Not sure how many hand tool users there are here but I’m going to buy a new plane and am debating between a plow plane or a combination plane (both Veritas). Plow plane gets me what I need today which is cutting grooves, dadoes, etc but the combination obviously gets a bit more in functionality and available blade shapes plus it has nickers on both sides so reversible direction. I already have a router plane with a fence which is almost as good as a plow but not quite. Trying to figure out if combination plane has any down sides to it at all that I’m not thinking about before I pull the trigger on it.
The Veritas combo is definitely heavier but it’s not a behemoth like the 55, it’s closer to the 45. I like the idea of being able to do reads, flutes, etc but I’m also currently needing them for boxes I’m making so it’s a much smaller scale of work. I’ll report back what I end up going with and any insights I have if anyone’s interested.