Table Saw Advice, Right vs Left Tilt

[Paul Richard]

Hey Folks,

It's been a while since I posted, but I lurk fairly often. Some of you may remember me as the guy who got some great advice and turning service for my Jet JJP-12 from John C. After a tiny bit more tuning of the outfeed roller it is working like a champ and I'm very happy with it. Anyway, on to this post...

I have an old 1.5HP Delta contractor saw that has served me very well. I've been saving my pennies for a new cabinet saw and have had my eyes on a new Grizzly, but also snooping around on Craigslist for a used Unisaw. I found an example of the latter (2.5 hours from me though) that I think would be a contender, but wanted some advice from the collective good will of SMC. Here is a link to the saw, I hope to go look at it this weekend ==> http://lancaster.craigslist.org/tls/5886930275.html

My questions are...
1. That saw in the above link; anyone have one? Any thoughts on the price and model? It looks immaculate from the pics, but I've not spoken directly to the seller yet, nor have I seen it in person.

2. My current saw is a right tilt that has never worked all that well (the tilt, not the saw/motor). After hours of puttering I've never been able to get it to cut bevels at 45 degrees, close, but not at 45. I want to be able to do that, but I'm not sure how much I'll actually do it. On shorter stock I've played with a 45 degree bit in my router/table and that does a very nice job. Question is, if I intend to do more 45 degree bevels, should I be looking more for a left tilt saw? I've read the left vs right version of War and Peace the last few days and am wondering if anyone has gone from a right tilt low end contractor saw like mine, to a mid-grade left tilt cabinet saw and found a new religion. Or, if the War and Peace Cliff Notes, stating that it's personal preference, is all I need to know. :-)

Comments? Thoughts?

Thanks all!

- Paul

[Eric Rimel]

That's a nice saw. I'm sure some will say it's too much. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I've never owned any newer Unisaws myself, but I've used quite a few. No complaints. For comparison, I bought a Grizzly 1023 at auction, bought a VSCTools fence, built my front rail assembly, built side tables, welded the leg sets for the side tables, bought a motor cover......I'm easily at $1,000. I was able to do this in smaller bites of cash over time so it worked for me and I'm happy as a clam with my saw. But if I'd had the cash at one time, It would have saved me a heck of a lot of work/time to just drag that saw you linked to home, plug it in and use it.


Right Vs. Left? All marketing as far as I'm concerned. I've had left tilt Powermatics and Sawstops and right tilt Unisaws. I've had both at the same time. I can't think of a single instance where I HAD to have one over the other and there was no way around it. You do have to be aware of which one you have and what your order of operations needs to be when cutting angled pieces, regardless of which you have. I have 4 left tilt saws at work and I have a right tilt in my shop. In almost 10 years I've never had to take material home or to work to make a cut.

if I had to choose? Left.

[Cary Falk]

Asking way too much if you ask me. I had a 1970 Uni that I restored and I sold it and bought a G1023RL. To me a riving knife is more important than right vs left tilt.

[Dan Friedrichs]

So that dust collector that comes with it is worth $200. So he's asking $1550 for the saw.

For less money, you could have a new Grizzly with warranty and riving knife. As Cary said, that's a big deal.

Right tilt also pinches the cut between the blade and the fence. My impression is that most cabinet saws used to be right-tilt, until someone said, "Hey, wouldn't it be way safer if it were left-tilt?", and there was a shift towards that. Perhaps it's just marketing, but...

In any case, I think that Unisaw is worth less than half of the asking price...

[Jim Andrew]

I have a 04 unisaw, left tilt. The 45 was set perfectly when it was delivered, can cut 45 degree rips, and they come out a perfect 90 without gaps. Do use biscuits when I glue up the joints. Helps with alignment.

[Cary Falk]

To answer your second question. I went from a Craftsman bench top, to Delta contractor, to Uni, to the 1023rl. The 1023rl is the only left tilt. The move from the Uni to the grizzly was a lateral move as far as quality of cut and ease of adjustment. That move was mainly for the riving knife although there were some minor annoyances with the Uni. The other upgrades were definitely wow moments. You can make an offset fence to do 45s on a right tilt so that would not be a deal breaker. You can also move the fence to the left of the blade.

[Randall J Cox]

You can always lift up the fence and move it to the other side of the blade and you have opposite tilt (away from the fence) for a specific cut if needed. Thats what I have done on occasion when the cut seemed a little to dangerous with the blade tilted 45 degrees. Randy

[Ken Combs]

I like the rt tilt saw for another reason not often mentioned. Most cuts on a table saw are fence guided with the fence on the rt side of the blade. When changing blades using blades of different thicknesses, a right tilt doesn't change the blade to fence dimension. so, the rip width indicated by the tape on the fence front rail is still accurate, with any width blade.

My most often used blades are a thin kerf rip and really wide full kerf triple chip grind so that is important to me.

45s can be an issue but with a good hold-down (or careful operator practice) to keep the piece firmly against the table and fence it can be safely done.

[David Helm]

I have had both in Cabinet saw configuration. My old Jet cabinet was right tilt and my current Grizzly G1023RLX is left tilt. Both worked well but I think my preference, given that most of my bevel cuts are cross cuts, is left tilt. Both have their pluses and minuses. Get what feels right to you.

[John TenEyck]

I have a right tilt Unisaw and a left tilt Sears. Guess which one I prefer? I have no issues cutting perfect bevels with it. You just make a raised fence like this to run your stock against on the left side, so the blade is tilted away from the stock. It's elevated so the cutoff doesn't get pinched.



But that's way too much for that saw, as nice as it is outfitted. I don't know if that's one of the Unisaw's where replacement arbors are impossible to get, but if it is .... Anyway, I wouldn't spend more than what a new Grizzly costs for any used cabinet saw. I have less than $500 in my 1954 Unisaw.

John

[Darcy Warner]

My Whitney 77, Greenlee 495, Fortis short stroke and my old T-75's are all right tilt. Had a couple pm66's, don't really care either way the blade tilts.

[Jim Dwight]

I'd get the Grizzly for better safety features. A riving knife and blade guard that go on and off easily are more likely to be used. My saw tilts right and cuts miters fine but I wish it tilted left. I move the fence over but it's a hassle.

[Jim Becker]

My first table saw (not including the crappy jobsite saw that I mistakenly bought "first first"...was a right tilt contractors' style saw. When I upgraded to a cabinet saw, I went left-tilt and it was heaven for so many reasons. My slider is right-tilt, but because the workpiece is most often supported by the wagon rather than a rip fence, that's not an issue. The only time it's cumbersome is when I do need to do a narrow, beveled rip and I often look for other ways to accomplish that if I can.

So in my opinion, if you're buying a "North American" style saw, left tilt is "usually" a better choice for safety.

[Bruce Wrenn]

My first saw (Craftsman) was left tilt, and both my Delta CS and Uni are right tilt. Only time I have ever missed left tilt was making replacement jamb for customers windows. Easy peasy on left tilt, but doable on right tilt. I only done this jamb style twice in the last 20 years

[Guy Belleman]

+1 for new Grizzly with a riving knife. I had 1023rl and now a 0690, and love both.