In this paper a theoretical and experimental investigation is carried out into the effects of tilt on the performance of hydrostatic revolving table of machine tools. Pad configurations considered in the paper are of the circular pad with single annular recess and with multiple sector-shaped recesses. In order to increase the machining accuracy of machine tools, it is necessary to minimize the angle of tilt when the moment of the force acts upon the table. From this point of view, it is concluded that the circular pad with four sector-shaped recesses is most suitable for the revolving table. The theoretical results obtained by applying the finite element method agree well with the experimental results. Although this investigation is limited to static conditions, the results are still valid for sliding conditions where the hydrodynamic effects are small compared with the hydrostatic contribution.