Right Tilt Saw Users

[Aaron Hamilton]

Just ordered a right tilt saw due to the deal I got on it. Have any of ya'all right tilt users found any thing that you like better? Also, did any of you find a transition from a left tilt to a right tilt particularly difficul? Any MAJOR drawbacks? Gimme some input - I've never used one!

[Randy Denby]

I've never had any problems with a right tilt....matter of fact, its all been good. I dont have to allow for dado's etc on the ripfence scale. The left table slot feels correct/ right to me, when using my miter gauge. I havent come across any cuts needing rip mitered over 12-16 inches wide in the 10+ years I've had the saw.Maybe I've just designed around this?.....I dunno, but its been a great saw. The left/right tilt saws were the same price for me...I chose the right tilt cause I felt the benefits outweighed the one negative of wider rip miters. (of which I've yet to need)
BTW, you can still rip miter wider than the 12-16inches on the right tilt, but your outer corner of the miter will be on the tear out side of the cut. Best to have a zero clearance insert when doing so. Plus make sure the fence is in alignment with the blade. Enjoy your saw!!!! Its a good one!

[Harley Lewis]

I am with Randy, have a right tilt and really have not seen a major difference in how I use the saw over the left tilt I had before. I like the way the right tilt always has an accurate repeatable measure from the fence regardless of blade kerf or dado. I guess I am a bit unique, but like Randy, I very rarely do long beveled cuts, and with ripped bevels I just make sure the stop is in direct contact with the table to eliminate variances of cut lengths.

[Harley Lewis]

Opps, I ment with cross cut bevels I put the stop right on the table top because the sharp edge of the 45 is agains the stop and could slide under causing differences of cut lengths.

[Fred Craven]

My saw only came as a right tilt, but if I want or need the blade to tilt away from the fence, I put the fence on the left of the blade.

I'm so used to this procedure, I just put the fence where it feels the safest and most comfortable.

[Paul Libby]

No drawbacks at all, that I can tell. I have had a right tilt for about 15 years, and like it.

[Aaron Hamilton]

you guys have eased my worries...thanks alot! Now if that dang saw would ever get here.

[Gary Curtis]

Right tilt on my first table saw. Moving the fence over to the left side of blade for bevel cuts seemed extreme. But when I saw how often other RH saw users reconfigure their machinery, it no longer seemed to be a chore.

Gary Curtis

[Joe Jensen]

I had a right tilt Unisaw for 7 years before switching to a left tilt. I didn't even realize there were left tilt saws before seeing a Powermatic 66. (This was in the 1980s well before the internet). Having lived with a right tilt for 7 years, (and in HS and college too), and then a left tilt for 17 years, I would not buy a right tilt again. Here is why.

1) miters with the blade tilted and using the miter guage. I find that this is the most common cut for me with the saw tilted. With the right tilt, I stand the left of the blade (safe) and the stock extends to the left of the blade. This is great unless the stock is longer than 4 feet or so. When it's long, it's hard to control the stock and cut the miter. I had tons of trouble with this growing up with an old old Sears saw. With the left tilt, The stock extends to the right, where I have a lot more table to support the stock. I stand to the right of the blade, and I think this is just as safe.
2) Blade tilted and using the rip fence. I found that putting the fence on the left of the blade works for narrow rips, but for 12" or so and wider it won't work. When I ripped wider panels with a bevel, I had to put the good face down, and invariably this would create problems on the goodface. Also, ripping with the fence on the left always left strange as most of my experience is with the fence on the left.
3) Blade alignment to the fence. With right tilt, the blade is always zero'd and the claim of owners is that when you switch to a dado head, with a right tilt, no adjustment is required. For this to be true, all your blades and dado blades must have the same tooth to plate clearance as the only thing consistent is where the plate hits the arbor flange. My stacked dado set has thick plates and the tooth overhang is more than on my regualr saw blades. So, for me, I have to readjust for left and right tilt saws. If you are counting on this benefit with your right tilt saw, make sure to buy blades that all have the same tooth to plate clearance. Also, with the Sears saw, it was pretty underpowered so we changed blades a lot. With the Unisaw, then PM66, and now SawStop, I have plenty of power and a Forrest WWII 40 tooth is on my saw 99% of the time, so I change blades pretty infrequently. If I had a much lower powered saw this might be a bigger issue.

I thought right tilt was great, and then I went to a left tilt, mainly for reason #1 above. Now I would never go back to a right tilt...joe