Bob Marino of Festool asked if I would try the Festool ATF 55E circular saw in our shop and pass on a review. Since we use our DeWALT 364 circular saw with shop-made cutting guides and table as a "panel saw", I enthusiastically accepted the offer to work with the Festool circular saw, its guide rail and a Festool dust extractor.
In case you're not familiar with Festool tools, you're not alone. It is unlikely you will see a Festool tool lying on a shelf at the local home center or tool store and they don't appear to do a lot of advertising. I have read a few reviews of their tools and they always get high marks with one caveat: price.
The Festool catalog advertises the phrase
Like nothing else
on its cover. It only takes a few minutes with the ATF 55E and its accessories to agree. The saw may appear like a typical circular saw to the casual observer, but once you handle it and begin to use it you'll find it is quite a different animal. Because the saw is so unique, I wrote this review in two parts. Part 1 includes my usual, like and no like lists. Part 2 provides a more indepth look at the saw and its unique features, including a few videos.
Manufacturer:
Festool USA
Tooltechnic Systems, LLC
140 S. Los Carneros Way
Goleta, CA 93117
Excellent Ergonomics. Right off I liked the feel of the saw. It weighs about the same, perhaps a little less than our PC 743, and is several pounds lighter than our DeWALT 364. Consequently, reaching across a panel with the saw is not a problem, especially with the provided guide rail to guide the cut. All of the controls are easy to find and use. Most of the controls are bright green, which contrasts nicely to the saw's black plastic housing. The blade is easily removed using the provided hex wrench, stored onboard.
Plunge Action. Perhaps the saw's most unique feature is its plunge action. I found it a bit awkward at first, but after using the saw for 15-20 minutes, it became second nature. To start cutting, you engage the blade carriage release with your thumb, depress the on/off trigger, and push the blade carriage down against the depth stop. The plunge action is very smooth and the saw sole plate provides a stable base from which to plunge. The plunge action offers several key advantages over conventional saws as I describe in Part 2 of this review. Obviously, you can use any circular saw to make pocket or plunge cuts, but you won't find a saw that offers the control and safety of the ATF 55E to make this type of cut.
Depth adjustment and stop. I noted in my review of the DeWALT 364 that adjusting its depth of cut is a bit awkward. Not so with the ATF 55E. The saw is equipped with a depth stop (required for the saw's plunge action design) that you set to your desired depth of cut. The stop runs along a path, graduated in millimeters.
Dust collection. Our DeWALT 364 provides no means for dust collection. An angled slot is cast into its blade housing that shoots the dust directly onto the operator (if standing to the right of the saw). Our PC743 has a fairly effective dust collection tube that rotates to any direction, and you can connect it to a dust extractor using a reducer.
The Festool ATF 55E comes with a rubber dust extraction fitting that directs the dust directly behind the saw. When combined with a dust extractor, it is more effective at collecting the dust than the PC743, probably because more of the blade is covered. In fact, when cutting, the saw housing and base provide a near perfect seal since the blade is not exposed (the blade cover is fixed, it does not rotate open like most saws). I have been using the ATF 55E with my panel cutting table, which I covered with a sheet of ¼" hardboard. Since I cut into but not through the hardboard, the Festool dust extractor collects about 90% or more of the sawdust produced on each cut.
Guide Rail. We use shop-made guide rails with our DeWALT and PC saws. They are very accurate and easy to use. However, our 96" guide rail is awkward and heavy. Our crosscut guide rail is also quite large and awkward. They must be clamped to the work surface and the operator must apply lateral pressure to keep the base of the saw up against the guide rail fence, otherwise the saw will wander off of the cut line. Of course you can purchase aftermarket edge guides and clamps, but those I have used/seen are flawed in one-way or another.
The ATF 55E comes with a 55" long extruded aluminum guide rail. Its engineers addressed the problems associated with most shop-made and aftermarket guide rails. First it is very light and perfectly straight. It is extruded with a rib that runs the length of the rail that joins two slots stamped in the base/sole plate of the ATF 55E. The sole plate slots are fitted with plastic "bearings" and setscrews that you adjust so that the sole plate fits the guide rail like a glove. Thus, it is not necessary to apply any lateral pressure whatsoever to keep the saw up against a fence like shop-made guides.
