Professional woodworkers swear by Festool tools. But for our readers, we also want to point out the best Festool accessories to help them use those tools to the fullest. While jobsites need to abide by the many OSHA silica dust rules, both professional and amateur woodworkers also need to manage and control dust. Festool has a host of products from the WCR 1000, to the MW 1000 work shop, to the STM 1800 mobile saw table. These not only pair well with their tools, but they also amplify their efficiency, usefulness, and effectiveness. This article covers the best Festool accessories you can purchase.
Festool STM 1800 Mobile Sawing Table – Best for Sheet Goods
The Festool STM 1800 Mobile Sawing Table lets you manage large sheet goods more easily and without a helper. It tips forward while retaining its stability, letting you load and align large sheets of plywood by yourself. The Mobile Sawing Table also features an assortment of adjustable parts, including panel cleats, casters, and table leg heights. Festool implements easily-identifiable green knobs and clasps for every adjustable part.
Festool MW 1000 Mobile MFT Work Shop with Extension Table
Festool targets on-site professionals with their versatile Mobile Workshop, but use it with caution. The MDF tops don’t tolerate moisture or rain, so you want to limit its exposure to the elements. However, trim carpenters using this indoors will find it a wonderfully convenient system. Wheel it in, set it up, and get your work done without having to bring in sawhorses and plywood.
Priced around $799, this product also retails under the Tanos brand name.
Festool WCR 1000 Workcenter Organizer – Best for CT Vacuums
When it comes to sanding, we wanted a system that could serve as an “all-in-one” solution. It needed to handle dust collection, of course. We also wanted it to store our most-used accessories—and our tools as well. We imagined a dust extractor as much more than just the collection point of the system. Festool had such a solution with their WCR 1000 T-LOC Mobile Workcenter… sort of. It still needed a bit more to solve all our issues.
Like a crowded city that doesn’t have room to expand outward, Festool goes up. If you want a way to get more out of your CT dust extractor, the WCR 1000 Mobile Workcenter is one of the best Festool vacuum accessories you can buy. Once you add a Festool Workcenter organizer, it gives you storage capability. That storage then goes wherever you roll your Festool CT vacuum.
The WCR 1000 starts with a storage base that accepts Systainers. It then adds an adjustable height top shelf and a swinging adjustable shelf. Finally, two metal pegboards along with a handful of hooks let you hang both sanders and accessories like pads. Since we focused our efforts on decking out our Festool CT36 for sanding duties, we quickly covered it in the accessories needed to do our work.
The WCR 1000 Workcenter Organizer is compatible with Festool CT 22, CT 33, CT 26, CT 36, and CT 48 vacuums and costs around $459.
Festool Boom Arm CT-ASA – Best for Sanding
Tool and accessory storage only solved part of the problem. To take things a giant leap forward, add a Festool Boom Arm (CT-ASA) to your Festool CT vacuum. The magic happening here is that you get both the tool cord and hose up and out of the way while retaining 140° of motion around the vacuum. It lets us work around larger workpieces like tables or exterior doors without dragging the hose and cord across the wood as we sand.
For others, it might help you work around a vehicle or while building furniture. A local woodworker, John Bucklew, uses this same Festool sanding rig in his shop with both pneumatic and battery-powered brushless sanders.
In addition to getting hoses and cords out of the way, you also remove the weight of them. It’s not that their respective weights are overbearing, but losing the weight lets you apply a smoother finish when sanding. It also lets you complete smoother cuts with a track saw.
The Festool Boom Arm CT-ASA is ready to go for a CT 48, but you’ll need a couple of extra accessories when working with other CT models. The CT 22 and CT 33 require an additional handle while the CT 26 and CT 36 need a handle and boom arm support bracket. Depending on what you need, the Festool Boom Arm starts at $425. You can use it alone on your CT or combine it with the WCR 1000 Workcenter for an even better sanding rig.
