Axminster Rider vs. Quangsheng planes

[Fancy_Dan]

Recently I’ve had the chance to try out some Quangsheng and Axminster Rider planes. These planes cost about the same (i.e. both are about half the price of Veritas, Lie-Nielsen or Clifton). If you use hand planes a fair bit, like me you’ve probably read bold claims by Quangsheng and Axminster Rider about their high quality. Well, one of them is lying!

I took a punt on a Quangsheng smoother and what a beauty it was. It barely needed a tickle to flatten the sole and the blade’s 01 steel has been a doddle to hone. It takes a keen edge that seems to last well. It feels beautifully made and there’s hardly any backlash on the blade adjuster. Even if I could afford it, I can’t see what more you’d get from a Lie-Nielsen; perhaps a 100% flat sole out-of-the-box, but that’s it.

In contrast, I tried a Rider jack plane last time I was in Axminster. What a bag of shite! The mouth adjuster didn’t work. I don’t mean it worked badly. I mean it didn’t work full stop. The blade adjuster was rubbish: almost impossible to turn. Perhaps it was an unusually bad example, but whoever does qualy control for Rider planes needs shooting. Even if the adjusters had actually worked, the build quality felt way below Quangsheng.

I’ve no association with Quangsheng or Workshop Heaven, but that’s where I’d go for a quality plane.

[big-all]

Recently I’ve had the chance to try out some Quangsheng and Axminster Rider planes. These planes cost about the same (i.e. both are about half the price of Veritas, Lie-Nielsen or Clifton). If you use hand planes a fair bit, like me you’ve probably read bold claims by Quangsheng and Axminster Rider about their high quality. Well, one of them is lying!

I took a punt on a Quangsheng smoother and what a beauty it was. It barely needed a tickle to flatten the sole and the blade’s 01 steel has been a doddle to hone. It takes a keen edge that seems to last well. It feels beautifully made and there’s hardly any backlash on the blade adjuster. Even if I could afford it, I can’t see what more you’d get from a Lie-Nielsen; perhaps a 100% flat sole out-of-the-box, but that’s it.

In contrast, I tried a Rider jack plane last time I was in Axminster. What a bag of shite! The mouth adjuster didn’t work. I don’t mean it worked badly. I mean it didn’t work full stop. The blade adjuster was rubbish: almost impossible to turn. Perhaps it was an unusually bad example, but whoever does qualy control for Rider planes needs shooting. Even if the adjusters had actually worked, the build quality felt way below Quangsheng.

I’ve no association with Quangsheng or Workshop Heaven, but that’s where I’d go for a quality plane.

thanks for a good and honest review it help us all make a well informed choice

[Job and Knock]

... the blade’s 01 steel has been a doddle to hone.

The blades are actually T10 steel, not O1. A minor point as the two steels are very, very similar

Even if I could afford it, I can’t see what more you’d get from a Lie-Nielsen; perhaps a 100% flat sole out-of-the-box, but that’s it.

Actually the L-N planes are flatter, there is less backlash and there are less "rough edges" than on the QS planes. The same is true for both Veritas and Clifton products. As far as the blades go I have had to flatten the backs of several QS plane ironss, although not much, and the QS irons certainly need honing before use whereas the "top three" brands tools come "ready to work". But I agree - as a working tool it's dubious that it's worth that much more for so little extra. To me, at least. For anyone who has only ever used Silverline or Anant planes moving up to a QS plane is like stepping out of an old Lada and into a new BMW - the difference is that marked. Nice to see the comparison with Rider - especially as Axminster has made big claims for the updated range

For anyone interested Quangsheng Luban planes are also sold in the UK by Rutlands (who spell the name "Qiangsheng"), as Juuma planes by Dieter Schmid in Germany (link is to the block planes, but they sell other QS-made planes as well - take a look round the rest of their site, very interesting) and also slightly higher spec versions are sold under the name "Wood River" by Wood Workers Workshop (Peter Sefton) in the UK (the brand is owned by US chain Woodcraft). Just put that in to show that there are more sources out there on the UK market. Incidentally there may be detail differences between different suppliers products, for example the "Wood River" planes generally have a few minor improvements (e.g. knuckle lever cap on some block planes) and are to a slightly higher spec. than the Quangsheng models. In use it makes little difference. I have several of these QS/Woiiod River planes and they are excellent products, despite being Chinese - as I've said on this site a number of times in the past

Just to prove how anally retentive I can be I hasppen to know that the firm's long name is "Cixi City Qiangsheng Tools Co., Ltd" and they use "Luban" as their brand name.

[fin]

obv this is an old thread like. however it is probably quite suitable.

im after a new block plane. ive got a stanley standard block plane. its crap, ive got a faithfull low angle block plane but ive left it at a lasses house after i did some doors and she tried it on and shes not the pretiest so i scarpered and now im scared to go and get it back i also left a combi square and a auger bit haha

ive also got an old block plane but its dropping to bits really and the iron is canny worn. so id like atleast a posh nice one for doing doors and the like.

a mate of mine got a axminster one. but ive seen this thread and wondered what peoples thoughts are on the quangsheng and indeed other makes

[ayjay]

Quite some time ago now I needed a new iron for one of my block planes, (the one I used the most).

I went into the nearest thing locally that you could call a tool shop and they wanted £8 just for a new iron, which seemed a bit pricey as it was more than I paid for the plane when it was new.

I took a trip down to Lymington market where an old boy sold second-hand tools and bought a tiny little Record 0102. It cost me a fiver. I loved that little thing so much that I bought another one the same from eBay. I can honestly say that those are my favourite two planes. I guarantee you won't regret buying one, they're so titchy you can just drop one in an apron pocket and forget it's there.

I expect you'll say that you don't like that they're non-adjustable, but my first ever block plane was non-adjustable and quite honestly it's a doddle to adjust them very finely with just a touch of the hammer - it becomes second nature after a short while - if you've ever wondered what that lump at the back end of the sole plate is for, it's what you whack when you want to back the iron out a touch.

Record-No-0102-Block-Plane.jpg (143.82 KiB) Viewed 17890 times

[fin]

thats almost same as the one ive got except mine has a wooden knob on the front.

mines a record too the knob has fell off though.

[wine~o]

the knob has fell off though.

You should have seen the doctor earlier...

[fin]

ordered one ill see how it goes.

mostly use em jus for knockin arris off doors or whatever i guess. looks a bit littler than the one i have

[fin]

the knob has fell off though.

You should have seen the doctor earlier...

aye i know

[ayjay]

thats almost same as the one ive got except mine has a wooden knob on the front.

mines a record too the knob has fell off though.

Your old one will be longer, probably an 0110, (I've got one of those too). I found the difference quite surprising.

[fin]

aye thats what it is