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Thread: Good value for money (new)
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13th April 2018, 12:08 AM #1Senior Member
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Good value for money (new)
Hi all,
I did a quick search but it seems that comments are scattered in various discussions.
In your opinion what is a brand that you can buy new and is good value for the money?
I'd like to get into old tools at some point, I just don't have the time to do it properly right now and I need some decent tools to get me by.
I like LN and Aussie made tools as much as anybody but I have decided to spread my woodworking budget in various directions and go for mid range planes, just not sure what mid range is.
What about Luban? Or Groz?
Thanks
Spyro
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13th April 2018, 12:24 AM #2Member
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I've no experience with Luban or Groz. However I have a few planes, own-brand from UK suppliers, which came in SOBA boxes. SOBA is an Indian manufacturer of own-brand and low-cost planes, a bit like Groz.
I found them all (a 92 shoulder, a 7 jointer and a 271 size small router plane) to be of acceptable quality, requiring minimal work (basically just blade sharpening) to be good users.
Regards
Jim
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13th April 2018, 12:38 AM #3
Luban planes (Quengshang sold under a few other names also) is reasonably good. Narex chisels are good value too.
Have heard some horror stories about Groz so I would not go there.
Regards
John
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13th April 2018, 01:08 AM #4Senior Member
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13th April 2018, 03:29 AM #5SENIOR MEMBER
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Chisels wise - If I was going to start somebody off with "Good" tools they could use for a long time without "need" to upgrade - it would be Stanley UK made or Marples blue handle (made in China, non-steel cap)..
Honestly - new production Sheffield UK made Stanley chisels and planes are a fantastic value.... Good steel, setup required is not onerous, reasonable prices.
Current Marples blue handle Made in China chisels are quite good. They are in the same price and performance range as Stanley - maybe a bit cheaper. These do sharpen up a bit easier. They are a very good value.. My current opinion is that Marples edges Stanley in paring type non-mallet tasks where Stanley edges Marples under the mallet..
Ashley Iles chisels are a step up from these at perhaps 2x the price.. They are very good. Handles are pretty decent too...
Two Cherries/Kirschen chisels have very good steel and are also perhaps a step up from Stanley steel wise.. The handles are not as comfortable and they often require considerable work to get the steel prepped.... Indications are that Two Cherries really needs to raise prices a bit and make some much needed equipment upgrades to provide flatter chisels which don't need such a huge amount of prep as well as more comfortable handles..
It pains me to say Luban planes are probably a step up from Stanley. They are also more expensive... But you get a tremendous value for the price.
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13th April 2018, 04:18 PM #6
Timbecon sell a house brand t bar sash cramp with a fine thread screw and well machined surfaces for about half the price of the Irwin ones.
I also use the brushless Ozito 18V drill and impact driver and they are both great value.
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13th April 2018, 07:35 PM #7GOLD MEMBER
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Have a look at the offerings from McJing, they have a reasonable range of planes and chisels from the Quiangsheng factory. If in doubt just ask Max and he'll set you straight.
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13th April 2018, 11:09 PM #8Member
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I bought my SOBA planes from Axminster (axminster.co.uk), but they have since changed their own-brand range (they're badged as Rider brand now) and seriously upped the prices.
If you want to see UK prices for mid-range usable planes then I would suggest a search on the UK ebay site for the brand Faithfull. I have Faithfull smoother, jack and low-angle block planes, all of which were good users after just sharpening.
Regards
Jim
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14th April 2018, 06:01 AM #9GOLD MEMBER
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As far as new goes, Ashley iles bench chisels for normal joinery type work.
Not sure if I can recall anything else new that really left me surprised (perhaps the norton crystolon and norton india stones - but those are probably overpriced over there).
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14th April 2018, 10:45 PM #10SENIOR MEMBER
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I have a Wood River block plane that I am really happy with. An excellent middle of the road range of planes.
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15th April 2018, 12:12 AM #11Senior Member
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So today I bought two Luban planes, the 62 low angle jack and a rebate block plane.
I'm far from an expert but yes they do look and feel impressive.
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15th April 2018, 03:22 PM #12
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15th April 2018, 04:10 PM #13
Worth spending more $$$ (e.g. LN or Veritas) on the couple of mainstream planes that will get plenty of use, such as a jack and a smoother. For anything else, the WoodRiver or similar are fine.
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19th April 2018, 11:44 AM #14Senior Member
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Yes this is ideal.
My problem is I have too many things competing for my woodworking budget at the moment as I've only just finished my shop.
So if I get a high end tool it will mean there will be another tool I will not own at all, and at the moment I am unsure which one I need the most because my work flow is far from finalised.
So for now I'm going with low or mid range tools until I find out which ones are the most important to me and then yes I will probably upgrade those.
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19th April 2018, 01:59 PM #15
In other words, buy them twice. Plus, you'll barely be able to give away the low end tool for next to no $$$ when you upgrade to something better. As far as "the most important ones" goes, a jack plane is surely at the top of the list for most people? Why not buy a decent low angle jack (e.g. Veritas) at least, maybe later add a spare blade you can sharpen at a higher angle for cranky grain? This plane is also excellent on a shooting board. Until you've used a good quality tool, you don't know what you're missing out on.
I should add that I started out with crappy Record planes which required hours of work to get them working even half decently, and frustrated me no end until I got some decent tools. Virtually impossible to sell the low end tools later, so I think I ended up donating them to the poor and needy of the parish. The only exception is a Record #5, which is so utterly useless that I wouldn't wish it on anyone else. One day I'll take it down the back paddock, shoot it, and bury it in a shallow grave.
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