Stanley Sweetheart No. 4 vs WoodRiver No. 5

Updated June 2026

The Stanley Sweetheart No. 4 is the better first plane if you want to learn smoothing and fitting work on a modest budget. The WoodRiver No. 5 is the better choice if you need to dimension rough lumber and do heavy stock removal before a smoothing pass - different jobs, different tools.

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At a glance

Spec	Stanley Sweetheart No. 4 Smoothing Plane Check price on Amazon	WoodRiver No. 5 Jack Plane Check price on Amazon
Price	$149-$194	$260-$280
Our rating	4.4 / 5	4.5 / 5
Best for	Beginners who want a real hand plane at an accessible price and are willing to do the setup work.	Woodworkers building their second hand plane and needing a workhorse for dimensioning and flattening.
Type	No. 4 smoothing plane	No. 5 jack plane
Iron	1/8-inch A2 steel	High carbon steel
Price	$149-$194	$260-$280
Best for	Smoothing, fitting, learning	Dimensioning, heavy stock removal

The Stanley Sweetheart No.

The two options in depth

Amazon

4.4 Editorial score / 5.0

Stanley Sweetheart No. 4 Smoothing Plane

Stanley's modern premium No. 4, with an extra-thick 1/8-inch A2 iron and a body that is cast and finished to a higher standard than the standard Stanley line. The Sweetheart is not at Veritas or Lie-Nielsen level but it is a genuine working plane that many beginners use well for years before deciding they need more. Home Depot showed it temporarily out of stock on 2026-11-04, so check the link for current stock.

Best for Beginners who want a real hand plane at an accessible price and are willing to do the setup work.

Most affordable route to a purpose-built modern hand plane with Stanley heritage
Body cast to better tolerances than the standard Stanley line
Extra-thick 1/8-inch A2 iron
Not at the fit-and-finish level of Veritas or Lie-Nielsen

Price $149-$194 Check price on Amazon

Woodcraft

4.5 Editorial score / 5.0

WoodRiver No. 5 Jack Plane

Woodcraft's house-brand jack plane, made to a specification that significantly exceeds the standard Stanley line. The No. 5 jack plane is the workhorse of the hand-tool shop: it dimensions rough stock, flattens wide panels, and does the heavy stock-removal work before the smoothing plane takes over. WoodRiver planes are well regarded for their price-to-performance ratio.

Best for Woodworkers building their second hand plane and needing a workhorse for dimensioning and flattening.

High carbon steel iron for heavy stock removal
Heavier casting than Stanley with better tolerances than entry-level planes
Jack plane size makes it the most versatile bench plane for a single-plane shop
Sole requires lapping on most examples - budget 30 minutes for initial setup

Price $260-$280 Check price on Amazon

Which should you buy?

Buy the Stanley Sweetheart No. 4 if you are buying your first plane and want to learn hand-planing technique on a smoothing plane. Do the setup work (flatten the sole, sharpen the iron, seat the chip breaker) and it teaches you everything. Buy the WoodRiver No. 5 if you need a jack plane for dimensioning rough stock and want better tolerances than the Stanley Sweetheart at a reasonable step-up price.

Related guides

Common questions

Should I buy a No. 4 or No. 5 as my first hand plane?

A No. 4 smoothing plane is the more versatile first purchase for most woodworkers - it handles smoothing, edge trimming, and general fitting work. A No. 5 jack plane is better for rough stock removal but less useful as a learner plane. Most community guides recommend a No. 4 first.

Does the WoodRiver No. 5 need sole lapping?

On most examples, yes - budget about 30 minutes with a straightedge check and 120-grit paper on plate glass. This is common for planes in this price range. The setup work is worth doing and teaches you how to assess and true a plane sole.

Can the Stanley Sweetheart No. 4 be upgraded later?

Hock Tools sells O1 replacement irons for Stanley-style No. 4 planes, but the Sweetheart already ships with an extra-thick 1/8-inch A2 iron and the Hock No. 4 iron is 3/32 inch, so the iron is not the obvious weak point.