Festool Tool Holder
If you just happen to grab the Boom Arm, you can also pick up Festool tool holders that mount to the pole. These let you hang a couple of sanders right on the boom pole—keeping them at the ready. Even with the Festool Mobile Workstation, having a couple more mounts handy only gives you more flexibility while working.
The Festool tool holder might be one of the best Festool vacuum accessories if you want to have the benefits of the boom system without the bulk or cost of the Workcenter. It installs quickly with no tools. Its simplicity and its price (just $69) make it an easy purchase.
Festool Bluetooth Remote Control
Possibly one of the most innovative and best vacuum accessories from Festool is their Bluetooth Remote Control. It lets you activate the CT dust extractor remotely when using a battery-powered tool. Dust extractors can turn on automatically when you plug a power tool into their power-sensing outlet. For battery-powered tools, however, a wireless interface seems the only solution.
By installing this $88 module to your CT dust extractor and then activating a remote control button, you can turn on your CT dust extractor as needed while using your cordless power tools.
Festool Tradesman Installer Vacuum Set
The Festool Tradesman Installer Cleaning Set turns your CT vacuum into a powerhouse for shop cleanup. It gives you a floor nozzle, a crevice nozzle, and a suction brush. You get a strong antistatic 3.5-meter-long D36 suction hose and three extension pipes.
Possibly the best part? This $245 kit comes in a Systainer 5 case that can attach to the top of most CT dust extractors.
Festool Suction Hose Plug-it
If you use any sort of corded tools with your CT vacuum, the Festool Suction Hose Plug-it system wraps hose and cord in a convenient package. It lets you use the single hose/power combo when sanding. The hoses are antistatic and the nozzle auto-rotates to stay untangled while you work.
You can find these hoses in several configurations and lengths. Pricing ranges between $250 and $400. Of course, at that price, many guys will roll their own with zip ties. In either case, it simplifies the process of having two separate cords.
Festool TOPROCK SYS3 BT20 M 137 Bluetooth Speaker
What’s better than a storage container that holds your tools and other equipment securely? How about a Festool Systainer (short for System Container) that doubles as a Bluetooth speaker? Similar to the Milwaukee Packout radio, the Festool TopRock Systainer Bluetooth speaker fills the gap in the Systainer-sphere. This Systainer doubles down on its usefulness both on and off the job site.
Priced around $239, this Bluetooth speaker Systainer presents an enticing option to any Festool user.
Festool PHC 18 Wireless Phone Charger
The Festool PHC 18 wireless mobile phone charger integrates a full wireless inductive charging pad. This might be the perfect accessory for any Festool tool user. The ability to use a standard 18V Festool battery to recharge your mobile devices makes for a great—and useful—accessory in any woodworker’s toolbox.
For $49, Festool has this wireless phone charger priced almost irresistibly.
Festool BR10 SYSROCK Jobsite Bluetooth Radio
We like the wide variety of jobsite radios, but portability holds a high value. Of course, the smaller the radio, the worse the sound quality. The Festool SYSRock manages to deliver quality sound in a small package that’s perfect for the shop or jobsite. It also features both Bluetooth connectivity and an FM radio tuner.
Priced at $129 for the bare tool, this Bluetooth radio gives you a new portable way to bring your tunes (or talk radio) to the jobsite.
Festool GHS 25 I Hearing Protection Earplugs
The Festool Hearing Protection earplugs are the first of their kind for the company. These in-ear Bluetooth earphones deliver both audio and hearing protection. We found them to provide excellent audio quality while also reducing the level of ambient noise when working.
Festool also includes a useful Conversation Mode and utilizes Electronic Noise Filtration to improve face-to-face communication, mitigate loud sounds, and help prevent hearing loss.
These earphones run about $180—a tad pricey, but a sure hit for any Festool tool enthusiast.
The Bottom Line
From extending the function of your CT vacuum to adding Bluetooth audio or a full-blown workstation, Festool has many accessories for enhancing their core tools. Any of these can help you create or enhance an already robust tool system and help take your work to the next level of professionalism—or enjoyment.
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