# New Woodriver #7 V3 Hand Plane



## Ken90712

Nice review, I have to agree 4 out of 5 being it seems a little high for a China plane. I have some woord river tools so I'm not bashing.. All of us would love to have a shop full of Lie Nielsen,,, Congrats. Good Luck.


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## ShipWreck

Thanks for the review. They are nice planes regardless of thier origin.


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## lj61673

*I was looking at the Lie Nielsen #7 but my normal shoping place has them on back order*

Wha?? Why not go directly to the Lie Nielsen website?
Anyway, glad you're happy with the WoodRiver though I've read more bad reviews about them than good….


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## KenBry

I thiink if this hand plane were made in the usa or canada it would easily give LN a run for their money. I have had issues with items made in china with quality, this being my first wood river I am impressed.. I would have been willing to pay a near LN price if this supported employment in northern north america.

When i bought the plane I didn't consider it's origin. I bought it based on a recommendation. It wasn't till i started to review the plane i discovered its make location. BTW, the only place I could find that said where its made was the box.

If some one needs a darn good #7 this is a great choice if they don't care about where its made.


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## Dwain

It sounds a little like you care where it's made. Would you have given it 4 out of 5 if you didn't know where it was made? I appreciate your review. I don't understand why you took away the star. You said you checked it was "perfect all the way around." Are there other issues with the plane you don't mention, or are you just knocking it because it is made in China?

How about we just review the plane for what it is and what it does and forget about where it was made? After all, if a Chinese plane can be made to high specs at a lower cost, it might inspire American manufacturers to sharpen their pencil and give us great materials at a lower cost. It's capitalism after all.

Thanks again for the review. I hope you don't think I am ranting, but I hear this alot and don't think it has a place in tool reviews.

Enjoy your jointer!


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## waho6o9

I'm glad you're happy with your purchase. But I would have consider the package deal for $70.00 more, I think it would have been a better deal.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2083059/33442/WoodRiver-Ultimate-Cabinet-Makers-Kit.aspx

Granted it's a #6 and not the #7 you purchased, but I think the set is money better spent. Truth be told, I'd love to have the #7 as well.


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## 308Gap

Thanks for the review.


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## ShaneA

I have a wr #5, and it is a nice plane. No complaints here…but I wonder if they are missing the "sweet spot" for themselves in the market at $305. Kind of spendy and approaching veritas and LN area. Not sure they can compete there. Thanks for the review.


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## KenBry

Wahoo, i have no need for those planes, I already have those sizes in Other brands.


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## PurpLev

nice review… I also found it interesting you took a star off of the total score based on the country of origin… seems unrelated to the performance of the tool which as you state - is great…

as an FYI - Veritas DOES make a #7 jointer plane at $275:


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## ChrisForthofer

I was just going to link the same info as PurpLev, I have the BU Jack by Veritas and have a hard time faulting any aspect of it. With a .187 thk. blade, stiffness shouldn't be a concern. The Veritas Jointer is on my personal short list.

Chris.


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## b2rtch

Anyway, glad you're happy with the WoodRiver though I've read more bad reviews about them than good….

I always ONLY READ GOOD THING ABOUT WOOD RIVER PLANES.
I DO OT UNDERSTAND WHY TO REMOVE ONE STAR BECAUSE THEY ARE MADE IN CHINA, DOES THAT REMOVE ANYTHING OF THEIR PERFORMANCES?
A REVIEW IS ABOUT PERFORMANCE AND VALUE, NO?


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## KenBry

#7 jack plane in my opinion isn't the same as a #7 bench, But never the less I thought Veritas ended at 6. Thanks for the Correction.

I really had to think about why I even considered 1 star less for an item made in China. I did some soul searching to figure out why I believed this item deserved less than 5 stars. Well, I think I have a fair answer for you guys.

The reason is this: When the day comes to sell this plane, people will not pay the high resale price for something made outside the USA. Resale value is very important to me in everything I buy. If I bought a LN plane they resell on E-bay for as close to $20 retail price + Shipping. It's an amazing thing to watch and it's in part the reason I own many LN planes. In this case I don't think I would be able to resell this tool for anything close to its retail price. I would take a bigger loss on it and I think people wouldn't pay that high resale price… Because it is made in China.

Some might argue that they buy tools to keep them forever, I do too. But I buy top quality when I can or when I am told a tool is top quality at a good price. However I know I won't live forever and some person in my family will get stuck selling off my things. So for them I make sure they can get a good price for my items. They should be able to sell my things and make a good buck if that's what they want to do. (I actually have an inventory of things I own and their best place to resell them)

These are my beliefs and this is how I wrote my review. All reviews have some personal bias. I am just honest about mine so people can decide for themselves if my bias is a reason they would or would not choose that item.


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## b2rtch

KenBry, thank you for your explanation.
I find it kind of strange as I do not buy a tool thinking about its resale value or as an investment for my daughter after I die but that's fine


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## davidroberts

I was in the local Woodcraft store last week looking at the IBC irons. Ended up buying the IBC Stanley 60 1/2 replacement with the $10 off promotional card. The salesman, nice guy actually, and pretty active in the local woodworking club, was showing me a set of Woodriver planes on display. I mentioned some of the reviews were less than 5 star. He said Woodriver took those comments to heart and made some significant changes the last couple of years. Since I don't own one, I wouldn't know, but he sounded pretty convincing. And probably would not have minded making another sale. I picked up the #4 and gave it a swipe. Real smooth and solid feeling. Well that's my story.


