You will read mixed reviews of the Stanley Sweetheart No. 62 LA Jack Plane. Reading around, it seems that the factory in Mexico where they have been made since 2009 had some early teething problems but the standards of workmanship and quality control appear now to be much improved.
The plane that I received could not be faulted in any way. The plane has a flat sole and sides ground to perfect 90 degree angle for shooting and it is beautifully finished. Apart from wiping off protective oil and softening some edges (two minutes with a file), all I had to do was hone the blade.
First use, with hardly any time spent to adjust the depth of cut and set the mouth, the plane delivered continuous gossamer shavings over the length of the board ... extremely satisfying and not something that I typically achieve with my other planes. I think the plane highly rewards a modest level of woodworking skills. It is easy to use. I work mainly with very dense highly figured African hardwood, construction grade timber that is generally quite difficult to work. Over a few weeks using the Stanley SW #62, I have suffered negligible tear out, which had been a a consistent irritation using Bailey pattern bevel-down planes (although my vintage wooden Jack and 'cheap and cheerful' Chinese pattern wooden plane just about coped). The iron has required minimal resharpening. The plane is a good weight, although some may feel that it is a little off-balance (forward weighted) and I find the large rear tote is a little large for my hands. But I have become pretty comfortably accustomed to adapting to these features and they don't impact performance. And it is undoubtedly a thing of beauty that delivers great pleasure in ownership.
Spare blades are very hard to find for this plane ... something that Stanley really ought to address ... but they can be located from a persistent search over the internet. I intend to buy another one or two blades to grind to sharper angles of attack. Veritas offer such blades for their low angle jack plane and users suggest that they can significantly add to the versatility of the plane, especially in coping with difficult stock.
I don't have any experience of using the Veritas and Lie Neilson equivalent planes. The Veritas, in particular, seems to have some interesting additional features (such as a stop screw to prevent the adjustable mouth from damaging the blade) but you are going to pay a lot more money for what seem to be relatively small benefits.
Maybe, if resources were less tight, the Veritas might be the better plane in absolute terms. But ... for sheer bang for my buck ... I think the Stanley #62 has been a wonderful purchase.
| Brand | Stanley |
|---|---|
| Material | Blend |
| Color | Iron |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 15.8 x 6.7 x 3 inches |
| Item Weight | 2.89 Kilograms |
| Style | Woodworking,Classic |
| Included Components | NO 62 SWEETHEART LOW ANGLE JACK PLANE |
| Certification | Certified frustration-free |
| Cutting Width | 2 Inches |
| Manufacturer | Stanley |
| Part Number | 12-137 |
| Item Weight | 6.36 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 15.8 x 6.7 x 3 inches |
| Item model number | 12-137 |
| Batteries | Lithium Ion batteries required. |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | One Size |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | Limited lifetime |
