Quangsheng No.62 Low Angle Jack Plane Review
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- Quangsheng No.62 Low Angle Jack Plane Review
My 'out of the box' review of Quangsheng's No.62 Low Angle Jack plane.
How does it rate against the competition? Well, if Lie-Nielsen, Veritas, and Stanley, would like to send me their's, I will do a side by side comparison.
Does it work well straight out of the box?
To date, I have only reviewed products that I have purchased myself, or that I've been gifted by family and friends. This review is no different. I tell it just as I see it, and it's up to you to decide whether to take that into account should you consider buying one.
As always with tools - try before you buy, and only buy from sellers willing to give a full refund should you be dissatisfied.
Check out the website for further information: www.WOmadeOD.co.uk
I recently purchased this plane through Rutlands, where they had it on sale for about $150 US. I had the same experience you did, Mitch, with honing the iron. A minute or so on a diamond stone, then a few strokes on waterstones, and the back was flat and shiny right to the edge. I was pleasantly surprised with the small amount of work needed to get the iron honed.Also, the initial honing to me is of little consequence, because even if the iron is shipped to my house razor sharp, it will require honing again after a certain amount of use. Thanks, Mitch, for all your efforts.
Thanks, I'm pleased mine wasn't a one off! I can highly recommend the additional irons available for this plane for tackling more difficult woods, and even the toothed iron from Kunz (although mine needed a fair amount of work, it did appear that it had slipped through qa). These irons came from Workshop Heaven in the UK.
Funny, Rutlands says it's not for sale outside the UK.
Whats is the point of reviewing a plane out of the box? I don't understand why you tube reviewers keep doing this! You just spent 15 mins trying to drag a dull blade through wood when every manufacturer tells you that the blade will need additional work and that its well know and accepted fact that all cutting tools will require a little bit of fettling when new - all this could have been done in the time you spent here. Its unfair to say the plane has caused tear out when you are taking such a heavy cut with a blade that hasn't been sharpened. You might find that one of the big manufactures does a better job out of the box - but is that really a convenience worth spending double the money for? Most would say no - i have no doubt that that plane could make a shaving just as good as a big name version ones after a short period of work to get it right. The only real difference is the quality of the finish on the tool, not the work, and much as i might not like to admit it - thats not that bad either. True it doesn't compare with a LN or V but its half the price! I own something from all these manufacturers and whilst i might like to have all my tools look and feel like a LN, most people simply cant afford that luxury - i find my Quangsheng's perform equally as well as my LN and V. Fine, accurate shaving are not produced by expensive tools , they are produced by sharp tools and good technique. Look at the furniture that was made 100 years ago by wooden planes, no LN back then and most people today couldn't match the quality. Reviewing a plane before tuning it is like reviewing a washing machine before taking all the bits out that hold the drum in place whilst shipping and telling us you expected more from it 'out of the box'. You seem like a nice chap and all but this is another pointless review - i don't know what i can expect from the tool at all, i just know what its going to look like once i open the packaging.
Thanks, I appreciate your points, and that anyone with your experience of different manufacturers is unlikely to get much out of a review like this. However, many people new to the craft don't have your knowledge, and they do appreciate hearing these things. I will try to consider more experienced viewers, like yourself, in any future reviews.
+Mitch Peacock - WOmadeOD I think my point Mitch is that people without experience can very easily get the wrong idea about a plane like this when they see it trying to work straight from the box. These are great planes and will give the big brands a run for their money, but the blade will always need to be sharpened. Why not sharpen the blade up, flatten off the lever cap and do whatever else needs to be done, just like you cleaned off all the packing oil, and review the plane in the state that it will serve out its life - then people will see what it is capable of. You can always mention what you had to do and tell people how long it took etc... But the point is they see the tool working in its true condition. If after a little tuning it is still tearing out and not performing well than it is entirely justifiable to point those faults out. Without trying to sound mean, or condescending - the errors you pointed out in your video are what you could call user errors and not errors in the plane. A LN that might plane like a dream normally but with a blade thats been allowed to get a bit dull - may be only after a couple of passes over some tough timber - will also perform badly and tear grain - but it wouldn't be appropriate to say you were disappointed with the plane - it just needed a sharpen.
