Combining Festool Corded and Cordless Tools

Using a corded Festool tool and a corded Festool vac is pretty straightforward, as is using a Bluetooth-enabled cordless Festool tool and a Bluetooth-enabled Festool cordless vac. But what’s the best way to proceed if you have a combination of cordless and corded tools?

Your vac and tools communicate with each other either via a cord from the tool that gets plugged into the vac, or via Bluetooth. So first you should establish whether your vacs and cordless tools are Bluetooth enabled.

Are my cordless tools Bluetooth-enabled?

Probably, but not necessarily. Festool discontinued production of non-Bluetooth batteries several years ago, but you may have a battery or batteries that are not Bluetooth enabled that still work. If your battery is not a Bluetooth battery, it cannot communicate via Bluetooth. If your battery is not Bluetooth enabled but you need your tool to communicate with another tool or to the Festool Work app on your phone, use a Bluetooth battery.

Is my corded vac Bluetooth-enabled?

That determination may be more complicated. The cordless Festool vacs (in the USA, CTC Sys and CTC Midi) are Bluetooth-enabled. Most corded Festool vacs now being produced are Bluetooth enabled, but our customers use a wide range of Festool vacuums, including ones that were discontinued years ago but still work just fine. It’s helpful to think of corded vacs in three categories:

• Bluetooth-enabled
• Not capable of becoming Bluetooth-enabled
• Capable of becoming Bluetooth-enabled via retrofitting

Bluetooth enabled: CT Midi, 2025 versions of the CT 26, CT 36, CT 36AC and CT 48AC (look for the letters EI in the name of the vac), and the discontinued CT Mini 2.

Not capable of supporting Bluetooth, even with retrofitting: CT 15 and CT 25 (one of the “value engineered” features that lowers their cost), discontinued models CT 11, CT 22 and CT 33.

Capable of being retrofitted with Bluetooth capacity: previous versions (no EI in their name) of the CT 26, CT 36, CT 36AC, CT 48AC and the discontinued CT 48.

Retrofitting your vac consists of installing the panel module of the two-piece remote control set onto your vac’s control panel. Festool cautions customers to have a qualified electrician install the panel module. (The other piece of this set, and the sole component of the 1 piece CT-F I, is a remote control button that is installed for use with a Bluetooth enabled vac. The control panel module is not available as a solo product.) Congratulations, you have now upgraded your vac to a Bluetooth enabled model. Go ahead and install the remote button on the end of your hose and get accustomed to this new convenience. But note that only one Bluetooth battery can be connected to the mobile dust extractor at a time. Coupling a new Bluetooth battery disconnects the previous Bluetooth battery.

How can you use a corded tool with a cordless vac?

With no receptacle to plug the cord into, you will need to manually push the vac’s on/off button.

Click here to see our extensive range of Festool cordless tools