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## ShipWreck

Most of the bad reviews were from the original series of WoodRiver planes. The V3 series has much better quality control.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop

^ '#7 jack plane in my opinion isn't the same as a #7 bench'

Didn't want to go off-topic in the review post, but what's a #7 jack plane? A #7 is a jointer, too big for a jack. And it's a bench plane in the 1-8 series. The low angle varieties are outside the bench plane family, in the traditional sense.


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## hhhopks

Ken,
I could see a Chinese company read this review and see that you have just validate their marketing strategy. It doesn't pay to improve their quality. You got a plane that is basically equal in quality as others. You automatically drop a star because it is Chinese. So now the Chinese company get this as their marketing/sales feedback. Why would they focus on quality. Why wouldn't they just low ball everyone else instead? It doesn't pay to improve quality. The market is already bias. Focus on low prices.


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## KenBry

^^ Bench style










^^ Block style

Sorry my bad, Not "Jack" I should have said Block plane…Some people use the term Low angle.
Note the Frog layout.


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## mackcr

Thanks for the review. I have the woodriver #5 jack plane and have been very satisfied with the performance. I am now looking at the #7 for my next plane, just waiting for the next Woodcraft sale.


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## TechRedneck

I have a bunch of vintage Stanley's, a Baily trans and a #4 Wood River V3. The WR can and does stand with the rest of them. If you are looking at cost, it is less expensive to find and restore the old planes. HOWEVER.. I have a Veritas low angle block that is an absolute dream to use.

I just started into the hand tools the past few years. I have found that restoring old planes really teaches you how they function, how to tune them, maintain them and sharpen them.

After that, you really appreciate a Veritas or LV. Wood River in my opinion is close in quality to those but not quite there yet.

I have no issues admitting that I like WR and may buy some more but Ken has a point. Compared to the high end planes, they should get one less star. I hope they keep improving but they need to be around for a little longer and really earn that last star. They are getting close however.


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## PurpLev

block plane (single handed use, used for small work, touch ups, end grain, shaping):









a #7 is a #7 - it's a jointer plane. there are with the high pitch blade angle used with a chip breaker (bevel down) and there are with a low angle blade with no chip breaker (bevel up).

As for the comment RE "they are real close, and should be taken a star off just for that… they should earn that last star" - how can they earn that last star other than by making a QUALITY product - which according to THIS review - they HAVE - that "last star" wasn't taken off for quality - it was taken off for the country of origin. (Sorry for going off topic- but I do find this review VALID, and as it states, this is a QUALITY product, and I just think that it should be accepted AS THAT)  cheers.


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## thedude50

wood river is woodcrafts own lable so think of this as ln s onwn fault when they went direct only. I am with you on resale and the woodriver should have been closer to 200 than 300 but that said they are saving the good stuff for the upcoming pennicile line of planes that will be sporting blades made by ibc which is the best reason to hold out i have a bedrock set of all the bedrock planes and dont need any thing new but i am completing my set of ln planes because they are currently the finest american made planes soon i will own every plane they make i have 12 ln planes and am sticking with the ln brand for my users i liked the review and believe you were right to take a star away for being made in china


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## Dusty56

No matter where it was made , it looks to be a quality plane , and you claim yourself that it is. 
If it were an upcoming American plane and it met all of your needs , including fit and finish , how would you have rated it ?
Seems silly to knock it down only because of where it was born. 
Plane prejudice…what's next ?


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## ShipWreck

I understand both sides of the origin issue. I am super frustrated that we cannot produce a well made reasonably priced plane here in the USA, but I will not hesitate to buy a good product from another country. I am tired at looking at boutique saws and planes made here in the USA that certain companies pimp out knowing that they are the only game in town. Do you really need bronze parts on a plane to produce a good piece?

Hmmmmmmm…....... slam away LN groupies.


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## CyberDyneSystems

I was able to pick up a V2 #4 for a steal when the V3 models came out…

I don't have a vast collection, but I can say that #4 is the best "out of the box" plane I own.
Better than my 20 year old Stanley #5.


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## ic3ss

Lee Valley makes an excellent jointer for flattening boards and edges, see: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=52414&cat=1,41182,52515

They don't call it a No.7 and it's bevel up but it'll do the same job very well and at less than $300 is the same as the Wood River and will have better resale value having been made in Canada and not China.


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## BikerDad

"A REVIEW IS ABOUT PERFORMANCE AND VALUE, NO?" 
Yes, and how much residual value a product has impacts the value aspect of a review. Being Made in China reduces the residual value of the Woodriver planes. The OP was up front about his reasoning, so anybody who doesn't care about either residual value or any of the other considerations surrounding the origin of the tool can consider this to be a 5 star review.


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## shooterscott

I just bought all the Wood river planes 3,4,5,6 and 7 I am hoping to pick them up tomorrow. I already have the standard block plane and the shoulder plane and I've been more than impressed with them. I decided that its about time I learned how to use hand tools better, I've been toying with it for a couple years now and just decided to jump in with both feet. If I can get used to using them in any kind of short time I'll write up a short review and let you know what I think of them. Not that my opinion really matters, but someone might care out there.


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## Mbogle

thinking about getting the set….


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## shooterscott

So far I'm very impressed with the planes. I've only played with them for the most part but from what I can tell they do everything I need them to do.


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## shooterscott

I also have the shoulder plane and the standard block plane, I love them.


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## benchbuilder

You know, we all use to bash and down grade japan made stuff not so long ago, but look at them now. Where is you phone, tv, car, or about a hundred other things in your house all made. If it workes and keeps on working, why is it so important where its made!! Just my thoughts.


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