Does any know why the Millers Falls Planes are so much cheaper than Stanleys on eBay?
Jim
[OP]
Contributor
Does any know why the Millers Falls Planes are so much cheaper than Stanleys on eBay?
Jim
Contributor
There isn’t the collectors market like there is for Stanley. I really like their planes though, equivalent to Stanley for all intents and purposes as far as I’m concerned.
Member
I also think that MF planes are as good as Stanley's, provided we're talking about the older ones. I don't care for the 00 series. I will grab every 9 I can find, but never a 900.
Member
People know certain names and think they were the best because they know the name. Sargent made some good tools, too - their dado planes are arguably superior to Stanley's, because there's somewhere to grab at the front - yet they're not as known (or as common) as the Stanleys.
Same thing is true with Starrett. Brown & Sharpe, Lufkin, and a number of other companies made layout tools that were every bit as good as Starrett's, yet Starrett tools command a premium price.
Your knowledge can benefit you, given those market conditions.
Contributor
Hmmmm, maybe it is because nobody on the youtube realm is using them? Dreading the moment when Schwarz, Underhill, and Company start showing them in use....and calling them out by name...
BTW: I do have a couple #8s, a couple #9s, a single #11, and a pair of #14s......there is even a #900, for the rougher jobs. However..just try and buy a M-F No. 10 sometime.....ouch!
Member
I started collecting MF premium bench planes because everybody wanted Stanley planes. I have a full set of type 1’s except for the 11 and 24. I am a sucker for red frogs and cocobolo wood.
They are every bit as good as the Stanley planes as MF was one of the few Stanley contemporaries that was not bought by Stanley.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] Erik
Canada's Atlantic Paradise - Prince Edward Island
I have three MF planes bought in lieu of paying the price for a similar condition Stanley. I think the No.9 (Stanley No. 4 sized) was about $35.
MF No 9 (2).jpg
I paid about the same for one not quite so nice. I camber the iron on one and leave the other be. I also have Stanley, Veritas and Lie Nielsen products so my comparison is 'real world' so to speak.
Last edited by glenn bradley; 08-25-2018 at 1:24 PM.
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler
Member
You got a great deal as it looks in new condition with the original box. That is the stuff that makes for collector interest on the auction site.
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC] Erik
Canada's Atlantic Paradise - Prince Edward Island
Contributor
I've got a #9 that I refurbed. It's a very nice plane.
"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
I collected only a couple of their planes, but stopped after those two. My impression from those two is that MF made really robust quality tools. The build quality was at least equal to Stanley and their japanning and plating was much better. Problem is, the ones I had just did not plane wood very well. Every one of my Stanleys, which numbered at least thirty planes, could out perform the Millers Falls. At that time these planes were highly sought after. Since they no longer seem to be, I suspect that others had the same experience as I did, resulting in low demand and low prices, like almost all other non-Stanley planes.
Contributor
Some of the Millers Falls and Sargent planes are made to a higher standard than some of the Stanley planes. It is all in the marketing. Stanley did all they could to stay on top of the market.
My reason for having mostly Stanley/Bailey planes in my shop is they are the easiest ones to find. Keeping all the parts from one source helps keep from having to keep a bunch of parts sorted all the time.
My #3 sized Dunlap (made by Millers Falls) isn't quite as versatile or nice as my Stanley/Bailey planes of the same size. It cost me $3 compared to my Stanley/Bailey versions costing me more than 10X that.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Contributor
Let's see....have a pair of #8s ( one was sold as a Craftsman) two # 9s....and a #900 V-Line. There is also a #11 Junior Jack plane I like....and a pair of #14 Jacks......have never had a Millers Falls plane chatter....all seem solid, and work quite well. They tend to be a hair shorter than the Stanleys. There is ( or was) a couple Millers Falls low angle block planes in the shop. As long as everyone "pooh-poohs" these planes, it keeps the prices down for me....
IMG_5440 (640x480).jpg
Running about 50/50...
Contributor
A few years back Patrick Leach wrote something about a #6 being a useless size. The prices were low for the lowly #6 for quite a while. Then folks realized they still make shavings that can be controlled like any other plane. Now the price of the #6 is comparable to other planes.As long as everyone "pooh-poohs" these planes, it keeps the prices down for me....
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Contributor
I almost hate to reveal this, but I realistically have all the block planes that I need. Sargent and Millers Falls block planes in Craftsman regalia can be outstanding values. They get the double whammy of not being real Stanleys (though some of Craftsman's planes are) and getting pooh-poohed with the Craftsman name, which doesn't change the fact that they are outstanding planes from top notch manufacturers.
Member
They are great planes too - I've got the No. 3424 jointer transitional and it's a deadly beast at 24'' long with with a 2 3/8'' iron
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