Budget Hand Plane Setup

Not everyone can afford Lie-Nielsen. Here's how to make budget planes work.

Which Budget Planes Are Worth It?

Avoid modern big-box planes under $30—they're frustratingly bad. Instead: vintage Stanley user-grade planes ($30-$60) offer real quality after tuning.

Essential Tuning

  1. Flatten the sole thoroughly
  2. Sharpen the iron properly (most critical)
  3. Tune chipbreaker fit
  4. Adjust frog for tight mouth
A well-tuned $40 vintage Stanley will outperform an untuned $300 Lie-Nielsen. Sharpening matters more than price.