£154 for the Quangsheng
Indeed it will be a sound plane, but for that money you would be better getting a Bailey or a Record
and then some sharpening gear, since you said you don't want to spend more than you have to.
the 5 1/2 is the one I would go for or a 5.
I believe the quangsheng has A2 steel compared to regular 01....
No plane will work out of the box like a plane should work,
You will need to hone the edge and this is much easier with 01 steel.
You might get stuck with a good plane, but no means of sharpening it.
For the money .....roughly
You could get a cheap eclipse style honing guide £5ish
A decent 5 or 5 1/2 £40 say, depending how much you want to wait. a thick soled one that is,
I suggest you get diamond plates... forum link
your-cheapest-honing-setup-buying-new-only-t102548.html
or Ultex ones
I say this because you will need a dead flat surface to fettle the back of the iron and also the
underside of the chip breaker/cap iron.
Could do it on a salvaged granite off cut, but its less faff with the diamond hones.
You might need a plate to flatten the sole on, but you should get good results anyway.
Do you go to car boot sales ? cheap stones and planes are a plenty I hear...
I would look for a bench grinder with the change, for establishing a primary bevel on ...
Then onto the stones
Look for a fire door in a skip while your at it
Tom
