# Good Quality Control could make this an oustanding plane.



## AaronK

excellent review, the pics and explanation tell exactly what we need to know. thanks. good thing you were able to return it.


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## bigike

thanks for the review but stanley planes all have the backlash but the blade skew i would have filed first then if that didn't fix it i woud return it. I want to get the #62 and maybe the low angle but i have alot of planes now so i think my next step is to go with lie nielson.


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## SST

Great review & pics. I have read the same stuff & here's my question to the Stanley execs are responsible for this product. If you're going to re-enter the market & spend a bunch of $$$ on advertising…why in the H_ would you let a product of this quality out the door? (where ever that door is) I think I can speak for most woodworkers in saying that, after reading the promos, there was eager anticipation and hope that Stanley would hit a homer… not strike out.

Did they think we just wouldn't notice the details? Did they think that we figured if it looked good in pictures, we'd overlook the sloppy quality control? And speaking of quality control, if they didn't set tight standards for their manufacturer, they're just plain stupid, and if they did, and someone didn't follow up…do they still have a job??? making how much $$$? Where's the breakdown? -SST

Veritas & Lie-Nielsen do it right. Yes they cost a bit to a bunch more. Does that mean that it simply can't be done a a lesser price? If they can't get right, please don't just make another poor substitute, and if they can, then, for God's sake, quit screwing around & do it.

At least this all makes my life simpler. No worrying about whether to try something new. I'll just keep all my *old* Stanleys tuned up & ready to work.


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## docholladay

I was in my local Woodcraft store just last week and looked at this plane. They had the Stanley's next to their own Wood River brands. The shame of it all is that in terms of quality, I could not tell the difference. This, in my thinking, is made even worse when the cost for one of these Stanleys is very near to the same price you would spend for a Veritas plane. Veritas or Lie Nielsen are setting the standard. No doubt.


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## davidmicraig

Thanks for the review. I am like others here who waited for reviews on these planes with much anticipation. I was hoping to see Stanley take the plunge back to higher quality and re-establish the name. Reviews of this plane match reviews I have seen on the other new sweetheart models. I have a Veritas catalog here and will look to them for items of this nature.

David


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## DW_PGH

Great review. We're all still waiting for the plane that represents the free lunch. Overseas manufacturing and the right proirities may make that occur at some point, but as a friend of mine often says "there are no "deals" in new tools". That's not maybe entirely true every single time, but what you showed is exactly in concert with that - it's the little details that make a plane $160 versus $99.

Your excellent points satisfy my curiosity about where they may not quite get it yet with these planes. It wasn't until late in the game that most of their vintage planes had problems like that. My older ones are dead straight on at the mouth, very good accurate planes.

It is a shame that some of these cheaper planes don't turn out to be a good "copy" of what LN and LV make. I already have a full shop, but more good options to bring more new people into woodworking, especially with hand tools, is never a bad thing.

Do you have any thoughts about the general level of finish on the planes, aside from the machining errors and the adjuster tolerance? It must be much better than the new made in mexico contractor's grade plane. I ran across one of those once, and it took a lot of work on a lapping plate to get the milling marks off the sides and sole. The tooling marks were as deep as oak pores.


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## Dennisgrosen

thank´s for a very fine rewiew
but sad then I have to go overseas
for buying a desent tool 
I know I can get LN and LV here
in eruope but what a prize for
a poor man 
I will safe my money until
I can afford it

Dennis


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## Rick_Boyett

I've gone ahead and ordered a Veritas Standard Block Plane to replace this one. I was intending to buy all of the Stanley premium Sweethearts but as you can see, I won't be doing that now.

Every one of my old Stanleys (#3, #4, #5, #8) are all still in great shape when it comes to their bodies. A couple have developed chipped blades so I was thinking of upgrading to newer planes. Instead I'll now follow the more sensible route and buy new blades..


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## reggiek

Great review and excellent info. It's just too bad that Stanley is putting all that money into advertising but not enough into quality control. Luckily there are manufacturers like Niesen and Veritas - but they are alot like Festool…Great quality but budget buster prices.

