Stanley 12-960 Contractor Grade Low Angle Plane

Customer Rating:
Summary: Good for the money
Comment: After a little work of sharpening and smoothing the sole it is a very adequate tool for the money. The price difference for the better quality planes is very significant. This plane will do a good job at a reasonable price.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Does what I need it to do.
Comment: The product is not bad. Like many of the previous reviewers, it is not the best plane that you can get. But, for the price, it does its job very well. I recently purchased an older house and am remodeling it. This plane has been very useful to shave down doors in which I can't fix by adjusting the hinges. As one of my carpenter friends told me: "An expensive tool is no good if you don't know how to use it."

Customer Rating:
Summary: good low angle plane
Comment: works as it is supposed to. not much that can go wrong here. Important to keep the blade honed. (sharp)

Customer Rating:
Summary: Mine Was Great; Yours Might Not Be
Comment: After reading all the reviews, one might wonder if everyone is talking about the same plane. Well, they are and aren't. Let me explain.

I own 12 different bench and block planes (#1,3,4,4 1/2,5,5 1/4,6,7, standard angle block plane, the low angle block plane, and small trim plane), all but two are new Stanley's (the #1 which is a Lie-Nielsen and the 5 1/4 which is from the late 70's) and the quality of the planes are all over the place.

My #3, 5, and Low angle block plane are great. I love them and couldn't ask for better. The #6, and 7 are exceptable, while 4, 4 1/2, 5 1/4, and stanard angle block could defiently be better. But to be fair, even my Lie-Nielsen #1 gives me fits (the frog screws work lose and the lever cap keeps popping out). The real fact of the matter is that buying any tool is a crap shoot. Some work great, some don't. I don't know why that is in an era of modern machining. Every tool should preform as well as any other made by the same company, but it's not.

All I can say is this; my low angle block plane has worked great from day one and I love it. But I can't garantee yours will. Which at the end of the day says it all.

Customer Rating:
Summary: Amazing little work horse
Comment: I just purchased this neat little plane and I love it! It's well made,feels great in my hand, and does a nice job.You'll never find a better plane for the money.I mean NOWHERE!!!!!!!!!! Certainly not a Lee neilsen ,but who cares?? I buy tools do use, not to brag about having.