Incra Tablesaw Fence...Worth it?

[Glen Blanchard]

I'm all for increasing accuracy and repeatability that is a bit lacking on the Accufence.

Hi Doug. I also like the accuracy and the repeatability of the Incra and Jointech fences. I don't have any real estate to the right of my table saw, so I have never made the purchase (although I have owned both systems for the router table, and I think they are great!). I have added the Wixey DRO to my existing Bies-style fence and I now have the accuracy and repeatability thing down. I am still envious of the micro-adjusting that the Incra/Jointech can do however.

[Doug Shepard]

Homer/Greg - Thanks for the feedback.
Here's a couple pics with the HTC roller table. Dont have one handy from the side view with the table flipped up but how much clearance is required at the back of the Incra rails?
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachme...8&d=1111866032
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachme...5&d=1111865893

[Doug Shepard]

... I have added the Wixey DRO to my existing Bies-style fence and I now have the accuracy and repeatability thing down. I am still envious of the micro-adjusting that the Incra/Jointech can do however.

Yeah - I picked that up on that great Woodcraft sale recently but it's still in the box pending warmer weather in the shop to install it plus getting my workbench project done. I'm probably going to stick with that plan mostly for the side clearance issue, but I'm real tempted by the Incra setup instead if it's not a problem with the HTC rollers.

[Will Blick]

>Do I have to do a month's worth of research and tests before stating my opinion and relaying my experiences?


Yeah, really.... I have always been amazed on all forums, or internet related communications, whereas someone takes their valuable time, to share their experiences with a product or a company, and instead of being appreciated for such, they are badgered. As previous poster mentioned - just like in life, you have to consider the source, other comments on the same product, the reviewers background, his application, etc. and draw your own conclusions.

That being said, the internet is loaded with covert marketing agents who have realized the value of unbiased comments about products from their "supposed" peers. OTOH, a planted negative review can be equally effective, except in the case where the product is so commonplace, that neg. comment is overwhelmed by positive comments. A good example is the Dowelmax... about its only negative comment has been its price.... which IMO is not negative, but rather an opinion of the products value, or the reviewers budget.

Then, of course, there is the brand loyalists...once they buy a particular brand, they are set to defend it to till death do us part. These type are often hard to detect, as often their intentions are good....

As for the Incra fence..... I have two of them, and also have used many of the big name fences. Clearly both have advantages / disadvantages, IMO. If you have no need for highly precision cuts, or repeatability, the Incra type fences makes little sense IMO. OTOH, if you want very accurate cutting and are willing to live with real estate the contraption eats up, then its a very unique product. If I was ripping big sheets on a regular basis, I would not want an Incra fence...although it would suffice, IMO, not the right best fit. I cut down large sheets with a circular saw first, and use the TS for more precise cuts. My body has become too fragile to handle large sheets on the TS, and I often work by myself making it more difficult. So for me, the Incra works well for my current style.


As for Incras tech support. I have had both great and bad experiences with them. At times, they react quickly and offer great advise / follow-up. Other times, it's hard to get a return call / email from them... I had to badger them many times to resolve a few issues. So like many USA companies today, it can be hit or miss with getting help. Its frustrating, but IMO, its commonplace today with most USA companies who are being squeezed with tight budgets, due to fierce competition from overseas products.

[Bob Feeser]

Is the Incra less convenient to remove than a t-square fence? Yes, but marginally so. There are 4 knobs to loosen, 2 front and 2 rear, that are loosened and the entire fence lifts off the table. There is no re-calibration needed to reattach the fence as it snugs up to the 2 stops installed in the face of the front and rear rail. Here's a picture of the TS Ultra model that shows the front knobs and stop. I have no idea about the compatibility of the roller outfeed table.

Greg has said it all.

[Ron Dunn]

Do I have to do a month's worth of research and tests before stating my opinion and relaying my experiences?

Based on an earlier comment in this thread, I think you're positioning your web site as a major source of income. That means you're either advertising/shilling tools, or actually reviewing them.

If you're going to review tools, then I think you owe it to your own credibility to seriously evaluate, think, consult, and possibly evaluate again.

Of course, you could always take a different approach and become the "first five minutes" reviewer. That is, the guy who describes what it is like to take any tool out of the box and spend five minutes using it without actually learning how the tool is supposed to work.

[just for the record, I don't own any Incra products, and I don't review anything]

[Will Blick]

> Based on an earlier comment in this thread, I think you're positioning your web site as a major source of income.

Not speaking for Marc, but more often than not for small web site owners....