And for reference i have no experience with this plane - hence my interest in your video, but i didn't get an accurate picture of how good it was because you never sharpened it - if you had, we would all have seen how well it really performed (or not).
You have a great manner in front of the camera, and the video was interesting - there are many youtubers out there with nothing interesting to say - but i could happily watch you (and did) I only mention all this so that you can make good review videos that really help us get to know what a tool is like. I'm sorry for going off on one - but this 'out of the box' review culture is really irritating me - its fine for some things, but not edge tools.
Thanks for the response - i hope i'm being helpful and not a tool!
+Its a Peach no, you're good. I welcome all constructive criticism, and it makes my videos better in the end. Out of interest, did you watch the sort and long version of the Rider #4 review? It's still an out of the box, but also shows the result of a hone.
Its a Peach q
Its a Peach t
I just bought my first Quangsheng tool this weekend , a low angle block plane. One minute on my diamond plates and strop and just like this plane it performs fantastically. for one minutes honing half the price well worth it. i'll be buying more of their tools. a nice review thanks.
stephenpduncan Cheers Stephen. Good to know someone else is happy with them.
I own a WoodRiver No 62 (bought at WoodCraft in 2016) which people are saying is the same. It does not have a Norris adjuster, lateral adjustment must be done on the iron blade itself. However, I can reach the adjuster while planing and adjust on the fly. My iron was flat but not sharp out of the box. I don't have a diamond stone and it took me more than a minute to sharpen :). I got it at the same time I purchased a Bailey no 5 from an antique dealer in town and spent several hours flattening and fixing the plane including ordering a screw for the toe. I am using them both on a project I have. Side to side, I always reach for the no 5. Despite tuning both blades and planes, it does a better job on the highly figured cherry I am using. I have a high angle blade for the no 62 too.
Hi Todd. That's interesting to hear. I prefer a no.5 most of the time; it just feels more comfortable. Nothing to do with the handles, which are good on the Quangsheng, but somehow to get the best out of the plane my whole stance needs to change.
Mark Leask raises a good question. Do any of you have experience of this?
A lot of people bag the No 62 as being a gimmick plane..... used onlt for end grain butcher blocks. I have the Henry Eckert No 62 and find it out performs a bevel down plane in most area. The ability to close up the mouth quickly on the fly on certain timbers or to just get that finest of shavings is just awesome. The ability to quickly change out the iron to a high angle one for reversing grain or to a toothed iron for quick timber removal is priceless. Also on the shooting board, with a dog attached, is just plane better than a bevel down plane. Also especially with the Henry Eckert the lateral adjustment is just not necessary. As long as you keep the iton sharpened square the alignment is about 5 seconds in placing the iron on its bed...it just aligns naturally, unsure if this is the case with other no 62s but I also have the Henry eckert 65 block plane and same deal it has exact alignment built in so no need to fiddle with it. Never found the requirement for a bevel up now, my 5 1/4 Veritas bevel down sits there as a table weight more times and only used as damn it has to do something lol
Thanks, that's great to hear. I do need to adjust alignment when installing the iron, but a tiny hammer is my go to for that now.
Would like to see your opinion after honing and minor work on flattening some of the mating surfaces, looks like it could be a great plane with the normal amount of care.
The trick to adjusting on the fly with these is to forget the front knob while you set the depth. Cradle your front hand over the wings atop the lever cap, and use thumb and forefinger to adjust for depth. Reaching with your back hand to one side of the knob may induce some unwanted lateral adjustment ..... if it's even possible to reach the knob.
Have a gander at the way Vic Tesolin sets the blade on a bevel down if I'm not describing it properly 😁
I understand your instructions and will try that out, sounds a great idea. Can't think why I never thought of it🤣
@@mitchwoodwork Sometimes we are so used to our work that we try old techniques with new things 😁 we are so accustomed to bevel down planes that we expect all planes to function in a similar way.
I watched a video a while ago of Vic Tesolin giving a talk about Veritas tools at Peter Seftons school....... that's the only reason I know of this way of adjusting a bevel up plane for work; no way I'm clever enough to come up with it all by my lonesome 🤷♂️😂
That's sold here in America as Woodriver planes. Sells for 200 dollars. Lie Nielsen for 245. I'd go the extra 45 bucks and buy the Nielsen.