It would be nice to see Stanley get back to its pre crap quality at a reasonable price -

Thanks again Rick and glad you did this review for us - I will certainly hold off any purchase of the newer Stanley products until the are worth purchasing. So for now - if I have to buy new it's Niesen or Veritas - I don't mind buying the older Stanley's. It's about the same with Festool for new hand power tools or I don't mind the older Dewalt or Porter Cable.


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## Sean

Did they think we just wouldn't notice the details? Did they think that we figured if it looked good in pictures, we'd overlook the sloppy quality control?

Yeah, Tom thats exactly what they expect. and they get it. There are people on this website that are more than happy to have a half-assed product as long as it's for half-price, and will try telling you that you are a foolish snob for being willing to pay more for something better.


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## SouthpawCA

I'm wondering if LJs should have reps from all these companies respond to issues like this. I've thought about this type of thing when I got a bad dado blade. The product can be taken back to the store for a replacement, but the bad reviews cannot be taken back. Do all these companies care about their products? Do they realize the bad news travels fast? It's the little degrading things that happen over time that eventually kills a product. The Kreg Jig site has a rep that responds and supplies solutions to any issues. There should definitely be something similar on here.


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## Rick_Boyett

Don,

I was kinda wondering the same thing. So I linked this review onto Stanley's facebook page. Let's see if they respond or delete it.

Rick


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## 747DRVR

Rick,you should write for the magazines.Nice job


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## Dusty56

Excellent review and the pictures are worth their weight in gold : )


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## Rick_Boyett

It's pretty common knowledge that all of the sweethearts are made in Mexico.

I really don't think that something made in Mexico (or China and India for that matter) has to be synonymous with "bad quality". There are several good quality products that come out of Mexico. The issue is quality control which is a responsibility of management and the corporate office. If QC was a priority for them, they wouldn't have let this become an issue..

BTW, here are some review and thread links that also speak to the problems with the Sweetheart planes in general:

Wicked Skew on my Stanley Low Angle Block Plane

New Stanley Sweet Heart #60 1/2 Low Angle Block Plane Mini Review

Review: Stanley No. 62 by Christopher Schwarz of Woodworking Magazine

In Mr. Schwarz's article, he said that he contacted Stanley and asked about the problems they had seen. He said that Stanley was making changes at the factory to remedy the problems. This was back in Sept 2009. I contacted Mr. Schwarz about this article and asked him if Stanley ever got back to him about the machining issues that were causing the skew. He said that they did not….

Keep in mind that these were planes SENT to Mr. Schwarzs BY STANLEY specifically for review purposes. They didn't even do a proper QC on planes that they knew were going to be reviewed and written about.

There is also a review in the April 2010 issue of Fine WoodWorking Magazine. It isn't kind..


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## Rick_Boyett

My comments were not intended to defend anyone from manufacturing in another country. I'm merely pointing out that the location something is made doesn't really matter when it comes to Quality IF you have proper quality control and procedures..

As for Stanley specifically, I can understand your frustration. Stanley was profitable every year for over a hundred years before they decided to start moving manufacturing overseas. They didn't make the move to REMAIN profitable, they did it to make a bigger profit. This raises the share price of the companies stock, which also nets the CEO and the Board of Directors a nice fat bonus. Not to mention they also get paid in stock. There was absolutely no reason for them to move..

I can perfectly understand a company moving manufacturing if they can't make a profit from manufacturing here. Several companies have been in exactly that situation. But too many are doing it to simply make more money. Stanley falls into the later. Of course, to make matters worse, Stanley has been on a buying spree. They have bought up other tool manufactures and moved their manufacturing operations overseas. Stanley even tried to get their corporate address moved to the Bermuda to avoid paying taxes. That part failed because of a bogus stock holder vote that the FTC called them on. Stanley claimed that it could save $30million by doing so. Nevermind that Stanley had NEVER once in its entire existence been unprofitable at that point.


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