Rabbet Plane choice

[Joel Goodman]

I am looking at a Stanley 78 and a Stanley 190 rabbet plane. Anyone have experience with either or both. The 78 has a bullnose position as well as the normal position for the blade. I believe that both have depth stops and nickers - neither are skewed blades. Any recommendations or thoughts? Or should I hold out for a skewed blade model? Thanks!

[Johnny Kleso]

The Skewed 289 are pricey and you might as well get a LV

I would say get a used 78 and if you fing the need to spend more money on a better tool do it..

Myself I would bother with the 190 unless it was a deal

[Pedro Reyes]

I believe the 78 is one of the more useful planes, I end up using it often (dunno if because I believed that first and thus use it a lot or vice-versa ;)).

The 190 is almost the same, I wouldn't care much about the bullnose as much as I would about it not having a fence. I believe I have one which I got as a freebie throw in, it had a piece of metal screwed to the sole to always cut rabbets at 1/4" I think.

The 289 trumps them all, but it is expensive. Like Johnny said, I would start with a 78 (which can be had for very little on ebay) and then see if you think a 289 warrants the moola.

/p

[Robert Rozaieski]

I had a 78 for awhile. With the grain they work fine but as soon as you need to plane across or against the grain, you're in trouble. The knicker spurs were worthless in my experience and the plane is difficult to hold in the front as there is no real comfortable place to grab it. The iron depth adjustment is touchy as well.

Then I got this :D.
http://logancabinetshoppe.weebly.com/uploads/9/4/7/5/947508/8273034_orig.jpg

The skewed iron of the moving fillester is much better against and across the grain, the scoring iron works infinately better than the spurs of a Stanley style rabbet plane and it is very comfortable to hold. The fence locks down better than the single thumbscrew of the Stanley as well.
http://logancabinetshoppe.weebly.com/uploads/9/4/7/5/947508/9531425_orig.jpg

Plus, they are very common on the used market and you can find them all over ebay and antique tool dealers. I think I paid $50 for mine and only because it was in basically unused condition and from a dealer, not ebay. You can get them on ebay for $20. Also, if you work in a cold unheated garage in the winter, they don't make your hands cold like metal planes.

My 2¢ ;).

Bob

[Dave Anderson NH]

If you're left handed stay away from the Stanley #78. It's difficult for us gauche folks to use. A better choice is the Record version of the same plane because it has 2 rods for the fence which makes it more stable and easier to keep square. Bob Rozaieski is right, the depth adjustment is a pain to keep in place and the plane is difficult to keep down at the front.

The new LV rabbet planes, the Record version of the #78 with the 2 fence rods and the round knob depth adjuster, wooden rabbets, and either the Record "043 or #044 are all better choices.