UreaSmith You're lucky, the Lie Nielsen is 240GBP in England! The additional 45 bucks you'ld pay would get you a brand that is currently better respected and recognised for sure.
@@mitchwoodwork But not necessary better and for the money one would expect it to work properly out of the box.
The planes are to me pretty spot on, its user error. You have to make the needed adjustments.
I bought a 2'' Iron and Cap Iron of Quangsheng , the Iron its self had a huge belly which took me 4hours to flatten out , yes I should of sent it back to Workshop heaven but felt I couldn't as they were very kind and prompt in replacing a previas order that had a defect and I used the replacement to order more Irons and save on the shipping .
The Cap Iron needed a little fettling and I thought maybe a little soft metal but it works well and a great improvement with a stanley Iron, cheaper option than replacing Irons.
Did you mean you've fitted the Quangsheng iron in a Stanley low angle jack?
@@mitchwoodwork No I fitted the Cap Iron in a Stanley No. 5 a great improvement and a cheap option , i notice in another vid of yours you use the Rider Irons I like them , they take a long time to grind down to change the angle and sharpen but keeps an edge well , how do you find them. Happy New year by the way.
Happy new year. I like the rider irons. They chatter less and take a keener edge than the A2 steel ones, more like the traditional old irons
@@mitchwoodwork Oh I thought they are A2 steel they feel like it sharpen like A2 as you said the thickness is great.
A brilliantly honest review, thank you very much. Please may I ask how it is 4 years later?
Cheers Mark. Is it really four years - doesn't time fly. Still very happy with it and using it most days I'm in the workshop.
Nice review Mitch. I have the Lie Nielsen no 62, and it also required work on the blade. It was good, but the performance was not as good as expected. I had the same results as you. Sharpen the blade a little, and it came to life.
GuysWoodshop Thanks Guy.
Given the small amount of time required on the blades, it surprises me that these companies don't go that extra mile to stand out from the crowd.
One of these days I'm going to buy a Quangsheng (Woodriver in the US). I've been seeing generally good reviews. They recently came out with a No 1, so I've been thinking of that one (for detail work on small items).
I never bother using blades as they come from the manufacturer. Just as you're showing, they are semi-sharp, but not good enough for thin shavings. The Veritas and Lie-Nielsen are really no different (from my experience).
I have the Lie-Nielsen version of this plane, and the adjuster is the same. I don't think it's a reflection on the manufacturer, but the design. Norris adjusters are known for not being adjustable with the hand on the tote. That's why some people don't like planes with those type of adjusters.
Can you tell me how much work it took to make the blade back dead flat? Veritas is king in that regards, followed by Lie-Nielsen, then Hock. And are the edges on the body sharp, or are they now softening them? I remember early reviews of Quangsheng planes said all the castings were very sharp (not good).
Marty Backe Hi Marty.
I'm not in the workshop right now, but I'm pretty certain there were no sharp edges, except the toe to main body boundaries. These I soften on my other adjustable mouth planes, so that will be a couple minutes work to put in.
My couple of Lie Nielsen bench planes are pretty old now, so I wouldn't like to comment on their current output. But I certainly had to put some work into them when I got them.
I don't have any comparable Veritas planes, but the couple items I do have I would consider to be of similar quality to the Quangsheng.
As to the blade back. I only touched it on the fine India stone for about five seconds to remove the burr, and then a few strops on the mdf honing board. There were no missed areas, and it wasn't far from a mirror finish! This amazed me, but I've experienced the same with a Hock and a Lie Nielson, despite others being far more work. I think there really is a touch of luck involved with blades, but non of the manufacturers mentioned produce blades that need much work in my experience.
The Jack will go through my normal plane preparation when I get the chance, and I'll do an update if anything important comes to light.
Mitch Peacock - WOmadeOD Hey Mitch. Thanks for the follow-up.
You're probably correct - there's a bit of luck with all the quality irons out there. But it's good to know that these are now shipping with nicely prepared blades. Flattening the backs of irons or chisels is probably what I dislike most about woodworking ;-)
Keep us appraised of what you think after you've lived with it for awhile.
