Is there a way to tell the difference between these two offerings? Mini Planes from Harbor Freight- http://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-micro-brass-plane-set-97545.html

And Mini Planes from this seller in the UK-  http://www.toolman.co.uk/acatalog/mini_planes.html

I ask because I took a gamble on these at my favorite local pawnshop. I stop by there regularly to just chat with the counterman. A woman came in to sell the planes shown below and the pawnie was not interested. With his permission, I bought them from her for $$30 cash. I may have overspent.

You may have overspent but at least it wasn't a real expensive lesson. The are on eBay pretty often but I don't recall the asking prices. I've done a lot worse on wrenches. (Red Faced he says)

Your links are the same.

Fixed the links.

I think I've also seen these in the Lee Valley tools catalog.

Mike

Quote from: Papaw on July 03, 2014, 11:07:55 PM
Is there a way to tell the difference between these two offerings?

The difference is the pricing.  I thought they were irresistible myself.  Bought one set from Harbor Freight, picked up another couple of individual planes at a second hand store, and got a somewhat different set for a gift.  A set of tiny brass and rosewood infill planes?  How can you not like them?  HF had another set of tiny tools that I also had to take home -- blued steel bladed rosewood and brass handled squares.  One adjustable, one try square, a 45 degree angle square and a dovetail square.

There can be slight differences.  Oftentimes knockoffs can look good, but the test is in how they perform and last.

I have a Dayton combo shear, brake, and slip roll that I got at Grainger 20 yrs ago. Paid a bit for it. 5 or 6 years ago I saw an almost exact machine ar HF. The price almost made me lose control of some of my bodily functions right there.

I still dont know if they are the same or not.

Bottom line is are they worth what you paid for them to you? If you enjoy them, cool. If the price difference eats at you, better unload them. Nobody needs more stress.

Chilly

The price difference doesn't really bother me. I'm sure these are the same as the ones at Harbor Freight, I jusy got too excited at getting a deal that i let my wallet beat my brain. After getting them home, I remembered the ones sold at HF.
I will either sell the bunch, or use them as gifts or additions to other tool sales, much as I have done for quite a while with little tool charms I put in packages I ship out.

Papaw,  it used to bug me if I found the same item cheaper until a friend told
me to stop thinking about the cost if I liked something.

he would say; if you go out for a meal today, the next day you will have nothing to show
                     for what you spent, compared to buying an item, that you still have
                     to enjoy.   

I'm with Chili about performance and durability.  I couldn't be coerced to make one for $5.  And other folks' economics aren't my field; they may offer to sell "cheap" but to me it boils down to what they're worth to ME.  Like I suggested, it's hard to beat $5 each.