--- product_id: 82281440 title: "No. 4 Adjustable Bench Plane (12-404)" brand: "stanley" price: "$123.38" currency: USD in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 category: "Stanley" url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/82281440-no-4-adjustable-bench-plane-12-404 store_origin: US region: United States of America --- # quick-release cam-lock 2-inch precision cutter cast-iron stable base No. 4 Adjustable Bench Plane (12-404) **Brand:** stanley **Price:** $123.38 **Availability:** βœ… In Stock ## Summary > πŸͺš Elevate your craft with precision and power in every stroke! ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** No. 4 Adjustable Bench Plane (12-404) by stanley - **How much does it cost?** $123.38 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/82281440-no-4-adjustable-bench-plane-12-404) ## Best For - stanley enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted stanley brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - β€’ **Built to Last:** Hardened, tempered steel cutter edge engineered for years of reliable, repeat use. - β€’ **Rock-Solid Stability:** Durable cast-iron base with precision-ground surfaces ensures unmatched planing accuracy. - β€’ **Comfort Meets Control:** Ergonomic polymer handles and knobs designed for fatigue-free, confident grip. - β€’ **Effortless Maintenance:** Quick-release cam-lock lets you swap or sharpen the iron in secondsβ€”no downtime. - β€’ **Precision Depth Control:** Manually adjustable cutter for flawless smoothing and trimming every time. ## Overview The STANLEY No. 4 Adjustable Bench Plane features a 2-inch hardened steel cutter with manual depth adjustment, a cast-iron base precision-ground for stability, and a quick-release cam-lock for easy iron maintenance. Designed for professional-quality smoothing and trimming, it combines durability with ergonomic comfort, making it an essential tool for woodworking enthusiasts and pros alike. ## Description From the Manufacturer The Stanley No. 4 Adjustable Bench Plane with a 2-inch Cutter has a gray, cast-iron base with precision-ground sides and a bottom that's machined to be smooth and true. Created to work efficiently and easily with your bench-top projects, this plane has all the extra features you need to trim and fine-tune your work piece. Versatile, durable, and designed to accomplish tasks efficiently. Works efficiently and easily with your bench-top projects. View larger. The plane features hardened, tempered-steel construction for precision-ground cutter edge durability that lasts long and true, through years of use. The cutter adjusts easily for depth and alignment, so you always have precise control over the piece at hand -- no matter how hard or uneven the material may be. Its quick-release cam lock makes iron removal easy, and the high-impact polymer handles and knobs are contoured and polished to give you a great grip that permits true accuracy and long use without fatigue. Product Description The STANLEY No. 4 adjustable bench plane is designed for smoothing, trimming, and fine-tuning wood surfaces where control and consistency are important. Its cast-iron base with precision-ground sides and bottom is designed to support stable planing performance, while the hardened and tempered steel cutter edge is built for repeated use. The cutter manually adjusts for depth and alignment, helping users fine-tune the cut for different planing tasks. A quick-release cam-lock is designed to simplify iron removal during adjustment and maintenance, and the high-impact polymer handles and knobs are contoured and polished to provide comfort and control during use. With a 2 in cutter and durable epoxy-coated body, this bench plane is built for practical woodworking performance. Review: Filled with Plane-y Goodness - Many of the reviews here say you have to do a lot of work to make this plane functional. You have to grind the heal, machine the manifold, steam the iron with rhubarb, run the screws through the flux capacitor and send it through a trash compactor to get it to work. As My Cousin Vinny said, everything that guy just said is bullsh... I have to say that mine worked great right out of the box. I didn't even sharpen the iron. However, I did sharpen it after about an hour of use and it again worked great, possibly slightly more so than new. Since this is a lower end, entry level plane, I think it may be shipped with a decently sharp blade, ie, not everybody has a nice Arkansas stone sitting around. The instructions for the plane are abysmal. Do you run the plane straight ahead or at a slight bias? How much is a "hair" of blade? What is the "adjustable" part and what is the effect? None of these things are covered adequately. The solution is simple - pull out the plane and practice on some sacrificial wood. Pros: * $15 at the moment for a very versatile, all around plane * Works right out of the box * Adjusting will make it work even better Cons: * Handle is too small for my sasquatch hands. Have to pretend you're a kid in the '70s playing cops and robbers and form a gun with your hand to handle the tote handle. No "criss-cross applesauce" up in this joint. * No chipbreaker * Horrible instructions Who is this plane intended for? I needed to plane some boards for a specific reason - a butcher block. I could have bought a full on thickness planer, an electric planer, or a wood planer. I wasn't sure how much I'd use an electric job so another tool sitting idle sounded like a bad idea. This and possibly the larger jack plane are supposed to be the most versatile, all around planes, so I went for it. Now that I know I like planes, I can't wait to try out a nicer plane, maybe a block plane and a jack. Could this be my only plane? Probably. I am no New Yankee Workshop. But it has opened my eyes to what it can do. I've now generated about 4 small baskets of wood shavings and it was way easier than I ever imagined, and downright fun. It's much funner than stealing the remote from the wife or hiding the kid's cell phone so get one now. Review: it's great bench plane and you'd be hard pressed to find ... - This plane is not for everyone. If you have sharpening tools and time, it's great bench plane and you'd be hard pressed to find a better one for the price. Just know, it's going to take time to flatten the sole and sharpen the blade. It took me about 6 hours to get the sole nearly flat and about 2 hours to get the blade flat and tune the bevel to a razor's edge. That's no small time investment and if I didn't have the time, I would have happily bought a $150 to $200 plane and 8 hours of hard work easily translates into that much money. That said, I was able get this hand plane tuned and cutting smooth. And - as of now - and it's cutting better than my untuned $110 Stanely Sweetheart Smoothing Bench plane. There's no doubt that I'll be able to get the Sweetheart running better with less time investment - and the craftsmanship and details are far nicer - but if money is the factor and time is not - and if you have the sharpening tools around - this bench plane is a super solid option. Now that I've sunken the initial investment to get it running well, I'll put in an hour here and there to continue flattening the sole and polishing the blade - it can only get better over time. Pictured are some shavings from the rough edge of some pine. Overall, I'm very happy with the plane. Part of that is that I wanted to take on the challenge of flattening and tuning an inexpensive hand plane. Another part is that I'm more connected with the tool now that I've put so much time into it. But the near glassy edge that I managed to get on the side of the piece of pine I was working with also tells me that I'm going to be happy with the projects that I build with it. ## Features - Precision Planing Control: Cutter manually adjusts for depth and alignment to support controlled smoothing and trimming tasks - Durable Cast-Iron Base: Cast-iron base with precision-ground sides and bottom is designed for stable, accurate planing performance - Hardened Cutter Edge: Hardened and tempered steel cutter edge is built for durability through repeated use - Quick Iron Removal: Quick-release cam-lock is designed to make iron removal easier during adjustment and maintenance - Comfortable Hand Positioning: High-impact polymer handles and knobs are contoured and polished for comfort and control ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | ASIN | B000FK3WI2 | | Base Material | Cast Iron | | Best Sellers Rank | #738,642 in Tools & Home Improvement ( See Top 100 in Tools & Home Improvement ) #11 in Jack Planes | | Brand | STANLEY | | Brand Name | STANLEY | | Color | Black, Yellow | | Customer Reviews | 4.2 out of 5 stars 967 Reviews | | Cutting Depth | 2 inches | | Cutting width | 2 inches | | Global Trade Identification Number | 00076174124040 | | Included Components | (1) Bench Plane | | Item Dimensions L x W x H | 10.7"L x 2.8"W x 6"H | | Item Type Name | STANLEY Hand Planer, No.4, Adjustable, 2-Inch Cutter (12-404) | | Item Weight | 2.8 pounds | | Manufacturer | STANLEY | | Manufacturer Part Number | 12-404 | | Manufacturer Warranty Description | Limited Lifetime Warranty | | Material | Cast Iron , epoxy coating | | Material Type | Cast Iron, epoxy coating | | Model Number | 12-404 | | Number of Items | 1 | | Number of Packs | 1 | | Power Source | Non-Energy Using | | Product Dimensions | 10.7"L x 2.8"W x 6"H | | Style | Tool,Woodworking,Adjustable | | Style Name | Tool,Woodworking,Adjustable | | UPC | 724137883618 078433295126 076174124040 757073229936 | | Unit Count | 1 Count | ## Product Details - **Brand:** STANLEY - **Color:** Black, Yellow - **Item Weight:** 2.8 pounds - **Material:** Cast Iron, epoxy coating - **Style:** Tool,Woodworking,Adjustable ## Images ![No. 4 Adjustable Bench Plane (12-404) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71PN3pMBXtL.jpg) ## Questions & Answers **Q: Is this a good starter/beginner plane to use? Looking for inexpensive plane for shelves, tabletops and some other jointed surfaces.** A: I think it is. Others might not like it but I do. It does not have a chip breaker, which is something that is very helpful when dealing with certain types of woods and grain patterns. It struggles with those. I've used it, and was careful, and it does pretty well on pine and "whitewood" (whatever that is). Occasional problems with tear out but just planed in the opposite direction in those spots. When I started using it, I was struggling to get the edge on the iron squared off. The two adjustment nuts made it easy to adjust for the off square edge. Even if/when you graduate to other planes, it makes a good scrub plane. Sharpen and hone a cambered edge on the iron and you can take off a lot of material in a hurry.As far as doing jointing, again, not the best plane for that but take your time, use straight edges and squares to check progress frequently and you can accomplish what you want to do. If you look at jointer planes you'll see prices 6 - 8 times what this plane will cost.All in all, I'd call it a good buy for the money. Probably not a plane you'd want to use for everything but you can get the job done if you take your time. It is handy to have. **Q: Just looking for something to trim doors to close properly. Will I need to prepare it first or can I just use it as is?** A: Mine worked out of the box. All I did was set the iron depth. I use it about every other day on mostly pine and red oak. Three months later and I haven't sharpened it yet. I've been woodworking for over 30 years and using hand planes almost from day one. On my bench, I have a vintage bailey pattern type number 4 set as a smoothing plane and this sits next to it as an all purpose bench plane. With S4S lumber, you rarely need a scrub plane - just something for flattening - getting material tried and true. This fits the bill straight out of the box. **Q: Can this work to help flatten out warped/twisted [reclaimed] wood planks?** A: Yes. However, I suggest a plane with a Bailey style adjuster rather this plane. The two thumbscrews that control depth of cut are finicky. I would probably steer you toward a Stanley No. 5 with a longer sole. As with any reclaimed wood project; make sure your work is clear of nails and other embedded metal. **Q: This plane has "plastic" handles, not "resin", correct? I only want it for a cheap set of non-resin/non-wood handles..** A: It has a resin handle. It is highly recommended that you get a machine shop to re machine bottom of the plane. And also if you are not familiar with how to correctly sharpen the blades have somebody do it who is. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Filled with Plane-y Goodness *by B***T on July 11, 2015* Many of the reviews here say you have to do a lot of work to make this plane functional. You have to grind the heal, machine the manifold, steam the iron with rhubarb, run the screws through the flux capacitor and send it through a trash compactor to get it to work. As My Cousin Vinny said, everything that guy just said is bullsh... I have to say that mine worked great right out of the box. I didn't even sharpen the iron. However, I did sharpen it after about an hour of use and it again worked great, possibly slightly more so than new. Since this is a lower end, entry level plane, I think it may be shipped with a decently sharp blade, ie, not everybody has a nice Arkansas stone sitting around. The instructions for the plane are abysmal. Do you run the plane straight ahead or at a slight bias? How much is a "hair" of blade? What is the "adjustable" part and what is the effect? None of these things are covered adequately. The solution is simple - pull out the plane and practice on some sacrificial wood. Pros: * $15 at the moment for a very versatile, all around plane * Works right out of the box * Adjusting will make it work even better Cons: * Handle is too small