Well, want is more appropriate than need.

I am definitely a fair weather weekend warrior. So a serviceable hand plane is a heck of a lot cheaper than a powered planner. BUT, is it really? I’ve done very surface level looking into planes and see all the $145 tools and cannot justify that sitting in my garage. $45? Maybe. I’m just uneducated and only have a white belt in Google-fu.

Why are hand planes so costly? Does it really translate to performance? Are blades/chisels(?) generically universal? How much is the word Stanley really worth?

I have access to Big Green, Orange and Blue and the smiley truck is in the neighborhood every day. Harbor Freight is also available near by.