Do you prefer a left or right tilt table saw?

[Richard McComas]

Right tilt is all I have ever known in both American and Euro-saws

[Bill Arnold]

I've used both types in commercial shops. If I had to tilt the blade, I preferred to use a left tilt or move the fence to the left side of a right tilt saw. My Jet cabinet saw at home is a left tilt.

[Jerry LaBelle]

I went left tilt since that's all I've used. Though I can't recall if the first saw I had, an 8 inch craftsman cast iron one, that had a lever for both elevating and tilting the blade!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

My first t/s was a left tilt and my current is a left tilt. I'm more comfortable because that's what I learned on. Wasn't aware of an apparent safety factor until after I'd purchased the first one.

[Allen Grimes]

Wow, with half the views you already got more votes than your other pole. What makes it worse is this subject has been discussed a million times before.

[Jim Young]

I voted left. Currently own a right tilt saw and see myself using the fence on the lhs. If I had the left tilt I could just leave the fence on the right side.

[Terre Hooks]

I will never understand why people are so passionate about this issue.

I tilt my blade on my right tilt Unisaw about 3 times a year.

When the grey matter between your ears is used, a right tilt is just as safe as a left tilt. I have no problem ripping with the blade tilted and the fence on the right. I do it safely and use common sense.

[Scott Parks]

If you have the Beis fence or one of its clones, you can adjust the cursor in 30 seconds. So that is not a problem.

I am a very detail oriented person. Getting out my caliper and making numerous test cuts to "dial in" my cursor to .001" is something I don't want to do everytime I change the blade. I have come up with two solutions to this problem. 1, insert a 1/32" shim between the thin kerf blade and the arbor plate. Or 2, scribe a second cursor 1/32" difference on my fence scale. As for "dail a dado" I'll just have to get out the tape measure to set the fence.

As far as safety, I don't think right or left tilt matters. It is just your own personal preference. Based on my experience now, I'd go with the right...

[Norman Hitt]

[QUOTE=Scott Parks] I own two tablesaws that are both left tilt. I am constantly switching blades (ei. thin kerf, dado, standard kerf). I change blades far more frequently than I tilt the blade. Because the location of the right side of my blade is constantly changing based on the blade I am using, my fence "scale" is never accurate. If I were using a right tilt machine, the right side of the blade will always be in the exact same place, and the scale on my fence would always be the same.

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Scott, If I remember correctly, you got a Biese Clone Fence with your new saw, and if that is correct, then all you have to do is the following:

1. Set your scale's cursor line accurately for the Blade you normally use, and then when you put a dado blade, (or other thickness blade) on your saw, just run the fence over to where it Barely Touches the blade with the fence locked in place, and then;

2. Stick a piece of masking tape (or electrical tape if you prefer) "Across" the scale so one edge is exactly over the "Zero" on the scale, and then use that tape edge as your cursor line while you have that blade/dado installed,(taking care to stand directly over the scale to prevent any paralax since the tape is on top of the plastic of the scale and the cursor line is on the bottom).

3. When you change that blade/dado back to the original blade, simply peel off the tape and use the scale's cursor line again.

With this method, there is no adjusting/readjusting of the cursor line itself every time you change blades and you Will get accurate measurements. I've been using this system for years and it only takes a few seconds to set it up.

This method will work on "Most Other" fence systems also, depending how the scale indicator is made or set up on the fence.

Hope this helps..........Norm

PS: One other thing I should mention, for anyone not already aware of this potential safety problem, is that "IF" you move the fence from the right side to the left side of the blade for a particular cut, You MUST check the fence for calibration to be parallel to the blade. If you DO NOT check this, and you normally have your fence set further away from the blade at the Back of the blade, (opened up) OR, if the two faces of the fence are Not Parallel to each other, the fence will be out of alignment with the blade, and can Pinch the wood into the blade and cause a kickback. If you have to readjust the fence to make this cut, then be sure to readjust it when you move the fence back to the other (original) side it was on when you started.

[Chris Padilla]

Grew up on a righty...when I bought my Griz 1023 4 years ago, all they had was righty....

[Larry D. Wagner]

Left gets my vote!

I've owned both and presently have a leftie and I just feel more comfrotable and safe using it as 95% of the time the fence is used on the right side.

My .02 worth!

Larry

[Garry Smith]

I just purchased a Left tilt Unisaw and also have a right tilt Delta contractor's saw. I much pefer the Left tilt when ripping miters. Now most the jigs I have made for the right tilt need to be duplicated to accomodate for the left tilt.

Garry