New Festool Dust Extractor Remote Control (Bluetooth), Hoses, and Extractors for 2018

Festool Products (one of our affiliate partners) sent out an email today, showcasing several new Festool dust collection products and accessories.

First – a new Bluetooth remote control set!

The receiver connects to your Festool CT dust extractor’s accessory module port (CT 26/36/48), and the transmitter can be attached at the top of your hose.

There is an aftermarket remote control also available, priced at $129. This one, by Festool, is (surprisingly) less expensive, at $80.

Additionally, the receiver module that attaches to your vac can also be triggered by Festool’s new Bluetooth battery packs.

Wait, so that means that using any Festool cordless tool that’s equipped with one of their Bluetooth batteries will automatically turn on the connected (and equipped) Festool CT vac? Sweet!

Festool has also come out with new braided sleeved hoses, which they say offer improved flexibility, are snag-free, and also have a conical design to improve air flow. The tool end of the hose can be inserted into the vacuum end, for storage and transport. This should help prevent dust from spilling out.

The new hoses have new dust collection attachment ports.

Product pages for the new anti-static hoses with smooth exteriors say that the new hoses “increase suction power.”

Additionally, because the tool end of a hose can connect to the vacuum end, you can combine two hoses into one longer hose.

Darn – this makes me want to replace all of my current Festool anti-static hoses. I have hoses in all sizes. I use 27mm for my sander and most tools, 36mm for larger tools, such as my Festool router sample, and 50mm for table saw connection. Right now it looks like only 27mm and 36mm hoses are available in the new design, but that might change.

There are new vacuums too, and an updated CT SYS mobile dust extractor as well.

The new CT vacuums all come with the updated hoses. They also sport improved cord wraps and a new T-Loc Sys-Dock.

The new T-Loc port can connect to T-Loc Systainers, but is also backwards-compatible with the older Systainer design.

I wonder if the new cord wrap will be available as a bolt-on upgrade for existing CT dust extractor users.

Personally, I like the idea of these new sleeved hoses a lot more than the one that Festool came out with a few years ago. That sleeve was priced fairly, when you broke down the cost of the set’s components.

At the time, the price of the 27mm x 3.5m anti-static hose was $119. It’s currently $123. I haven’t checked what it will be after the upcoming price increase, so let’s just look at that $123 spec.

The new 27mm x 3.5m hose is priced at $130. That means you’re paying $7 more for the smooth braided sleeve exterior, the new connectable hose ports, and “increased suction power.”

Festool makes a convincing argument:

And you’ll work more efficiently with a system that prevents clogging due to particulate buildup inside the hose. A durable, pliable design withstands heavy use and prevents kinking, for longer service life and more efficient work.

While I won’t replace any of my hoses, which are all still in great condition, I’d definitely consider these new updated hoses should I need any more.

As for the Bluetooth remote? Yes, please! I mean… I don’t know… I’m awfully skeptical. Maybe someone should throw an engineering sample or review sample my way to convince me. Kidding, I’m going to preorder one.

ETA looks to be April 2018 for everything shown here.

Buy Now, via Festool Products:

Festool New Products
Festool CT26 (My Pick)
Festool 27mm x 3.5m Hose
Festool CT 26/36/48 Dust Extractor Bluetooth Remote
Festool 18V 5.2Ah Battery
Festool 18V 6.2Ah Battery

Additional new tools include a corded mixer, 6″ multi-Jetstream 2 sanding pads that improve sander dust collection, new forwards and backwards compatible Jetstream 2 abrasives, a TS 55 and TSC 55 diamond blade, Domino DF 500-series knock-down connectorsm and new Granat net abrasives.