Reply by CharlieM1958

I was recently researching the same question, and everything I read said that the cheap planes like Groz and Anant just don’t cut it. Lie-Nielsen and Veritas definitely have the edge in good reviews. Some people prefer one, and some prefer the other, but the Veritas is a good $100 cheaper for a #4.

All that being said, I also had read that the old Stanleys were excellent planes when cleaned and tuned, so I decided to go that route. Did you see the project I posted the other day? For an investment of under $100 and a little elbow grease, I ended up with a pair of planes that are of good quality and perform really well.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"