Bosch 3725DEVs ROS shop vac adapter

[Doug Garson]

I have the above sander, I like it but I'm not happy with the shop vac hose adaptor. The hose end doesn't fit any shop vac hoses I have but no big deal, I got around that with some duct tape and scrap plastic pipe I had laying around. But the attachment to the sander sucks. It has a pair of clips that hold the adapter to the sander and they are way too easy to break. My first one broke years ago and I got by with duct tape to hold it on for years until about a year and a half ago when I bought an OEM replacement which just broke today. Had a look at the Bosch Canada website and they have 4 comments on the adapter, 3 out of 4 complained about the clips breaking, one guy said the clips broke the first time he installed the adapter. These reviews are two years old, lot's of time for Bosch to redesign and come up with a more durable solution.

Anyone else have this issue? Any better solution out there other than buying another OEM replacement at $11.25 CND? I'm sure this would be a good candidate for a redesigned version using a 3D printer with a set of beefier clips . Since I don't have access to a 3D printer I'm considering drilling a hole thru the adapter and the nozzle on the sander and threading the hole in the nozzle so I can secure it with a machine screw. Any other suggestions?
I also have a filter which I use when I'm not connecting it to my shop vac. Interesting, the filter clips on the same way as the adapter, but on the filter the part which broke on the adapter is about 3 times wider and I've never had it fail. Bosch could easily redesign the adapter clip so it was the same size as the one on the filter.
Here are a couple pictures of it, and a picture of my proposed solution obviously the attachment point of the clip to the body is way too small.

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[Jim Becker]

Rockler has a bunch of small tool extraction adapters and one or more of them might be a workable solution for you. I don't know if they ship to BC, however, but given your proximity to the border, perhaps you can make arrangements with someone on the south side of it to receive things and then make a quick visit to pick up.

[Doug Garson]

Thanks Jim, yes they do ship to Canada and they certainly have a wide variety of shop vac hose/tool adapters. Looking at their website couldn't see one that looked like it would fit the oval port on the Bosch sander. I'm kinda surprised no one has replied that has the same problem as, I thought, the Bosch sander was pretty popular and several models have the same port and as I said on the Bosch Canada website 3 out of 4 reviews complained about the clip breaking on the adapter, (just checked and the same 4 reviews are on the Bosch USA website) I'm thinking I'll drill and secure it with a self tapping metal screw, I can always drill it out bigger and tap for a machine screw or plug the hole with JB Weld if it doesn't work.

[Jim Becker]

Doug, one of the rubber ended adapters should easily form to the oval. That's how it is in the Festool system...I have an older Rotex 150 and it has an oval extraction port. The round rubber end on the Festool hose easily "ovals" to slip onto the port. You should be able to do a similar thing with an oval port on the Bosch.

[Doug Garson]

Thanks Jim, but it would only be held on by friction and depending on the fit, that may or may not be adequate. As I said, think I'll try the self tapping screw idea. Worst cast if it doesn't work, JB Weld will fix the hole made and I can try one of the rubber adapters.

[Doug Garson]

Here's my solution, one screw holding the adapter to the sander and two screws (top and bottom) holding the scrap pipe to the adapter. Seems pretty sturdy.


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[Alex Shanku]

I use this adapter to connect the sander to my 1.5 cyclone hose.

BOSCH VAC002 Vacuum Hose Adapter for 1-1/4 In. and 1-1/2 In. Hoses , Black
https://a.co/d/6E8zjjJ

[Doug Garson]

Thanks Alex, I have one of those or at least similar for my Bosch router but doesn't fit the oval port on the sander. I think the self tapping screw has solved the problem.

[Dave Sabo]

Normally, I’d say you have a “you” problem. But, since more than a few have said they have issue with THAT sander + the adapter - I’m inclined to believe it’s just that combination.

The RS006 has been around for nearly three decades now and is used on millions of Bosch sanders. I have one that’s 25 years old and still going strong.

Jim - suggest you take a look at the Bosch port a bit closer. It’s more of a slot with round ends than it is an “oval”. I don’t think the rockler ends will work , but I’m not certain. Even if they do, their hoses suck (stink really).

Isnt the 3725’s port metal ??? Perhaps that’s the issue ? Mine are plastic.

[Doug Garson]

Yes the port is metal but I'm not sure if that's a factor. I just measured where the clip broke, the plastic is about 0.04" thick by 0.34" long, by comparison the same section on the clip for the filter for the sander is about the same thickness but almost an inch long and has a slightly different geometry with a metal spring so the clip on the filter attachment is much sturdier and I've never broken one. I'm amazed your RS006 has lasted so long. I wonder if they cheapened the design over the years and your older one is sturdier? Mine is probably 10 to 15 years old.