I like to say that Quangsheng do make the planes for luban and woodriver. but they're 100% the same. in Australia the luban plane is close to 50-70$ cheaper then the woodriver plane. I did hear that the quality is higher on the woodriver.
Marty Backe that Chinese plane dont have a place in your collection. Dont get me wrong they are decent planes.
How flat does the sole stay when you adjust the throat and tighten the knob. Any step would be significant. I am guessing it would be difficult to eliminate this problem.
Lateral adjuster Norris style needs no sideways play at the sharp end of the iron. Veritas uses grub screws for this. How snug a fit is the iron at the sharp end?
Reviewing it without sharpening the iron is problematic.
I think it was pretty much an out of the box review, hence using the iron as it came. You're probably right that I should have honed it. That way the decent edge it takes would have been highlighted.
The moving toe and the body were really well matched as I recall. A problem here is fixable but there is an extra element to consider before just lapping the sole.
It's been a great tool over the years, and is usually what I grab when faced with wild grain.
Thanks
I suspect that over time the inaccessibility of the adjustment would drive me nuts as I like to adjust my plane on the fly.Looks like a nice plane otherwise.
Tim Royal I'd have to agree there. The adjustment of this plane is a bit tricky. Tighten the lever cap enough to stop the blade shifting in use, and you can't advance or retract it, and lateral adjustment needs a hammer tap. That may all improve with tuning, but should be possible as supplied. A follow up video could well be in order, now I've lived with it a bit.
Mitch
Isn't the low angle plane for end grain? Ergo, no need for a chip breaker since they basically just make sawdust? Can you hit some end grain with that plane for us?
Michael Gates it depends on the bevel angle of the iron as to how it cuts. A steep bevel tends toward a scraper cut and is great for awkward grain. Low bevel is great for week behaved grain and end grain. The plane is designed to do the same job as a no.5 in principle, but just in a different way.
Where was this one bought? There seems to be a variance in these planes depending where you get it.
Mark Leask Hi Mark,
I purchased this one from Rutlands in the U.K.
I guess different suppliers may have different specifications, or take QA failures. Ultimately, if this is the case, then the Quangsheng brand will not reach the heights of Veritas and Lie Nielsen, despite clearly being capable of great things.
Thanks for the comment.
They seem to be sold on many names, but I wonder, are they all from the samr factory, or are there many quality plane makers in China. I have a block plane sold as Castle River.
esa062 Hopefully someone will supply an answer to that question.
Meantime, mine has no branding on the lever cap, so once I've tuned it to within an inch of its life, I may just pop my name on there 😉
It's a beautiful plane, and the adjustable toe is cool, but the location of the adjustment knob would be no small consideration for me. That design aspect is just a bit of a disappointment.
Michael Meara You're right Michael, and I can't understand why it's like that. Anyway, I shall investigate and post any update.
Mitch Peacock - WOmadeOD It's probably because this plane was designed by and engineer vs a woodworker. (No offense intended toward engineers)
Michael Meara Take a look at a vintage 62. I doubt that the plane makers back then ignored the needs and wants of the workman. It is a Block plane. I would say the adjustment knobs are just as convenient as other block planes.
Ray Bohn Fair enough, but I prefer the ability to tune a plane on the fly. This would definitely influence my decision to purchase.
You guys do understand that most brands have that problem on the LA jack plane. That was the one advantage to having the stanley style bench planes. You're able to adjust on the fly while planning. I've used a Veritas jack plane and it was a pain to use the nob while planning. LA jack plane use norris adjuster for their blade. You could skew the blade when adjusting if you ain't careful.
You did not test the base for flat, mention the iron steel, test for square sides or use for 5 hours straight to test the handles. Of course you hone the blade before use!Your bench seems a bit low for you and your technique is straight out of the box.Veritas cap irons are cast aluminium and the knob thread induces corrosion so it freezes up until you free it with a wrench and re-tap the thread; such a joy!