> web site as a major source of income ...

should read.....

enough income to pay for the cost to maintain the web site....


Major difference.....

Even this SMC site with 20k+ members, struggles to stay out of the red.... it's usually a battle for most web sites to break-even.

Often our view of web site income, or value, gets tainted when we hear the value of Facebook.com at $15B, when it has not made a penny, and has not clear game plan to profitability. That's the remaining spoils of those who conquered Wall Street during the dot.com boom in the late 90's...

[matt dumney]

I just wanted to say thank you for all of the great information found in this thread. I been following this thread and I must say I've appreciated the opinions on Incra fence. I've been toying around with idea of forking over the cash and the information provided certainly has answered most if not all of my questions. Thanks all!

And yes...I think some people have been too critical of Marc's review. Again...everyone's opinion was equally great and beneficial to me as a beginner woodworker.

[Dave MacArthur]

Folks...let's remember this is a forum for woodworkers, not lawyers. This bogusly elevated standard of evidence before you're allowed to express an opinion is just silly.

[matt dumney]

Having a monetized website does not "mean" either advertising OR reviewing. And "review" does not have to mean a NASA study with control groups and paid testers... this isn't Consumer Reports magazine, it's a blog.

Since when has it become wrong for a man to state an opinion based just on whatever experience he happens to have, especially if he is careful to explain that experience? Since when must 1000 hours be logged on each tool, before your opinion is valid? Since when is an opinion on a tool valid only if it agrees with yours? Since when does a review have to result in a glowing positive recommendation, or it's wrong? Since when must every perceived flaw be worked through customer service and tech support before you're allowed to dislike it?

The guy didn't like the incra fence as good as he liked his Accufence--get over it. He doesn't have any responsibility to establish a research foundation before he says "here's my experience, it didn't work for me", just because he happens to have a website.

Sorry for getting verbose, but this type of badgering and bogus-ly elevated standard of evidence for comment, just sits wrong with me, and more the type of thing I'd expect on a forum for lawyers than one for woodworkers.

Well said!

[Ron Dunn]

The original post in which Marc referred to money appears to have been deleted. That makes it difficult to demonstrate the context in which my post was made ... but my recollection was that he was complaining about criticism because it might affect his credibility, and therefore the value of his site.

I'm happy to be corrected on that recollection.

[Al Garay]

INCRA is an awesome company. In my experience, they go out of their way in providing pre-sales technical information. Marc, sounds like a very young person, admitting that you are no expert gives clarity to the value of your opinion.

By the way, you want to earn respect, become a MEMBER. It only costs $6 dollars and goes a long way to keep this valuable resource alive.

[Homer Faucett]

Homer/Greg - Thanks for the feedback.
Here's a couple pics with the HTC roller table. Dont have one handy from the side view with the table flipped up but how much clearance is required at the back of the Incra rails?
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachme...8&d=1111866032
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachme...5&d=1111865893

Doug, I wasn't intentionally ducking your original question, but I just don't have any experience with the HTC roller table. I don't see any reason why it would not work, as the table does not appear to be attached to the rails themselves. The only issue I can see is that you probably could not have the bridge located on the left side of the table saw when the roller outfeed table is flipped up (the little thumbscrews shown in the earlier picture would probably be in the way). I dont imagine this would be an issue, though, considering that you would likely be using a router table on the right side of the table saw in this configuration.

For the record, I was just out in the shop using the table saw. While there, I did push against the infeed portion of the fence to see if it would move. To be fair, it moved about 1/64 inch or so when I pushed on it with a fair amount of force. Simply turning the front lockdown (took 5 seconds, literally) completely eliminated this movement. I will agree that locking down the Bies fence is marginally more simple than locking down the Incra. However, the amount of time I spent fiddling with the Bies fence to get it set at an "exact" size was the trade-off in time.

Aside from the one notable drawback to the Incra--the extra space required to the right of the table--I really think that the question comes down to preference. I cut plenty of sheet goods on my Incra, and don't have problems with it. I would probably have been more than happy with a Bies style fence if I had never had an Incra. Now that I have an Incra, I won't be going back . . . but that's purely preference.

[Wayne Cannon]

My Incra fence IS almost identical to their router fence. I think the mechanism behind the fence is the same and only the fence extrusion itself is different (e.g., one piece and no dust extraction port). Looking at current photos on the Web, the design has definitely changed in the almost ten years since I got mine.

[Peter M. Spirito]

It seems to me if you already have a decent fence on the TS and you do not have a planer, then you need a planer a lot more than fancy dandy fence. http://www.peterspirito.com/planer.htm