Taytools 469607 Jack Smoothing Bench Hand Plane #5, 14-1/4 Inch Sole, Ductile Cast Body, Lapped Sides and Bottom, Blade RHC 55-60, Sapele Handle and Tote

As an experienced user of hand planes (I have several smaller ones, and restored antiques) I very well knew that "you get what you pay for" so my expectations were not high at all. I knew the plane would need some tuning, I knew it would not be as well done as a $300+ Lee Nielson or Wood River plane, so I knew what to expect.. HOWEVER, This plane seems to actually have gone through some decent quality control checks (unlike many of the cheaper $45 china planes) - It arrived nicely boxed, and well packed. First thing I ever checked was the sole of the plane - It was very nicely FLAT (I had a struggle with a brand new Stanley plane I'd bought, got it replaced twice at the store, none of the 3 were flat!) The blade was even usably sharp (Before tuning it up, I used it to flatten a 36" x 60" glue-up of 2x4's - knowing the glue would damage a sharp blade) Of course, as I well expected the depth adjustment was rather loose (because the yoke is basically stamped steel with an eyelet and a pin), but the remaining adjustments were pretty well accurate, and as long as the thumb screw was tightened properly (just enough to hold things firmly but allowing smooth adjustments) it was a breeze to use. To tune it up, I will be doing the following: 1) give it a good cleaning 2) flatten the chip breaker and blade back (I havent checked it, but judging by its performance un-tuned, it should not need much work) 3) sharpen the blade (to a razor's edge) 4) disassemble and clean and knock off sharp edges on the frog and mouth (if there are any - This particular plane seems so well done, it may not need much work on that either) and before putting it all back together and fine-tuning, I will be taking apart the frog and the blade adjustment yoke - and obtain or machine a new pin to fit the yoke much more snugly, and add a few thrust shims on either side - This should greatly reduce the amount of free slack in the blade adjustment thumbwheel and allow a fuller range of blade adjustment. But once all is said and done, I fully expect this tool to be a long-term resident in my wood shop.. Based on the quality of this, I am planning to buy a fore plane and a jointer, as well as a new smoother to replace that antique Millers Falls No 9.. and I plan on buying them from Taylor Tool Works as well, because it seems to me that they actually do a little more quality control checking (I noticed the box seemed to have been opened and then professionally re-sealed, so I believe they do take their tools out of the box and quality check them before putting them on sale..)

Sole was very nearly perfectly flat out of the box with MINIMAL work needed. Less than 20 minutes and I had a perfectly true sole. Iron was sharp enough out of the box, but I put a bit more time in on that. Another few minutes to oil it and adjust it, and it's perfect. The weight is exactly what you need - hefty enough to plane well. The tote and knob feel wonderful in the hand. The lateral adjuster works very well, and the chip breaker is solid. You could (and I have) spent much more on a plane, but for all the extra money, you'll barely squeeze any extra quality. Taytools has really produced a top notch plane at a budget plane price point. I'll be buying more for them.

Overall this plane offers good value for the money. The body is relatively flat out of the box, and it comes nicely finished. Pros: -Thick iron reduces chatter -Machined thick cap iron adds rigidity to the blade -Easy to use adjuster -Relatively flat out of the box (Mine had a slightly hollow sole, but the hollow was so minor that I just left it) Cons: -Poor fitment between the iron and the cap iron. It took me several hours of work with sandpaper and stones to get the two to fit together properly -Manufacturing defect in the iron. My iron came with a manufacturing defect on the side that makes it difficult to hone -Tote is very small. As someone with large hands, I found my hand would cramp up after only a short period of use due to how small the tote is.

I was a bit worried due to a poor YouTube review of taytools jack plane. I got the plane and put it on my table saw and it seemed flat. I am sure people more familiar with planes would still work on the bottom surface. I sharpened the blade which was pretty thick. Everything seemed to be good quality and within five minutes of putting it back together i was taking thin shavings off of a test piece. I had some uneven Baltic birch plywood and decided to try the plane since I am painting this project. I was impressed at how well and how cleanly it cut and smoothed the surface. I am very happy with this plane.