+William Fretwell Thanks for watching. There is no reason, other than cost, that the blade couldn't be prepared fully during manufacture, so I judge this as a worth while indicator. The steel specification is available from any supplier, and I can't add any more to that. Each to their own regarding bench height and planing technique - I find mine perfectly comfortable. Happy woodworking.
I'll pay an extra 45 bucks for the Lie Neilsen.
UreaSmith If Lie Neilsen send me one of their's, I'd happily do a comparative review.
+UreaSmith That's a reasonable suggestion, but here in 'rip-off' UK it's not an extra 45 bucks, it's damn near three times the price!
Why not pay LESS and get the Veritas 62 1/2? It IS a better plane than this .
when i buy an expensive tool (rare) there is an expectancy of having to do very little to the tool to get it ready,do you think we as woodworkers are getting too choosy?our forefathers had to pay for very costly tools then, as regards to their wages that is,do you think they had debates like this? i do cheers malc
Relative to wages, I think tools are possibly cheaper than they ever were. I think we expect more for our tool money because of how cheap things like food and consumer electronics have become, due to factory farming and automated production lines. Quality tools are still produced in relatively low volumes and with many manual processes which are costly (I guess that must be true of the iPhone too 😂)
I can understand why the previous generations took care of their tools,there is a throw away attitude these days and i would never buy anything that i wouldnt want to keep.I am always searching ebay for the old tools and i have been told to stop (wifey) but i do have a pride of what i have and look after them,i wish i could afford the more exspensive tools but hey such is life,nice chatting keep the shows coming regards malc.
,
***** hahaha i wish i could afford the likes of lie nielsen,i have stanley woden record and they all do what it says on the tin lol,when i win the lotto then maybe some could go your way thanks for the reply malc
is it made in Corea?
Pretty sure it's Chinese
The on the fly adjustment is why I prefer Stanley Bailey type planes . Even my LV LA. planes suffer from this . It’s just a fact that nobody has really ever bettered Stanley’s design.I have never seen hardly any planes that didn’t need a bit of minor fettling when new ,yes even a LN.
So true. Cheers
This plane is nearly $20 MORE than a better Veritas 62 1/2 Low angle jack . Why bother ?
It was half the price of a Veritas when I bought it. Surely market forces have a big impact and would keep it cheaper than a well respected brand like Veritas, especially if it was inferior.
I think a side by side test is required 😉
I'm confused. How can you call this a review when you've not even honed the blade? It's hardly a demonstration of the planes abilities.
There is a follow up video to this
It looks like a nice plane. Out of principal would not purchase it.
That's fair enough
I am not satisfied with this test procedure. He talks about the packaging, and the he takes it apart and shows the moving parts, but I'm not convinced this guy knows much about planes. He seems to think that, by virtue of this vidio, Lie-Nielsen and Veritas should send him free planes to test.
It does say 'out of the box'. You might find the follow-up video I did more revealing. As far as free planes, I'm always happy to to take items on loan for reviews, and where gifted I will often pass on to students or viewers.
These are not good planes. I have struggled and fought with my 62 for the past few months. Edge retention on these is appalling, yes you can hone it so you get those nice fluffy shavings, but that will soon disappear after5 min on some hardwood. The mechanism for moving the mouth WILL seize up and require you to take the handle off fully and use a hammer to free it up, oh and there's nothing holding the wood of the handle to the mechanism, and that's not from over tightening the nut. Finally that Norris style adjuster... It doesn't!
Do yourself a favour and AVOID this cheap Chinese rip off.
Thanks, that's certainly a cautionary tale. I would have returned any plane like that, so either I was lucky or you were unlucky - not the greatest enforcement either way.
Much appreciated comment.
+Mitch Peacock - WOmadeOD I also wanted to say flattening the back of the iron before use can take a few hours to get a passable shine, the reason these plans don't work out of the box is the blades are effectively shipped blunt!
9:41 If you got tear out on your board with a low angle plane it only means the plane is poor…
lol
Looks like a copy of some western plane... Is it another chinese "original" product without any license.?
Petr K Haha, there have been some of those, but not in this case. Design is ancient so no longer in copyright - that's why Lie Nielsen, etc. make similar ones. This plane is also sold under license by some western firms, with their name/logo on the lever cap.