Colleagues: does anyone have any input on the Wood River V3 bench planes? Made in China or Mexico?
I am starting to think that I need a #4.
[OP]
Contributor
Colleagues: does anyone have any input on the Wood River V3 bench planes? Made in China or Mexico?
I am starting to think that I need a #4.
Last edited by Ray Newman; 06-10-2018 at 11:12 PM.
Contributor
Hi Ray,
I have their #3 and their #1. I use both. Mine are chinese. I wrote this review after buying the #3: Link
Since then, I'd add a couple observations:
1. The price has increased enough that I would only buy them on sale now. Otherwise, I'd drop a little more money and buy the Lee Valley plane.
2. I find myself reaching more often for a lighter vintage #3 I bought a while later.
3. I still think they are nice tools and have no regrets.
Hope it helps.
Fred
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
Member
Ray,Originally Posted by Ray Newman
The are made in China for Woodcraft. They are well made and work well but what Fred said, they are as heavy as the LN planes and for the most part I will use a vintage Stanley or if I want heavy (seldom) one of the LN's. If you buy one check the frog screws, the factory has some Conan's on the shop floor and they sometimes over tighten the screws elongating the frog hold downs.
ken
Contributor
Had a #4 V3 for almost a year.....was shipped with the wrong chipbreaker ( V2).....was not really impressed. Company sent the right one, complete with a plane, I had to send the "bad" plane back...took a long time to get that settled.
IMAG0081.jpg
Wound up selling it. Too heavy, too hard to adjust on the fly. It would take see-through shavings....that tended to clog things up. Any thicker cut than the see-through stuff, was too hard to shove along, took too much time to get the jobs done.
Contributor
You may have mentioned what part of Washington you live in, but my memory isn't that good. If you are anywhere near my part of "Between Nowhere & No Place, WA" send me a PM if you would like to get together.
There is an old beat up #4 Stanley and a not so beat up Dunlap (Millers Falls) #3 size in my shop that may fit your needs.
There are also all the other sizes if you want to do some test drives.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Member
Ray,
I own 3 WR bench planes I really can't relate to the previous posters comments as something I have ever experienced. I found both the adjustment knob and backlash much better than a Stanley.
I noticed a negative comment regarding weight, but in my hands, I like the extra weight when planing. The iron is actually a bit thicker than the 4 1/2 LN plane.
The blades will take some work getting the backs flat, but nothing extreme.
I would say in a side by side comparison, they actually stack up very well against LN's.
But, like lots of things, its a matter of personal choice. I would definitely give one a try you can always return it.
Member
I guess it depends on what your preferences and alternatives are. If you're comparing it to a vintage Stanley + an aftermarket blade, the cost is about the same. So do you like a heavy plane? Go with Wood River. Light one, Stanley. Do you prefer a long-wearing blade (Stanley) or easy to sharpen (WR)? Do you ever think you'll need to set the plane on its side and have it be square? (WR). If you care about fit and finish and the like, the Wood River is a lot nicer. But they both work just fine.
Contributor
Current price on a #4 WR is $149.99. They sell its replacement blade for $17.75.If you're comparing it to a vintage Stanley + an aftermarket blade, the cost is about the same.
There are always a few outliers but most of the completed listings show them selling in the $60 range with shipping. Most of the time the original blades works fine.
Some of my original blades are well over 100 years old and making lovely shavings.
One thing to consider is many of those old planes listed on ebay are picked up at yard sales by the people who sell on ebay. Get out early and often and you will likely soon find a good one to call your own.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Member
I was trying to make a comparison in the same price range. I think the old blades are fine, but I'm no fan of the chipbreakers. Might be some combination of bad luck and poor setup on my part, but it seems like more than half the ones I've seen were too twisted to work reliably. Certainly they're a lot less forgiving than the newer cap irons.
ETA: oh, yeah, I had in mind replacing both the blade and chipbreaker even if I didn't actually say that in the original post.
Last edited by Bob Bouis; 06-11-2018 at 3:17 PM.
Contributor
Some of the cap irons on my planes have been pretty twisted. They were put in a vise and given a little torsional adjustment and now work fine.I'm no fan of the chipbreakers. Might be some combination of bad luck and poor setup on my part, but it seems like more than half the ones I've seen were too twisted to work reliably. Certainly they're a lot less forgiving than the newer cap irons.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Member
Yep, a little work on the cap iron is usually all it takes. I believe tho original thin cap iron is better at the job of chip breaking than the new thicker ones because of the rounded shape. That plus the weight savings make it worth a little work to get right.
ken
Contributor
I have not used a Woodriver plane, but I have used their V3 iron which they also sell individually as replacement irons. It was hands down the absolute worst plane iron I’ve used and was utterly frustrating. The enormously long time it took to get the back flat didn’t bother me as much as the fact that it constantly both chipped and rolled. By comparison, my other bench irons are Veritas Stanley replacement, modern Stanley sweetheart, a pre-1900 stanley, all of which were vastly superior. I left a detailed review on the woodcraft website, which they promptly deleted without even bothering to contact me which leaves a pretty bad taste in my mouth regarding them as a company.
Member
Hi Ray, I have a WR V3 #4. I bought it used (I wouldn't pay the full price for it, much rather get a Veritas at a little bit more as they are better made and finished). It's a good plane, and the only difference I can really find in practice from my Veritas or Lie Nielsens is the adjustment mechanisms aren't as well tuned, and have more backlash.
Member
Horrible. They can't even face the music. Google reviews wouldn't let them delete reviews.
Simon
Member
I have quite a few of them (5 1/2, 7, 62 LAJ, 2 LA blocks, and a medium shoulder plane). For what I do, they work just fine. I’ve never understood the “took a long time to get the back flat” comment as I don’t flatten the backs of plane irons. Unlike a chisel, the back of the plane iron doesn’t act as a registration face.
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