Keep never-used ATF 55e or start over?

Mark Katz

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Jan 24, 2007
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Boston MA, USA
So, back in ancient times - maybe a year or two after the ATF 55e came out - I bought one. For one reason or other, I never got around to actually using it. For one thing, various things kept me out of the shop for many of the intervening years. When I did work on a project, I usually opted for the expediency of using my table saw rather than figure out how to do the same thing with the ATF.

Now I have an opportunity to build a bunch of projects involving sheet goods and am thinking of dumping my table saw and going the track saw route. During the years when I was inactive I also stopped following this forum and others on a daily basis, so I'm way behind on my knowledge and the searches I tried haven't led me to an answer to this question:

Given that the newer tools and accessories are all based on the revised guides and my ATF came with one old-style guide, should I try to sell my old (but brand new) ATF and start over with a new saw and new guides or should I just start using the ATF I already have?

I believe there are people selling older style guide rails on eBay so I guess I could outfit myself eventually with compatible accessories, but part of me thinks I would have more flexibility in the future by getting rid of the ATF and starting anew.

Any thoughts on this?

Mark
 
sell it and buy a mafell track saw and mafell tracks. much better rails then the festtool rails by far and a little bit better saw.
plus they have several different saws that ride on their same track.
 
I can list the Festools I don't have easier than the ones I do and I still use my ATF all of the time. You can keep the table saw that still has tremendous utility and you haven't spent a dime. Use the money you saved on something else. If, at some point you want to upgrade you can still sell the used ATF and rail for practically the same you could get right now unused. Get your feet wet and have some fun.

The TS55 or the Mafell are great tools but the ATF is still a better tool than I am a user.
 
I'm pretty sure that the old tracks are compatible with the new saws and visa versa, and also that the clamps will fit in the old rails. Not sure about the stops & any other rail accessories, as i've not owned any of those.

My memory of the ATF was that it wasn't quite the saw that the new TS are, but the cut quality was just as good. . .
 
ATF has the grunt of the current saw, just not the refinements like the round/adjustable dust port, locking blade change, tool free guide adj., ect. 

The guide rail dif. has been mentioned, but do you have an 8' guide rail or short ones equaling that now ?  If not, adding new style to old ones is a non starter in my opinion. Possible yes, but a real PIA to use.

I'd sell the ATF and start new.  You are likely to get what you paid or even more and make someone else happy in the deal.  The new saw can be used on the old rails too.
 
YOur ATF 55 is compatible with new FS2 guide rails. So my suggestion is like Greg's keep the saw and the table saw and have at it. As you see a need or want for different guide rails go ahead and grab the new ones. I honestly don't think you'll get any less for a slightly used ATF 55 versus an unused one.

The saw seems to be going for around 250-350 USD  a new TS 55REQ is 650
 
Thanks for the replies so far.

antss: I currently have the old-style FS1400 that came bundled with the saw.

For those that suggested keeping the saw, I was mainly trying to free up the space to use for new worktable/cutting table. I do understand that there are some things that a table saw will do that would be harder with a track saw.

So, my current thinking after reading these replies and other stuff on the site today is:

1. Keep the ATF 55e
2. Sell the old (unused) guide rail and go with new rails (just to keep from mixing rails).
3. Keep the table saw but maybe dump the extension table/fence - oh, wait, then I have to buy a new shorter fence system - never mind. OK, keep the TS and extension.

How's this for (maybe not so) hairbrained idea: build a cutting platform that fits on top of the table saw and extension table (with the fence itself removed. The TS extension has legs at the far end so I think it should be stable enough (it's a cabinet saw) to hold the platform and a full sheet of plywood.

I think I need to explore that one a bit more.

Need to mull that one over.
 
Don't think you'll get much at all for an old style fs1400 by itself. Maybe $50

As a package , I'll bet you'd easily get $350 as it's new. That's pretty much what you paid for it. If you get more , then it's gravy.

For another $300 you'll have the new saw with a three year warranty , newer systainer, newer rail, and new features.  In a few years, you could sell it for half what you paid now - making your cost of ownership for all the new features only a couple of bucks a year.  Order the rail with holes in it for no additional cost and it will make your package more valuable in the future.
 
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