I'm currently field testing some special blades for Forrest Manufacturing. During discussions I mentioned I just picked up the Festool TS 55 and Forrests blade specialist Charles Bazikian asked if I'd test their new 160mm Forrest blade against the stock Festool blade, "Sure!" was the answer.
I spent the day cutting ¾" birch ply with both blades. I used no splinter guards since I wanted to see finished cut quality from the blade alone. The Forrest blade produced cleaner cuts and no top or bottom splinter. The Festool blade produced some splinter and not as clean a cut.
The Forrest blade is a 50 tooth ATB design with a tooth length of 8mm compared to the 6mm Festool tooth so you will get more sharpenings from the Forrest blade.
So, when you are ready to upgrade the blade take a look at the Forrest. Here is the model number:
Model for the TS 55: WW16505100 Size: 160 mm (mention for Festool) larger blades are available for the larger saw List: $95.00 a 10% intro discount is currently offered and if you mention the FOG and you are a new Forrest customer Charles probably will discount more.
Contact: Charles Bazikian - Forrest Manufacturing
1-800-733-7111 ext 314 Charles's email: snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.comDisclaimer, I'm NOT a Forrest employee, and I received no compensation for this test.