LA jack plane veritas vs LN?

[Ricky]

Just noticed LV has the free shipping offer up again.  Tempted to buy my first premium plane.  (except for the LN block I bought almost 20 years ago).  The  LV and LN are priced about the same.
I prefer the aesthetics of the LN, plus the fact that it is a relatively local company, here in New England.
Seems the LV has a few extras, such as the norris style adjuster, the side set screws and the mouth adjustment set screw which supposedly also protects the blade edge from banging against the mouth. Also it has a wider blade than the LN.
I guess I probably just talked myself into it.
 
Your opinions appreciated.

[bandit571]

Hmmm...maybe also look into the one from Wood River?    And..a Stanley #62 is  just the same thing....that others are making "knock-offs" of...

[MichaelMouse]

Just noticed LV has the free shipping offer up again.  Tempted to buy my first premium plane.  (except for the LN block I bought almost 20 years ago).  The  LV and LN are priced about the same.
I prefer the aesthetics of the LN, plus the fact that it is a relatively local company, here in New England.
Seems the LV has a few extras, such as the norris style adjuster, the side set screws and the mouth adjustment set screw which supposedly also protects the blade edge from banging against the mouth. Also it has a wider blade than the LN.
I guess I probably just talked myself into it.
 
Your opinions appreciated.

Not sure that a Jack plane is improved by having the bevel up, or a wide® blade, even.  Depends on if you're going to use it as a Jack or a substitute for a Fore or smooth plane.  Tradition has a radiused grind and more blade exposure so that it may be used in place of the continental scrub plane (even narrower blade tighter radius) in flattening a board. 

If you do go low, you'll want to get a toothed blade as well to give back some of the aggressiveness available with the radiused blade in working for initial level.  Leastwise, that's the way I went.

[Admiral]

Just noticed LV has the free shipping offer up again.  Tempted to buy my first premium plane.  (except for the LN block I bought almost 20 years ago).  The  LV and LN are priced about the same.
I prefer the aesthetics of the LN, plus the fact that it is a relatively local company, here in New England.
Seems the LV has a few extras, such as the norris style adjuster, the side set screws and the mouth adjustment set screw which supposedly also protects the blade edge from banging against the mouth. Also it has a wider blade than the LN.
I guess I probably just talked myself into it.
 
Your opinions appreciated.

For what its worth, I've owned both (as well as a vintage Stanley #62), kept the LV, sold the LN.  Both are excellent and you really can't do wrong with either, but the "extras" you mentioned were the precise reasons I kept the LV.

[Hank Knight]

Ricky, I've owned a LN low angle jack for probably ten years. It is my favorite plane. I've never used, or even held, a Lee Valley LA jack; so I'm not much help to you with a side-by-side comparison. I can say, however, that, while the bells and whistles you mention on the LV LA jack are probably helpful, I can't imagine that they bring a whole lot to the table. The mechanism on my LN LA jack is very simple and easy to set up and adjust. I own an original Norris A5 with the famed Norris depth adjuster. I don't see that it offers any significant advantage over the straight-forward depth adjuster in my LN LA jack. The mouth opening on the LN is adjustable and secure once the adjustment is made. Perhaps I'm not getting all the benefit from my plane, but I can't recall having adjusted the mouth since I first set it up when I bought it; so I'm not sure what benefit the set screws offer. I've had the iron out of my LN hundreds of times and I've never banged it against the sole of the plane. The extra width of the LV plane may be a benefit for some, but I've never wished that my LN was wider.

Let me say that I have the greatest respect and admiration for Lee Valley tools. I am confident that their Low Angle jack is a fine plane. My point in posting this is to share my view that one shouldn't put a while lot of stock in refinements that may offer only marginal, if any, performance benefit. My LN is a simple, straight-forward tool. It works as advertised and does the job it was intended to do very well. Having used the tool for a number of years, I can't imagine the improvements offered on the LV plane would sway my decision if I had to buy a new one. My advice is to get your hands on both of these planes and see which one suits you. I think the decision comes down to a subjective preference for one over the other.

My $.02.

Hank

P.S. I just read Admiral's reply. Looks like we're at odds over this one. His actual experience with both planes may tip the scales in favor of the LV plane. I think it's probably a toss up and still believe it boils down to a subjective choice.

[Ricky]

Hmmm...maybe also look into the one from Wood River?    And..a Stanley #62 is  just the same thing....that others are making "knock-offs" of...

I would consider the Chinese made woodriver if it was considerably cheaper, but it's priced almost the same as LN/LV.. I've seen reviews and they are not consistent.  Many complain of work needed to flatten sole, blade and the sides not always square. Also complaints about the depth adjuster being awkward.
The stanley sweetheart very inexpensive, I thought about taking a risk on one of those.

[Ricky]

If you do go low, you'll want to get a toothed blade as well to give back some of the aggressiveness available with the radiused blade in working for initial level.  Leastwise, that's the way I went.

Would definitely buy a few extra blades to get most out of it.

[Ricky]

It works as advertised and does the job it was intended to do very well. Having used the tool for a number of years, I can't imagine the improvements offered on the LV plane would sway my decision if I had to buy a new one. My advice is to get your hands on both of these planes and see which one suits you. I think the decision comes down to a subjective preference for one over the other.  

My $.02.

Hank

P.S. I just reads Admiral's reply. Looks like we're at odds over this one. His actual experience with both planes may tip the scales in favor of the LV plane. I think it's probably a toss up and still believe it boils down to a subjective choice.

Good info, thanks Hank.

[Handplanesandmore]

Hmmm...maybe also look into the one from Wood River?    And..a Stanley #62 is  just the same thing....that others are making "knock-offs" of...

It is quite a stretch to suggest a WR or a #62 being a premium plane, which is what the OP is looking to buy. They may function similarly, but they are not in the same class.

Simon

[Handplanesandmore]

Just noticed LV has the free shipping offer up again.  Tempted to buy my first premium plane. 

If you do decide to get the Veritas, throw in a few extra bucks and get a PMV11 blade.

Simon