Cheaper antistatic hoses for a Festool vacuum cleaner

[derekcohen]

I have  Festool CT26E vaccum cleaner, here connected to the dust guard of the table saw with a 50mm antistatic hose, and also used for the router table.

Up until now I have used the standard 3.5m long 27mm Festool hose for my old Festo ROS. Locally, this hose costs $226 (AUD). Then I purchased a Mirka Ceros ROS and, although the same diameter, the Festool hose did not fit it. They use different connectors. Actually, the Ceros does not use a connector, and removing and replacing the Festool connection each time the Ceros is used is a pain in the watsit, so my thoughts turned to a second hose.

Here is the Ceros with the Festool hose. The connector is removed and the hose screws into an internal thread ...

Another issue with trying to connect the Festool hose to the Ceros (and I would consider this to be an issue with the Deros as well), is that a big part of the reason for choosing these sanders over a Festool is their light weight (especially the Ceros). These sanders more than any feel like an extension of the hand - less fatigue and more control. Adding a connection to the Festool bayonet adds mass and unbalances the combination. Better to use the hose without a connector, as the sander was designed.

The 27mm Festool hose was also used on a Mirka hand sander. This works by simply jamming the bayonet end of the hose onto the inlet ...

These hand sanders excel when using Mirka Abranet mesh. The sanders are rebadged for Festool, and so the later recommendation is the same.

The first decision I made was to get the 20mm Mirka hose for the hand sander. I was conscious of the weight of the 27mm hose which, as with the Ceros, needed a better match for balance.

The 4m long 20mm hose is cheap - just $35 (AUD) from the local Perth agent. Here it is contrasted with the 27mm hose ...

It also fits the Festool vac perfectly ...

But it is the 27mm hose that most want to know about. A 4m long antistatic 27mm Mirka hose cost me $93 (AUD) on eBay UK, including shipping and import tax. That's 60% less than a 0.5m shorter Festool hose. The question is how do they compare?

Mirka on the left, Festool on the right ...

The only external difference is the Mirka tapers down for about 400mm from the end.

The bayonet ends are the same ...

In the case of the Mirka, this unscrews, which is easy peasy (unlike the Festool, which needs to be unclipped - do that several times and the pins are likely to break off) ...

The ends that connect to the vacuum cleaner are also the same ...

And the Mirka fits perfectly ...

Importantly, the hoses actually feel similar. If anything, I found the Mirka to have slightly better flexibility, certainly at the important end (which was no doubt aided by its taper) ...

What about a replacement for the antistatic Festool 36mm hose? In Oz this costs $340 (AUD). From Amazon USA, the 35mm antistatic Bosch hose came to $188 (including all shipping costs). That's nearly half the Festool, plus the Bosch is 5m long against the 3.5m of the Festool. The only difference is the colour ...

.. and the connection to the vac (which does not bother me since I connect it to the Dust Commander cyclone) ...

So there you have cheaper choices. Hope this helps.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[leakyroof]

I've been down this route as well. Bosch seems to tweak their hoses just enough to be different from Mirka and Festool.  Fein also sells some nice AS hoses, that have the manual bleed off valve at the base of the noozle, this allows you to control suction levels without having to go back to the Vacuum to adjust your level there.
I think I posted something about it on talkFestool or maybe it was here on FOG a year or two ago.
For Hand Sanding with a Vacuum Assist pad, the thinner/smaller hoses ARE the way to go.  Once someone puts that hose on after using their 27mm hose, it's always a game changer for them since they lose weight and gain flexibility with the smaller diameter hose.... [thumbs up]

 

[threesixright]

Thank you for explaining.

Do you know, with the correct festool adapter, if you van use any hose (with the correct diameter)? Or does the hose need to have certain properties?

Sent from my X using Tapatalk

 

[leakyroof]

Thank you for explaining.

Do you know, with the correct festool adapter, if you van use any hose (with the correct diameter)? Or does the hose need to have certain properties?

Sent from my X using Tapatalk

. Hoses are either Anti-Static or they’re not.  Usually, especially in the past with Festool hoses, Anti-Static hoses weren’t as flexible as the regular hoses.
With the new snake-like hoses, this isn’t the case anymore.

