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I have a Stanley 45 and was excited to use it but like you I had trouble with hardwood. I also went out and bought a record 44. But with either of them they just didn’t work very well on hardwood. Sometimes, they both worked great and I went on building, but most of the time they tore out or skipped or did more damage than they were worth. I think they require a lot of practice and there is a skill to it. And the grain has to be perfect. They DO both work very well on softwood species , but on hardwood I end up grabbing my router or table saw for grooves. for now they are basically decoration until I can get more practice .