Get your Festool power cord under control

Simple, but effective

Published Oct 18, 2011

I love my Festools, especially when they're combined with a Festool dust extractor. However, dealing with the dust extractor hose and the power cord at the same time can get frustrating.

By using one of my other favorites, the hook-and-loop cable ties I got from Amazon, I got the situation completely under control. It's really quite a simple notion, but I'll show you a few extra tips to make it even better. Note that these photos show the Festool 27mm hose, but the ties also worked just as well with the larger 36mm hose I've gotten in the meanwhile.

First, make sure you have the right power cord, Festool has two sizes. The 18 gauge cord is designed for the lighter tools, while the 16 gauge version handles bigger power tools like the plunge saws and the Domino. The connectors are different, the 18 gauge cord connectors have an extra bump to keep them from going into the tools that need the bigger wire but the 16 gauge cords will fit any Festool, so you want a 16 gauge so you can keep just one cord on the hose. The wire size is also printed on the side of the wire.

Disconnect the hose and power cord from any tool, then connect them both to the dust extractor. Pull the cord to the hose and secure it with a tie. Work your way down the hose, using a tie every eight inches or so. To make it easy, I just use my outstretched hand to measure between ties, thumb-tip to pinkie-tip is just perfect. Hint: make sure you put the "hook" side to the inside, so the soft "loop" part is outside. Originally, I put the hook out, thinking it would stay cleaner. However, I found that the ties were constantly sticking to my clothes.

These simple ties make using the dust extraction system so much easier to manage! The only disadvantage is that you lose the ability for the hose to freely rotate. Well, the hose still rotates, it's just that the cord will wrap around the hose and eventually pull tight.

One other final bit of advise: Put an extra tie about two feet from the tool end of the hose. Use the tie's looping feature to wrap it around the wire so that you can pull it loose without it dropping off. This extra tie is handy for holding the cord end out of the way when you're using the hose with a non-Festool tool or you're using the DE as a vacuum for cleanup.