Festool ATF 55, AT 65 Instruction Manual

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Tips on Setting Up an ATF 55 or AT 65 circular saw

The amazing Festool pendulum saw will live up to its repu tation right out of the box—that it
will ride on a guide rail that sticks magically to the workpiece, that it can crosscut plywood
without chipping, that it can give a cabinetsaw grade cut, and so on and so forth. It will do
all this, however, if it is first set up properly. There’s not much to do, but it’s essential to get
the most out of your saw.

So what should you do when you first get your saw? Read the manual, of course! (Hey—
there’s important information there). This photo essay complements the manual, offering
more detail of some aspects of set up and tuning, as well as a few tips not found in the
manual.

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First, put the rail down on your bench and the saw on the rail. The saw will move from side
to side a bit. This is normal, as the saws are delivered without the guide jaws adjusted.
You’ll need to tighten the guide jaws so that the saw has no side to side pay, but still travels
smoothly and easily on the rail. A very thin slot screwdriver is necessary to adjust the guide
jaws. You can also use a “Toolie” to do the job (as shown). It has the right slot screwdriver
on it (as well as every torx and hex head needed to tune the tools). Frankly, I think Festool
should sell the saws for $15 more with a Toolie included as standard delivery.
Check the side-to-side play every now and then and adjust the guide jaws accordingly. They
wear very little, so maybe once every 6 months I need to tighten them a little bit. Also
check the fit when you use the saw with a different guide rail.

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