Incra Router Table Fence vs Woodpeckers SF Pro Fence?

[alltracman78]

I've had the Incra fence for years. I do like it, but I've had a couple of issues with it that I'll cover below.
I'm debating if I should set aside the Incra and pick up a SF Pro fence with the micro adjust. I'm curious what every ones thoughts are about either.

The first issue with the Incra is the obvious that everyone has, the extended footprint. Blatant advantage to the Woodpeckers there.

The second issue is that I've never been fully comfortable with the only real support being at the far base of the T (yes the fence rests on the table; it's not anchored). I've had issues with the fence moving a bit at times.

The third and final issue is the lack of threaded movement for adjusting the Wonder Fence. This has bothered me since I first got it. For all the thinking, engineering, and cost of this the infeed/outfeed adjustment is just sliding on a wedge.

I thought about the Woodpeckers fence several years ago, but at the time they only had the micro adjust for the whole fence, and simply sliding the infeed/outfeed. So the same basic adjustment I already had.
Now that they have a threaded adjustment for the individual fences it's much more appealing.

I have 2 main issues I can think of. The first is the big one. I have a cast iron table top. It's too thin to machine grooves for mounting. I was debating if I could clamp the micro adjust to the table. Then I thought of the mag switches I use for feather boards and if there was a way to use those to mount the fence. Potentially cutting my own phenolic base for the micro adjust to replace the slotted flat piece in the rear?
For either of these how would the fence "react" if the two front attach points weren't being used? Only the two rear on the micro adjust itself. Would I need to figure a way to attach a second set of mag switches for the fence itself (replacing the 2 tall aluminum handles)?

There is the option of getting a Woodpeckers top. It is available slightly longer than my current top, which is a plus (32" vs 43").
I do like the cast iron though, and the ability to lock feather boards and whatever anywhere on the table I like.
Plus that's another $500 (close enough when you factor in tax + shipping) on top of the $700 for the SF Pro + Micro Adjust.

The second much smaller issue is if I go the SF Pro route I'll lose a lot of space between the bit and the fence. If I need to cut a dado or anything away from the edge of the work piece how much room will I have?
With the Incra I have way more than I need. The SF Pro with the micro adjust looks like it takes up a good 12 inches or so. Which puts it right about in the center of my table (24" wide).

 

[jeffinsgf]

For either of these how would the fence "react" if the two front attach points weren't being used? Only the two rear on the micro adjust itself. Would I need to figure a way to attach a second set of mag switches for the fence itself (replacing the 2 tall aluminum handles)?

I would not depend strictly on attachment of the micro-adjust. That fence has a lot of leverage on two closely-spaced attachment points. Not saying it won't work, but you're looking to put together a precision system and then handcuffing it.

The second much smaller issue is if I go the SF Pro route I'll lose a lot of space between the bit and the fence. If I need to cut a dado or anything away from the edge of the work piece how much room will I have?
With the Incra I have way more than I need. The SF Pro with the micro adjust looks like it takes up a good 12 inches or so. Which puts it right about in the center of my table (24" wide).

The fence is fully functional without the MA, and it comes off easily. That gets you a lot more real estate for dado cuts.

 

[Michael Kellough]

I have an Incra rig I don’t use because it takes too much space.

I have a very nice WP fence with micro-adjust that I don’t use because old habits die hard.

Instead, I still use a heavy thirty year old (pre Rockler) BenchDog fence that simply pivots on one end and I move the swinging end half twice the distance needed for the cutter which is located at the midpoint between the pivot and the clamp. Too simple to move to the new-fangled stuff.

 

[alltracman78]

For either of these how would the fence "react" if the two front attach points weren't being used? Only the two rear on the micro adjust itself. Would I need to figure a way to attach a second set of mag switches for the fence itself (replacing the 2 tall aluminum handles)?

I would not depend strictly on attachment of the micro-adjust. That fence has a lot of leverage on two closely-spaced attachment points. Not saying it won't work, but you're looking to put together a precision system and then handcuffing it.

The second much smaller issue is if I go the SF Pro route I'll lose a lot of space between the bit and the fence. If I need to cut a dado or anything away from the edge of the work piece how much room will I have?
With the Incra I have way more than I need. The SF Pro with the micro adjust looks like it takes up a good 12 inches or so. Which puts it right about in the center of my table (24" wide).

The fence is fully functional without the MA, and it comes off easily. That gets you a lot more real estate for dado cuts.

Thanks Jeff, I was hoping you'd chime in here.
I'm not too keen on leaving that loose either.
Has Woodpeckers considered attaching this with magnets and found it not feasible?

I could just do the SP Pro. I was originally wondering why you would need that and the MA, but I realized after some digging the MA gives you a lot more threaded adjustability, and it moves both sides at once vs each side independently.

I have an Incra rig I don’t use because it takes too much space.

I have a very nice WP fence with micro-adjust that I don’t use because old habits die hard.

Instead, I still use a heavy thirty year old (pre Rockler) BenchDog fence that simply pivots on one end and I move the swinging end half the distance needed for the cutter which is located at the midpoint between the pivot and the clamp. Too simple to move to the new-fangled stuff.

The Incra is awkward.

It's much easier to creep up on a cut if you have a fine, accurate, screw adjust.
This is the same reason you go with a Festool router with an accurate depth adjust vs a coarse guesstimate adjust on another router.