# Are Infinity Tools Hand Planes (Jointer, Rabbet) Any Good?



## Nebulocity (Feb 14, 2018)

I'm new to the craft and have the Miller Falls equivalent of a Stanley #4. I'm having a hard time jointing boards with such a small plane, and wanted to pick up a used jointer plane, but I'm on a tight budget. I also need a rabbet plane for an upcoming project, and someone on Facebook recommended the Infinity Tools brand of hand planes.

Giving them a bit of a glance, they seem like cheap versions of the ECE brand. I could follow guides online to build my own rabbet plane, but getting the maple/beech for it, and a chisel for the blade, but it would cost more than the $30 or so it would cost to get the IT brand. However, whether it's good enough than something even a beginner like myself could make is the question.

I went looking for reviews, but their product reviews for these specific planes don't seem to exist: it's just "general" reviews for other tools. They have a 100% guarantee, but so does Harbor Freight, and anyone who's fell for their "Windsor #33" when they started out (I bow my head in shame) knows that it's not worth the gasoline spent to go pick it up, except for barely being used as a scrub plane.

Anyone recommend this brand, or able to offer up another that doesn't break the bank?

Jointer

Rabbet

Thanks!


----------



## jonah (May 15, 2009)

I've not used either plane, but I've gotten a few things (jointer knives, a saw blade, etc) from Infinity over the years and all were excellent.


----------



## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

That product line wouldn't be complete enough for me to invest in. Specifically, jumping between cast iron smoother and jointer, then wood rabbet. What's your jack plane solution? No, the #33 won't do. ;-)

I've committed to cast iron, specifically to vintage Stanley. That was not intentional at the beginning, but I'm glad now because there's a complete line of tools still available out there for outfitting a hobbyist's hand tool shop (gauges, chisels, joinery planes, bench planes, routers, scrapers, etc etc).

Don't know if this answer helps, but it's opinion worth what you paid for it. lawl


----------



## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

Like jonah, I have not tried their planes and wasn't even aware that they offered them until now, but every other cutter I've used from Infinity has exceeded expectations, and usually eclipsed the performance of their top competitors. Infinity is one of the best suppliers IMHO.


----------



## Nebulocity (Feb 14, 2018)

> That product line wouldn t be complete enough for me to invest in. Specifically, jumping between cast iron smoother and jointer, then wood rabbet. What s your jack plane solution? No, the #33 won t do. ;-)


True, the #33 is used as a scrub plane when starting in on rough stock, the #4 has two blades (one cambered more than the other) that I use for flattening and smoothing. I wasn't sure what a jack plane could do that the smoother isn't already doing, but certainly the smoother can't do the job of a jointer or a rabbet, lol. I'll have a bigger plane collection in the future, but this is a sub-$200 investment for two specialized planes, but I'm not sure on *how well* those planes perform. I've found nothing at local antique shops, and most eBay sales go for higher prices on the well-known brands (I don't know enough about the less popular brands to know whether I'm buying someone's trash that will be my trash, or whether it'll be my treasure). I don't mind having a set of planes that don't match…I'd rather be able to do the job properly, haha!


----------



## Nebulocity (Feb 14, 2018)

> Like jonah, I have not tried their planes and wasn t even aware that they offered them until now, but every other cutter I ve used from Infinity has exceeded expectations, and usually eclipsed the performance of their top competitors. Infinity is one of the best suppliers IMHO.
> 
> - knotscott


Yea, that seems to be the running theme with people I've asked. That, and they only offer certain models as singles…you can't get 'em all unless you buy the set, but without knowing how well they work…I mean, I suppose (since it's wood), it's really just down to using my smoothing plane to joint the bottom and sides of the wood jointer, and then hone the blade to get everything square and in working order, but I'm worried about how long they'll stay that way.


----------



## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I've never owned that style of plane. I've 
had/have some wooden planes though. 
They are a little fussy to adjust but you'll
get used to it.

I think the ECE planes are bedded at 50 
degrees, a traditional German thing.

Some years back a guy named Steve Knight
was making wood planes and people really
liked them. I bought one of the early ones
off ebay before they became a thing. I think
he quit because the work was so repetitive.

Anyway, I would go for it personally.


----------



## Thorbjorn88 (Jan 4, 2018)

Hey Nebulocity, did you end up trying out these planes? How did it go?


----------



## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

There IS one good thing about the H-F #33…...keep the handles, save the iron for a spokeshave,,,throw the rest away….then, when a plane with broken/missing handles comes along….use the H-F ones as replacements, front and rear…

For those that like to stuff thicker irons into about everything….the H-F one can be used in a spokeshave of your choice…

When those #33 planes came out, they were $9.99 and you could take the 20% off, to boot….last I looked, those same planes were around $15….

The 2 plane set? toss the #4 wannabee….and keep the block plane..


----------

