How Important Is A Fence?

Considering that the table saw is the heart of any shop a table saw fence is absolutely critical to its purpose. It must be capable of accurate measuring for the cut and producing repeatable results to the blade.

This is not an area to cheapen out on but it is not complicated or difficult to figure out. The hardest part is reading past the marketing garbage you will find on Google.

What will a good fence give you? With the right setup and blade you can achieve a smooth crosscut with ease and greater accuracy.

Making this decision will depend on what table saw you have and the fence it came with. So lets eliminate the cheap stuff you will find at stores like Lowes.

Obviously this discussion will exclude contractor style saws which fold away. We are dealing with cabinet saws which have a permanent residency in a shop.

Unfortunately for almost all portable saws there really is not great solution for real accuracy. The problem resides in the design. Most use a fence which is based on some tooth and friction locking mechanism which is cheap. Blade wobble is horrid and the aluminum support of the fence will flex.

Once you choose a quality cabinet saw and it arrives at your place by default you have whatever system that they give you. Some vendors allow you to upgrade the fence system before purchasing. Nevertheless some are better than others.

There Is No Best Fence System, But Some Are Better Than Others

In truth there is no best fence system in the after market world. I know this is hard to believe and some like Incra are wanting to change this opinion. Once upon a time Beismeyer was the go to best on the market yet a lot has changed. Allow me to explain.

Years ago Beismeyer was its own company and they targeted a market for their fence systems. They became popular and were great. Later they were acquired by Delta and again with time Delta also underwent changes within their company. What was a great fence system was turned more into a mass production item.

As time went forward the T fence system was able to be used by other companies by copying the design. There was not another company which really stood out setting themselves apart in the market creating precision accessories until those like Incra came along. Yet even with Incra there are some challenges one would want to consider.

What we are left with is a series of mass produced fence systems that are owned by larger corporations that have consolidated over time. Most of the production is done overseas and imported. While there are better designs there is no best made. What is more important is selecting a system that best fits your needs.

In principle if you purchase a quality table saw you will in turn get a good fence system that will do the job for you. Essentially the top brands will take the best design and incorporate it well with their saw. This is especially true of brands like Powermatic and SawStop. There really is no need to buy an after market system to replace what you get as it most likely will not be as good as what you have.

Top Standard Fence Systems

If you buy a Powermatic, SawStop, Jet, or a Grizzly saw then the fence system will range from okay to great. I have personally always placed Jet and Grizzly in the same bracket. They get the job done but it is nothing to write home about. If you are into general carpentry then you will have no problems other than at times some minor annoyances.

Much will depend on which of the saws you buy. Not every saw comes with the same fence system and this is something to watch out for. The more expensive the saw is the better systems in general they put on them for many components involved.

Nevertheless in some recent reviews I have seen Jet managed to beat Powermatic and SawStop, I smell a paid review and sorry I just don’t believe it. Someone is drinking some serious Kool-Aid out there. This is why I say be careful of marketing ploys on Google for it can be a joke.

Grizzly and Jet are great upgrades from the contractor saws and their stock fence systems work. Yet they are not the best. Grizzly was once a better system than it is now. Unfortunately they are not made the same as they used to be yet I still would not hesitate to own one if it was all I could afford. Between the two I personally would take a Grizzly over a Jet.

The top tier comes between Powermatic and SawStop. The fence systems on both these machines are great especially if you opt for the better 3hp saws which they sell. They also have fence upgrades which can be had. I personally use a SawStop daily and I absolutely love the saw and its fence.

Out of the box it was dead accurate with very minor adjusting. Maybe I was just lucky but at first I couldn’t believe how well it came together. While I have a nicer 3hp saw I did not do a fence upgrade. The standard fence which came with the 3hp saw is quite simply perfect.

Fence Marketing Ploys Choosing The Good From Bad

There are times when after market fences are needed. Most often this is as a result of something breaking on the original or a setup that is unique requiring a new design. I want to show you how to pay attention to marketing ploys and help guide you towards a good system rather than tell you what to use. There is a reason for this.

