Thread: Festool plunge saw, model ATF 55E.

Hi Tony

I recently purchased a slightly later (?) and larger model, the Festool AT 65 EB/1 from a forum member ...







Mine was in near-new condition despite being 20 years old. I paid a little over $200 for it. I would not pay more than this for a 20 year old saw unless in the same condition as mine.

There is some info on the model you are looking at here: Festool ATF 55 E Circular Saw - Part I

Mine works perfectly on a Makita track (and therefore would work perfectly on a Festool track).

Regards from Perth

Derek

I do not own any Festool tools, but a guy I know has a Festool Track Saw. I saw him use it once, and it worked VERY well. Problem is, it is rather expensive and I would hate to spend the money to buy a new one. I could see buying a used one, if the price was right. But to buy a new one is just not in my budget. If I needed to use the tool on a regular basis I would be more inclined to buy the tool, but for occasional use I just can't justify the cost. Festool makes some awesome tools though.

Originally Posted by Jim-W

I do not own any Festool tools, but a guy I know has a Festool Track Saw. I saw him use it once, and it worked VERY well. Problem is, it is rather expensive and I would hate to spend the money to buy a new one. I could see buying a used one, if the price was right. But to buy a new one is just not in my budget. If I needed to use the tool on a regular basis I would be more inclined to buy the tool, but for occasional use I just can't justify the cost.

I'm not challenging the acknowledged excellence of Festool tools, but for practical purposes I’ve got accurate cuts for decades with a DIY track saw with a straight timber batten screwed to hardboard / MDF / plywood. As long as the first cut against the batten is accurate all future cuts will be accurate with the same saw. Even if you have to buy the materials it still costs a fraction of a factory made track saw. Also, no major disaster if you manage to cut into the track. Just make another one. For many years I’ve made mine with square or rectangular aluminium tube as it’s more likely to stay straight than a timber batten banging around in my ute (sort of a small pick up truck in US terms) and subject to weather extremes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6tUyID8Sws

I’d be surprised if you don’t have a budget version of a track and plunge saw kit in the USA from Lowes or Home Depot etc, like this Australian one which of course is made in China and likely exported under various names to other nations. Just a moment... I’ve paired my Ozito track with Festool track saw clamps Sydney Tools which are way more versatile than the supplied Ozito clamps so you can do lots more as the clamps are on the edges rather than under the workpiece, such as trimming a door without taking it off the hinges. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkuUn2sxdPM If you’re buying a non-Festool track you need to check that the Festool clamps fit it as some others tracks might be slightly different.


The only real advantages of these systems over clamping a straight edge to the workpiece is that you can align the track saw edge to the cutting marks on the board and that clamps on a straight edge like a spirit level usually get in the way of the saw motor if you’re cutting on that side of the saw. The DIY version aligns the track saw edge to the cutting marks the same as the factory versions and doesn’t obstruct the saw motor if the base is wide enough behind the saw base guide to allow clamps clear of the motor. As I use both a cordless and a corded circular saw with different size baseplates I’ve made my DIY version so that it cuts for the corded on one side of the batten and for the cordless on the other side.


Note that the process with the Ozito and maybe other track plunge saw kits is that the saw is used on the first cut to cut into a rubber edge and that sets the edge for alignment with future work marks. The plunge saw has cam adjusters on it to align it on the saw guide rail but if you get them wrong on the first cut, and as Ozito doesn’t supply replacement rubber edges, you’ve probably got a useless track unless you’re lucky enough to have enough rubber left to cut a fresh edge. This isn’t an issue on the DIY version as the saw baseplate runs along the guide batten and, if held tight to the batten through the whole cut, will be accurate for ever more.


I don’t use the Ozito track saw much as the DIY version doesn’t require me to muck around getting the plunge saw kit out as it can be used with the standard circular saws and especially the cordless one I use most of the time. The Ozito saw is worth breaking out for some jobs although I don’t carry it or the track on my ute as standard equipment as it’s most unlikely to be needed unexpectedly. The Ozito track doesn’t cut any more accurately than the DIY version, at least for the standard (or maybe just the standard of) carpentry I do.


Don’t waste your time or money on this Kreg Accu-Cut guide as it’s no better than a DIY guide and a nuisance to set up and take down compared with the DIY guide. I’m basing this on having bought the Kreg thing some years ago and having tested it a few times before ditching it as a useless time waster for money making work and anything else. KREG 1220mm Accu-Cut Rail Guide System KR-KMA2700 | Total Tools I’m hanging on to it in the faint hope that I can find a use for it, like maybe modifying it as a router guide.


For cuts that aren’t very wide, like trimming a few millimetres off the stile on a door to taking a fair bit more off something I just use the standard fence that came with one of the saws and fits several of them, but with an extended straight timber batten screwed to it so it holds the line before the saw cut starts and after the saw cut finishes. I also make sure the fence is parallel to the saw each time it’s pulled out of the tool box on the ute as the fence metal isn’t all that rigid. The fence cuts about as accurately as a DIY or factory made track saw, without the extra time involved in getting and setting up the track.


I know people use track saws without clamping the track but rely on pressure on the rubber grips on the underside of the track to hold it, but I’m not game to do this as it takes just one slip on an expensive item and I’m working for nothing or worse after I’ve replaced the damaged item at my cost. I’d rather take a minute or two to clamp it.

Originally Posted by 419

I know people use track saws without clamping the track but rely on pressure on the rubber grips on the underside of the track to hold it, but I’m not game to do this as it takes just one slip on an expensive item and I’m working for nothing or worse after I’ve replaced the damaged item at my cost. I’d rather take a minute or two to clamp it.

I totally agree. I have the Festool track saw and I clamp every time. It takes seconds. I hold the saw with my right hand and support the cord and hose with my left to avoid snagging. That means I don't have a free hand to secure the track. Relying on friction seems very risky.

Originally Posted by 419

The plunge saw has cam adjusters on it to align it on the saw guide rail but if you get them wrong on the first cut, and as Ozito doesn’t supply replacement rubber edges, you’ve probably got a useless track unless you’re lucky enough to have enough rubber left to cut a fresh edge.

I think I've recalled that wrongly. It was a few years ago and I must have been chasing the rubber grip strips on the underside of the Ozito track base. I still don't have any need to replace the rubber strip that the blade cuts. Maybe Ozito does supply the rubber edges.