Understanding Festool Hoses

Festool’s outstanding dust extraction system means that its hoses play an important - but unsung! - role in the Festool system. The many variations on the theme of hoses can prompt a lot of confusion.

All Festool vacuums now come with antistatic hoses. Most, but not all, are encased and described as “smooth.” In the past Festool also sold less expensive non-antistatic hoses as well, but these hoses are no longer being manufactured. Antistatic hoses are designed to prevent dust buildup on the hose exterior, which keeps your work and workplace cleaner, and also prevents clogging and errant shocks.

Hoses come in different lengths and different diameters. Some hoses are tapered - smaller at the tool end and bigger at the vacuum end to maximize airflow while allowing use with smaller hand tools. The hose that comes standard with most vacuums - the CT Midi, CT 26, CT 36 (not the autoclean CT36AC) and CT 48 (not the autoclean CT48AC) - is a tapered 27mm to 32 mm diameter with a length of 11.5 feet. You can also get a longer (16.5’) version of this hose. The hose that comes with CT15 and CT25 is not sold separately. If you want to replace this hose, you can only choose between the 27/32 hoses above.

You may decide that you need a wider diameter hose - especially if you are using a big saw or router generating sizable chunks of wood waste. Festool makes 36 mm hoses for this purpose. Larger hoses may also work better for cleaning when you are using the hose as a general shop vacuum. (Some of the cleaning kits also include a larger diameter hose.) These hoses come in 16 ft and 23 ft lengths.

Festool also makes specialized 11.5 foot 36 mm hoses for the Autoclean CT36AC and CT48AC. The CT36AC’s shiny (not “smooth”) black hose is also known as “the Planex hose” because it has a scalloped end that locks the hose to the Planex.

This specialized end of the 36AC’s hose will work with other tools that accept a 36 mm hose, (a group that includes most tools other than the sanders, which have a 27 mm dust port) but not the HL Planer. The CT48AC comes with a different hose, a tapered 36/32 mm hose that looks like a bigger version of the standard 27/32 hose. This hose does not have a scalloped locking end. It can certainly be used with a Planex but is not considered to be “optimized” for that usage because it doesn’t lock in the same way.

The CT/CTC Sys and the discontinued non-Bluetooth versions of the CT Mini and CT Midi have 11.5 ft 27 mm hoses with ninety degree ends.

For folks who do a lot of sanding and don’t mind splurging, Festool offers tapered 32/22 mm Anti-Static hoses that integrate the plug-it cord with a sleeve shroud. The design prevents the hose from catching on the workpiece. These integrated hoses come in 16.5 ft and 37 ft lengths.

Finally, Festool offers two lengths of 50 mm hoses, one 8.2 ft long and the other 13ft., that can be used to extend the length of your existing Festool hose.

The vacuum end of all Festool hoses is 50mm and the part of the hose that goes into the vacuum is called a “rotating adapter” or “rotating connector.” The piece of the hose that goes into the tool is called a “reducing sleeve.” The 50mm hoses have two rotating connectors; they are not meant to be connected to a tool, just another hose or the heavy-duty Industrial Cleaning Set accessories. Rotating adapters are designed to prevent the hose from twisting.

Festool also sells parts that help you make the most of your hoses. Particularly useful parts include the Y Piece that enables you to connect two hoses to one vacuum, the Hose Reducer that enables you to connect a 36 mm hose to your dust portal, and a Blanking Plug for non-messy transit of your vac. Perhaps most useful of all is the Connector Sleeve, an adapter that connects two Festool hoses together. If you want to connect a hose with a 27mm or 36mm diameter, you should replace one of the tool ends of one of the hoses with a Rotating Connector (the end that goes into the vac) so that one end of the newly giant hose connects to the vac and the other to the dust portal of your tool.

We sell replacement parts for the hoses, including rotating connectors and reducing sleeves. (Like the hoses themselves, these pieces are now all antistatic, but we still have non-antistatic replacement parts for sale.) We also sell replacement Hose Garages, the part of the vacuum that neatly stores the hoses.

Click here to see our extensive range of Festool Hoses

Click here to see our extensive range of Festool Vacuums