No two table saw setups are necessarily the same. Additionally different people like different styles. Depending on where your saw came from one fence system may be easier to integrate than another. In other words there are issues you will need to research and questions to answer that I cannot do for you here. Yet I can point you in the right direction.

The Vega U26 is presently one of the more popular after market fence systems if you pay attention to Google. You will find a link taking you to Amazon but then look at the fine print. It is mainly for upgrading cheaper saws including the contractor styles. In other words stay away from this system. It is only popular because Amazon can manage to control paid reviews and rankings.

If you love Amazon then you should look at the Shop Fox W2006. It is a T system and is modeled similar to SawStop’s system. Alternatively you could look at the same design by Beismeyer in their fence system by Delta. It has served many well in history and is offered in a similar T system.

These better fences will require an investment of typically no less than 400 dollars. To step into the 50 inch range you are looking at near 500 dollars. So expect to put some money into this investment. Yet watch the details.

For example some love the Vega Pro system which is a T design like the Beismeyer and different from the previous mentioned U26. Yet its locking system has more to be desired. Unfortunately it is a little on the cheap side. I know some people love Vega but I am not a big fan and that is just my opinion.

If you are looking at a new table saw fence then I would suggest between the Shop Fox and Beismeyer T systems unless you have specialized needs. There is a dark horse in this race from Incra tool systems yet it needs its own space.

Focus On Design More Than Brand

If you are in need of a new fence I would offer a suggestion in focusing more on the design you need to serve you rather than brand. It is not that brand does not matter but the design should win in its function serving you. This is not a one size fits all situation.

The importance is allowing you to have a quality system where you can have repeatable results. Above all else you should be able to measure the cut from the table not a measuring tape. If your system cannot do this then fix that issue. All systems that are worth anything will do this for you and it is critical for accurate cuts.

Do not obsess over making the fence perfectly parallel to the blade. Some novice woodworkers make a mistake wanting it to be perfect. The fact is as you cut the fence should slightly pull away towards the back of the blade. It is a very slight offset that is not really perceivable without measuring.

Its purpose is in part safety as well as preventing the blade from burning the lumber. In other words it is by design that this takes place. The key is ensuring that where the blade begins the cut is measured properly to the fence.

In short whatever fence you decide on make sure it is compatible with your saw in terms of installation. Also ensure the design is what fits your needs. From there it is a matter of some basic tuning. Take the time to tune the cut so it is accurate and repeatable.

INCRA TS-LS Table Saw Fence

This Incra system I have only read about and never seen in person nor used. I have a few Incra products. Some impress me, others do not. If any reader has this system I would love to hear from you and get to know some more about it. I can give my opinion based on what I have seen online and past experience from other products.

In my reading on this fence system one of my concerns would be its size. It looks massive and cumbersome. Also its design takes away some of the table space you have on longer tables. Based on what I have seen in video and pictures I am just unsure of how well it would fit with my style.

My biggest concern about the system is that it may not be rigid enough. I have other tools built by Incra and while they are great at that job I just have a hard time imagining the Ts-Ls being rugged. An example of this is the fine measuring system to the thousandths of an inch has a flaw within the Ibox. The gears can be stripped if one is not careful and forgets to unlock the mechanism.

The material used to build the fence appears to be the same as the Ibox and router fence system that I have. It is quality aluminum and no doubt durable for its purpose on these smaller tools but I question how solid it is for a table saw.

When it comes to a table saw fence I am more accustomed to the heavier SawStop or Beismeyer style that is rock solid with no flex. I would love to get my hands on the Incra fence but I am at the present moment not willing to purchase just to fulfill my curiosity.

Quite simply when it comes to a table saw fence I do not want to deal with dainty. One of the things Incra brags about is how no measuring tape is needed. I never use a measuring tape with my SawStop stock fence that the machine came with. Once set you can forget it. It is a far more simple setup than many others. So for me that is not such a great selling point.

I have read comments from those who own this system and swear by it as being the best they have ever used. That may be true for them. In contrast what negative things people have to say about it I easily recognize it is often due to a lack in understanding the system. Incra never has been as dummy proof as some others. It is about precision after all and it takes being willing to learn the details.

Nevertheless I am very curious about their system and hearing from people who may have it. Contact me and leave your opinion on what you think.