Ok guys

Miller is wavering but if he sticks with his original position I think the poll is now running 7-2 against using a dust cover when playing LPs. (I have no beef with covering a turntable when it’s not in use.)

I must be lucky; I have no special problem with dust in either of my two audio systems. My Kenwood L07D has a clever dust cover for the platter that is used only when the turntable is out of service. It is the size and shape of an LP, made out of Lucite, fits over the spindle, and covers the entire platter surface. When I want to play a record, I remove it. It’s a factory original part that came with the turntable when new.

I'm a SOTA owner and I'm with mijostyn.  The machinery sounds better with the dust cover down.  And I'm a happy camper that the preferred dust cover position keeps the LP cleaner.  It's only when I'm spinning 7 inch 45's that I have the cover up.  My 45's are often in terrible shape, and the lead-out grooves are usually so noisy I can't bear the din a second more than necessary.

Mc, silly you clean the brush off between plays. Once in a blue moon I'll clean the brush with alcohol. It won't smear anything and it will keep any incidental dust away from the stylus. The sweep arm is only 20 bucks. Spend some money and experiment a bit. Who knows. You might actually like it. 1++ edcyn! 

Neither up nor down. Off when playing records, on when not playing records.

It does appear that only the users of suspended tables like the SOTA are fully in the camp of dust cover on and down.

I guess I have to say yes and no... Lol.

The lift off cover on my Garrard 401 is only on while not being used to play records so definitely off on that one.

My Technics SL-10 being a linear tracker has to have the cover down and closed to even play so .....