for my sasquatch hands. Have to pretend you're a kid in the '70s playing cops and robbers and form a gun with your hand to handle the tote handle. No "criss-cross applesauce" up in this joint. * No chipbreaker * Horrible instructions Who is this plane intended for? I needed to plane some boards for a specific reason - a butcher block. I could have bought a full on thickness planer, an electric planer, or a wood planer. I wasn't sure how much I'd use an electric job so another tool sitting idle sounded like a bad idea. This and possibly the larger jack plane are supposed to be the most versatile, all around planes, so I went for it. Now that I know I like planes, I can't wait to try out a nicer plane, maybe a block plane and a jack. Could this be my only plane? Probably. I am no New Yankee Workshop. But it has opened my eyes to what it can do. I've now generated about 4 small baskets of wood shavings and it was way easier than I ever imagined, and downright fun. It's much funner than stealing the remote from the wife or hiding the kid's cell phone so get one now. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ it's great bench plane and you'd be hard pressed to find ... *by R***N on August 3, 2018* This plane is not for everyone. If you have sharpening tools and time, it's great bench plane and you'd be hard pressed to find a better one for the price. Just know, it's going to take time to flatten the sole and sharpen the blade. It took me about 6 hours to get the sole nearly flat and about 2 hours to get the blade flat and tune the bevel to a razor's edge. That's no small time investment and if I didn't have the time, I would have happily bought a $150 to $200 plane and 8 hours of hard work easily translates into that much money. That said, I was able get this hand plane tuned and cutting smooth. And - as of now - and it's cutting better than my untuned $110 Stanely Sweetheart Smoothing Bench plane. There's no doubt that I'll be able to get the Sweetheart running better with less time investment - and the craftsmanship and details are far nicer - but if money is the factor and time is not - and if you have the sharpening tools around - this bench plane is a super solid option. Now that I've sunken the initial investment to get it running well, I'll put in an hour here and there to continue flattening the sole and polishing the blade - it can only get better over time. Pictured are some shavings from the rough edge of some pine. Overall, I'm very happy with the plane. Part of that is that I wanted to take on the challenge of flattening and tuning an inexpensive hand plane. Another part is that I'm more connected with the tool now that I've put so much time into it. But the near glassy edge that I managed to get on the side of the piece of pine I was working with also tells me that I'm going to be happy with the projects that I build with it. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great starter plane *by J***R on March 2, 2019* This is my first hand plane. I wanted an inexpensive plane to try out and learn with and I am very happy with it so far. I pulled it out of the package and first disassembled it to clean off all the grease. It was VERY greasy. Then I did a quick 3 minute honing of the iron on my whetstone (without a guide, will be getting one soon) just to get started, put it back together, lined up the blade and I was off making nice thin curls in no time. The 2 thumbwheels are a little finicky, but as long as you keep the blade pressed back against them, it's easy to line the blade up and it locks solidly in place. The bottom appears around 98% flat. I might try to flatten it later, but for now it's plenty flat for what i'm doing. As you can see from the pics, i'm getting paper thin cuts with ease on pine. Once i hone the iron fully with a guide, i'm sure it will be even better! --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - πŸ›’ **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** β€” Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** β€” Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - πŸ’° **No Hidden Fees** β€” All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - πŸ”„ **15-Day Free Returns** β€” Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - πŸ”’ **Secure Payments** β€” Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** β€” Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.us/products/82281440-no-4-adjustable-bench-plane-12-404](https://www.desertcart.us/products/82281440-no-4-adjustable-bench-plane-12-404) --- *Product available on Desertcart United States of America* *Store origin: US* *Last updated: 2026-09-23*