"mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net" "mywebaccts (at) PLUGcomcast.net" wrote
in

Can anyone explain this in simple terms to me? I realize that in theory,
one should be able to make a mirror image table saw, and that this would
require doing things (like ripping) in a mirrored-image fashion.

Is this simply a matter of preference or are there legitimate reasons
for getting a left-tilt over a right-tilt?

Without going into a long explanation, assuming that your fence is to the
right of the blade, when the blade is tilted to the right, any wood being
cut is essentially trapped between the fence and the blade causing it to be
more prone to kick back if you're not careful. For the same cut with a left
tilt blade, the wood is not trapped in the same way, although kick back is
still entirely possible. As well with a left tilt blade, you're always able
to view the entire top side of the board being cut. With right tilt,
whatever is passing underneath the blade is hidden from view.

That being said, I believe it's mostly a matter of preference and whatever
you're most comfortable using. My preference is a left tilt saw.