also good to use, and often cheap.

A premium plane will probably be easier to use initially for fine work, and the LNs do have better adjusters, but there is no work you're going to do with wood that you can't do with a vintage stock stanley plane if you know how to use it.

[Mike Henderson]

I tried several Stanley planes when I first started getting into hand tools, and not a one was satisfactory, whether because of my lack of skills or the Stanley/Record planes themselves. I bought a LN LA jack that worked perfectly first time I picked it up. That's what I call economy.
When I started woodworking, the idea of spending LN prices for a plane was just impossible. There's too many things you need to buy when starting out. I bought Stanley Bailey planes and learned how to tune them - and found out that it's not that hard. The biggest improvement - I found - was the addition of a modern blade to an older plane, and learning how to sharpen it and keep it sharp, a skill you'd need with a LN plane also.

Since then, I've bought a few LN planes - and they're nice. But they aren't at all necessary for someone who's beginning in woodworking. Stanley planes work well - a lot of very fine work was produced with those planes. The idea that you can't produce fine woodworking with anything other than LN planes is nonsense.

In Stanley bench planes, I prefer the low front knob but I have some with tall knobs, also. In block planes, I like the knuckle joint lever cap planes, like the Stanley 65. They actually don't work any better but I like their looks.

Mike