 

[The.Handyman]

Nilfisk hoses branded under makita on Amazon are cheap. The Milwaukee 36 mm red nilfisk hose is around $80.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[threesixright]

Thank you for explaining.

Do you know, with the correct festool adapter, if you van use any hose (with the correct diameter)? Or does the hose need to have certain properties?

Sent from my X using Tapatalk

. Hoses are either Anti-Static or they’re not.  Usually, especially in the past with Festool hoses, Anti-Static hoses weren’t as flexible as the regular hoses.
With the new snake-like hoses, this isn’t the case anymore.

Thanks. I left a word out and that makes a difference. I meant to ask: any hose of any brand. [emoji4]

Sent from my X using Tapatalk

 

[leakyroof]

There have been different hoses tried out in replacement or substitution of Festool Hoses. For me, and probably others, it's the vital connection end of the hose to whatever tool I'm using that is very important.  You would think everyone could dial in a standard of that tapered Rubber End, but sigh, no, it never seems to be that way exactly.
Too loose, and it falls off all the time, too tight, and I worry about damaging the dust port of a tool that I'm trying to install the hose onto . And, not all dust ports on Festools are made of metal, it's the plastic ones that you tend to be gentle with.

Fein , Bosch, Mirka and Festool all seem to be close enough, usually....but each can have their own quirks. Fein likes a barb on the end of the Vacuum connection part of the hose, where it 'keys' into their Fein Vacuums. That 1/4 turn lock helps keep the Vacuum attached to the hose, sure, but I've never struggled to keep THAT end of the DC hose attached to my vacuums..... [smile]
Not sure what they were thinking . [blink]

I looked up my Bosch hose, AS, VH1022. 22mm, with suction valve at tool connection end. in 2017, it was $78 from Amazon, where I bought it.  I see it's $43 today....... [mad] [mad] [mad]... [embarassed] [embarassed]

 

[threesixright]

There have been different hoses tried out in replacement or substitution of Festool Hoses. For me, and probably others, it's the vital connection end of the hose to whatever tool I'm using that is very important.  You would think everyone could dial in a standard of that tapered Rubber End, but sigh, no, it never seems to be that way exactly.
Too loose, and it falls off all the time, too tight, and I worry about damaging the dust port of a tool that I'm trying to install the hose onto . And, not all dust ports on Festools are made of metal, it's the plastic ones that you tend to be gentle with.

Fein , Bosch, Mirka and Festool all seem to be close enough, usually....but each can have their own quirks. Fein likes a barb on the end of the Vacuum connection part of the hose, where it 'keys' into their Fein Vacuums. That 1/4 turn lock helps keep the Vacuum attached to the hose, sure, but I've never struggled to keep THAT end of the DC hose attached to my vacuums..... [smile]
Not sure what they were thinking . [blink]

I looked up my Bosch hose, AS, VH1022. 22mm, with suction valve at tool connection end. in 2017, it was $78 from Amazon, where I bought it.  I see it's $43 today....... [mad] [mad] [mad]... [embarassed] [embarassed]

Thanks for explaining!

I was afraid of that. If you then count connectors, hose, fiddling around, dust deputy, container... $$$ Yes it will be cheaper, but at what cost. I'm done, just ordered a CT-VA-20. That will just work  [tongue]

On a side note: FT is expensive, we all know that. But charging 30 EUR for 10 plastic bags (#204296), is insane. Maybe FT could be less greedy... [mad]?

 

[bertv]

[member=4358]derekcohen[/member] : "The 4m long 20mm hose is cheap - just $35 (AUD) from the local Perth agent."

Checked the price in the sharpest shop* I know: € 12,18. Which at today's exchange rates is AUSD 19,48; USD 13,87…

*] In Germany: schleifwerk[dot]de

 

[jimbo16]

For 36mm in Australia, I bought a "Nilfisk - Suction Hose Antistatic (4m) - 107413544" from Blackwoods for 112AUD and put the Festool 500670 tool end sleeve on it (another 53AUD). But I notice that Sydney tools are selling the 500681 hose for 199AUD which I think is a better deal, if you can find one, as it has the smooth braided sleeve.