Two non-slip strips are applied to the bottom of the guide that prevent the guide from slipping. Consequently, you can use the guide rail without clamping it to the work surface. I have used the guide on melamine without the clamps and the guide did not slip. Because of the plunge design of the saw, it is necessary to apply downward pressure against the depth stop-this pressure in conjunction with the non-slip strips, keeps the guide from slipping.
The guide rail is fitted with a rubber "splinter guard" (you trim it the first time you use the guide rail), that prevents splintering on the topside of material as well as providing a zero reference gauge.
Finally, Festool sent me two guide rail clamps and an angle/miter gauge. Both accessories fit into a channel that runs underneath the entire length of the guide rail. Consequently they do not obstruct the path of the saw or the blade. I found the angle marks on the miter gauge were not 100% accurate, but I would not have trusted them anyway. I simply set the gauge using a square or triangle.
Excellent Blade. The standard blade 6-1/4", 48-tooth blade supplied with the saw provides extremely clean rip and crosscuts in sheet goods. I have used the saw to rip and crosscut hardwood veneer plywood and melamine with virtually no tearout or chipping on the supported edges of the cut. With the covered panel-cutting table and the splinter guard of the guide rail, I get no splintering on the bottom side and the splinter guard side of the topside of the work piece. I do get some splintering to the right of the blade on the topside, but this is virtually unavoidable with a circular saw. Since we use our DeWALT 364 in place of a panel saw, we outfitted it with a Forrest WWII. The quality of the cuts I've made with the Festool blade are as good if not better than those of the Forrest, and I performed a significant number of side-by-side tests.
Base (Sole Plate-Shoe). The base or sole plate is flat and wide. It is wider than the DeWALT base. On its own, the base provides a very stable platform, but combined with the guide rail it is absolutely rock solid stable. How many circular saws will sit on the edge of the work surface or a guide rail without falling off? The ATF 55E will sit there all day long. In fact, often, I place the saw on the leading edge of the guide, and let it sit there as I adjust something else.
Riving Knife - Splitter. I have not seen a splitter fitted to a circular saw before. The splitter prevents the kerf from closing on and binding the blade on long rip cuts.
Systainer Case. I doubt very seriously that the majority of woodworkers store their portable tools in their included cases. I know some do, but I bet the majority do not. Sure they're great for transporting their tools, but in the shop they basically collect dust. The systainer case included with the ATF 55E is part of a "case" system. All of the Festool systainers interlock, making an attractive and efficient cabinet. Plus, the Festool dust extractors serve as a base for systainer cases, allowing you to wheel them around the shop or to a job site. Plus, the two systainer cases I received (one for the saw and another for the guide rail accessories) came with pictorial inserts showing the intended use of the tools. This was helpful, especially in the case of the plastic deflector-I had no idea what it was used for until I read the systainer card!
Festool seems to think of everything. After using the tools for several hours I kept saying to myself that Festool seemed to think of everything! For instance:
The guide rail accessories include an odd-shaped piece of plastic named a deflector. You mount it to the "start" end of your guide rail to prevent the vacuum hose and AC cord from snagging on the guide rail as you move the saw down the cutting path.
The guide rail clamps clamp on the underside of the guide rail, without obstructing the path of the saw.
The motor is protected for both overheating and overloading.
The speed control allows you to adjust the speed (6 speeds) for the material you're cutting.
The key controls (carriage release, spindle lock, on/off trigger, speed control) are bright green and easily accessible.
The adjustable sole plate - guide rail bearings ensure the sole plate fits and slides perfectly along the guide rail.
The blade is completely enclosed until you begin a cutting operation.
The AC cord and vacuum hose provide just enough length to travel 8' +, in otherwords, the full length of plywood.
Everything is integrated, fits together, like a well-planned system.
The price may be high, but if you include the top-notch blade and the guide rail into the cost consideration, the price really is not that much out of line
Bob Marino of Festool asked if I would try the Festool ATF 55E circular saw in our shop and pass on a review. Since we use our DeWALT 364 circular saw with shop-made cutting guides and table as a "panel saw", I enthusiastically accepted the offer to work with the Festool circular saw, its guide rail and a Festool dust extractor.
