There has been some discussion herehttp://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-sales-dealer-area/uk-new-dts-400-req-what's-in-the-box-video/ and herehttp://festoolownersgroup.com/festool-tool-reviews/new-rts-400-req-vs-old-rts-400-eq-hmm/ about the new Cleantec hose connectors.
Having now had a little more hands on with the new RTS 400 REQ that sports the new style spigot with bayonet fitting, I have some major reservations about the system, its "clean" effectiveness and its ergonomic efficacy. Plus I have some questions about fittings for other tools.
I made the early observation in my RTS 400 REQ thread that the connector spills dust when disconnecting it, unlike its simpler push-on predecessor. This has not improved with more familiarity with the tool - the new connector can be simply pushed on or pushed fully home and twisted to lock - in either case, disconnection results in significant dust being trapped in the mounded recesses of both the hose connectors and the tool spigot as here
and here 
The first picture is the RTS 400 and the second is from using the hose with a third party jigsaw that has a compatible 32mm (?) extraction connector.
Using the new hose connectors with the third party adapter throws up another problem which is that you have to wiggle the Cleantec connection fully in (this is a bit tricky due to a ridge in the moulding) otherwise there is air leakage from the bayonet recesses on the Cleantec adapter - this is both annoying (due to the hissing noise) and must impair the extraction efficiency. The problem does not arise with the old fitting.
The dust spillage problem I would assess as significant and annoying as the only solution is to switch the vac back on manually to clear it up, otherwise you end up spilling dust wherever you park the sander or back in the Systainer.
Aside from the spillage problem, the bayonet fitting is not really satisfying to use, much as I had hoped it would be - it is very hard work to push on even part way and a real struggle to get it fully on to engage the bayonet lock - it is the same effort to disconnect. As I have noted before, once it is on and locked, a team of wild horses would not pull it off and I would expect the hose fitting to break first - fine but when do you need that level of secure fixing? I can think of situations where you would want the hose to pull out before straining it so far.
I wonder if others have other experiences with the new connector on othe tools? I see that Festool are offering a service to "upgrade" (?) the connectors on a range of existing tools for £50 each - see herehttp://www.axminster.co.uk/festool-cleantec/ This is a costly option and I would want to do any such "upgrade" myself which would be much simpler - I could not find details of the part numbers though; maybe someone can come along with those. In any event, notwithstanding my instinctive desire for the latest stuff, I question whether this is any improvement at all, or in fact a pointless development that makes life worse.
The only tool I can think of having loosed the hose in use might be my TS 75, but even then, that might have been the significantly stiffer D36 hose that I mostly use on that saw. I have not seen anything about new connectors for the D36.
So, whilst I am an enthusiastic early adopter of most new stuff, I am wondering whether Festool have just earned a big fat "F" on this? Hmmm
Cheers
Having now had a little more hands on with the new RTS 400 REQ that sports the new style spigot with bayonet fitting, I have some major reservations about the system, its "clean" effectiveness and its ergonomic efficacy. Plus I have some questions about fittings for other tools.
I made the early observation in my RTS 400 REQ thread that the connector spills dust when disconnecting it, unlike its simpler push-on predecessor. This has not improved with more familiarity with the tool - the new connector can be simply pushed on or pushed fully home and twisted to lock - in either case, disconnection results in significant dust being trapped in the mounded recesses of both the hose connectors and the tool spigot as here
and here 
The first picture is the RTS 400 and the second is from using the hose with a third party jigsaw that has a compatible 32mm (?) extraction connector.
Using the new hose connectors with the third party adapter throws up another problem which is that you have to wiggle the Cleantec connection fully in (this is a bit tricky due to a ridge in the moulding) otherwise there is air leakage from the bayonet recesses on the Cleantec adapter - this is both annoying (due to the hissing noise) and must impair the extraction efficiency. The problem does not arise with the old fitting.
The dust spillage problem I would assess as significant and annoying as the only solution is to switch the vac back on manually to clear it up, otherwise you end up spilling dust wherever you park the sander or back in the Systainer.
Aside from the spillage problem, the bayonet fitting is not really satisfying to use, much as I had hoped it would be - it is very hard work to push on even part way and a real struggle to get it fully on to engage the bayonet lock - it is the same effort to disconnect. As I have noted before, once it is on and locked, a team of wild horses would not pull it off and I would expect the hose fitting to break first - fine but when do you need that level of secure fixing? I can think of situations where you would want the hose to pull out before straining it so far.
I wonder if others have other experiences with the new connector on othe tools? I see that Festool are offering a service to "upgrade" (?) the connectors on a range of existing tools for £50 each - see herehttp://www.axminster.co.uk/festool-cleantec/ This is a costly option and I would want to do any such "upgrade" myself which would be much simpler - I could not find details of the part numbers though; maybe someone can come along with those. In any event, notwithstanding my instinctive desire for the latest stuff, I question whether this is any improvement at all, or in fact a pointless development that makes life worse.
The only tool I can think of having loosed the hose in use might be my TS 75, but even then, that might have been the significantly stiffer D36 hose that I mostly use on that saw. I have not seen anything about new connectors for the D36.
So, whilst I am an enthusiastic early adopter of most new stuff, I am wondering whether Festool have just earned a big fat "F" on this? Hmmm
Cheers