[Dave Sabo]

While it’s possible (even likely) the plastic formula changed over the years , I’m still putting my money one the metal port somehow being the culprit.

Your surprise is simply because you you only have a small sample size w/minuscule data set. Like I said , that connector has been around a long time and if it were truely defective - there would be blogs, Utoobz, and threads on all the wood websites talking about it.

That said , I find the design idiotic on a lot of levels. While it’s a marvel of over complicated Teutonic engineering, the fact that a 2nd part is needed for hose attachment beggars belief. Few other sanders use such a design , and practically no one uses anything but a round port.

Someone at BSH must have also seen the light , because their newest sanders are starting to come with a round port that’s integrated into the bodies.

What kind or brand of hose / tool end are you using to attach to the sander ?

[Doug Garson]

My hose is the orange one from Lee Valley which doesn't mate with the outlet of the adapter. I bodged together a kinda Rube Goldberg or Red Green (Canadians will know who he is) section of hose to connect the two. The white "pipe" is actually a plastic leg from a shelf unit that just happened to be the right size (with a few wraps of duct tape on the OD of the adapter) and the hose is from an old vacuum with an end from a pond hose but heck it works. The hose is very flexible so it puts very little stress on the adapter and I generally suspend the orange hose from a hook in the ceiling.
I guess the majority of the RS006 adapters must survive or Bosch would have been forced to redesign it but it would be easy to redesign it so it was more like the one on the filter. If you search online you can find lots of complaints but considering the hundreds of thousand or millions of units out there it is a small %, but then again there are just 4 reviews on the Bosch website and three of them complain about it breaking and it has a rating of 2.3 out of 4.

[Dave Sabo]

Considering that even the most wonderfully designed and best manufactured widget will still have a measurable failure rate , I’m not inclined to fault Bosch on your trouble.

The fact that you’ve modified your hose to mate to the adapter cuts no quarter with me either. Clearly your setup IS putting stress on the adapter. It it wasnt stressed - it wouldn’t have broken. I suspect your bit of plastic pipe is the culprit. That LV hose is also a bit stiff and too large of a diameter to be ideal for sanding. Might be ideal for general cleanup x which is how they market it.

This type of hose is what the designers had in mind :
https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-16-4-Foot-Vacuum-VAC005/dp/B0000AV78B

the tool end is relatively short and flexible rubber.

another decent option:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0849L76XM/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?pd_rd_i=B0849WLG2H&pd_rd_w=l8e0Y&content-id=amzn1.sym.0d1092dc-81bb-493f-8769-d5c802257e94&pf_rd_p=0d1092dc-81bb-493f-8769-d5c802257e94&pf_rd_r=A5RNFRA8CJ8BFSB15478&pd_rd_wg=e4cgl&pd_rd_r=9bccc007-eb3b-4710-9289-b1c03ec6b6bd&s=hi&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWwy&th=1



I’d suggest you start with a proper hose for a sander instead of a kludge.

[Jim Becker]

Dave, sometimes folks have to work with what they have. A hose that mates perfectly would be ideal for sure...no disagreement about that. But the hose the OP has might work perfectly for other tools that are in play. I will agree that the length of the "hard pipe" adds stress to the situation because it's a lever within the laws of physics. If the OP can shorten things up, it might help for sure.

[Dave Sabo]

Jim , I’m with you on “use what ya got”.

I am not down with complaining about a tool or part being poor when it’s not used as intended/designed.

[Donald G. Burns]

If you have a 3D printer: https://www.printables.com/en/model/456473-bosch-orbital-sander-to-bosch-shop-vac-adapter

[Doug Garson]

If you have a 3D printer: https://www.printables.com/en/model/456473-bosch-orbital-sander-to-bosch-shop-vac-adapter
Thanks, don't have a 3D printer but that looks like a better design than the Bosch one. Clips look more robust and the hose end could be customized to fit whatever diameter hose you have.

[Doug Garson]

Jim , I’m with you on “use what ya got”.

I am not down with complaining about a tool or part being poor when it’s not used as intended/designed.

You're kinda "on the fence" Dave:rolleyes:, I think if you saw the Bosch RS006 you'd agree the clip is a weak design. While it has a better rating on Amazon (3.8 out of 5), the most common negative reviews (17% of reviews are 1 star) is the clip breaking. As to, "not used as intended/design", it is intended to connect a shop vac hose to the sander which is what I and those who gave it poor reviews used it for and I think it is a poor design (weak clip and doesn't match most common shop vac hose size). Also the main point of my OP was not to complain (I kinda gave them a pass on not fitting the hose) but to reach out to those who have the same adaptor and may have had the clips break, to ask what solutions they had for a fix.